Maybe you inherited the system when you bought the house, maybe the manual's long gone, or maybe the sprinklers have started doing something you didn't ask them to. The Hunter X-Core is one of the most common residential timers in York Region, and once you know the four dial positions, it's quick to set.
Programming a Hunter X-Core takes four steps on the dial: set the clock, set one start time, set each zone's run time, then choose the watering days. Turn the dial back to RUN when you're done. Five minutes, start to finish.
First, the buttons
The X-Core has a round dial for picking what you're setting, plus five buttons: + and − change whatever value is flashing, the ◄ and ► arrows move between fields, and PRG switches between programs A, B and C. Most homes only ever need Program A.
Step 1 — set the current date and time
Turn the dial to Current Time/Day. The year flashes first — set it with + / −, then press ► to step through to the month, the day, and finally the time. Watch the AM/PM marker carefully; a schedule meant for 4:00 a.m. set to 4:00 p.m. will water in the afternoon heat every day.
Step 2 — set ONE start time
Turn the dial to Start Times. Press PRG to make sure you're on Program A. Use + / − to set the time you want watering to begin, then turn the dial back to RUN.
Here's the part that confuses almost everyone: in this position the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 are not your zones — they're four possible start times for the whole program. One start time runs every zone in order, one after another. You do not need a separate start time per zone.
The setting that makes your sprinklers run several times a day
If your system waters two, three or four times a day, it's almost always because more than one start time got entered here — usually by someone who thought each number was a zone. The fix is to switch the extra ones off:
- Dial to Start Times.
- Press ► until you're on start time 2.
- Minus out until OFF is displayed — press − until the display reads 12:00 AM, then press ► once more and it lands on OFF.
- Repeat for start times 3 and 4.
Leave only start time 1 active, and the system runs its full sequence exactly once.
Step 3 — set each zone's run time
Turn the dial to Run Times. The display shows the first station (zone) number. Use + / − to set how long that zone runs — anywhere from one minute to four hours — then press ► to move to the next zone and repeat. Set every zone you use.
Step 4 — choose the watering days
Turn the dial to Water Days. The week shows as MO TU WE TH FR SA SU. Use + to turn a day on and − to turn it off. To water on odd or even calendar days instead, press ► past the days until ODD or EVEN appears, then + to select it. Match this to your municipality's watering bylaw.
Step 5 — turn the dial back to RUN
This is the step people forget. The X-Core only follows its schedule with the dial on RUN. Leave it on any programming position and nothing waters automatically. When it's on RUN, the display shows the current time and the next scheduled start. That's it — your X-Core is programmed.
To test a single zone: turn the dial to Manual–Single Station, pick the zone with the arrows, set a short run time with +/−, then turn back to RUN. It runs once, then returns to automatic. To start fresh: hold PRG, press the recessed RESET button on the side for about three seconds, and keep holding PRG until the time reappears. This erases everything, so only use it if the programming is a mess.
Still running at the wrong time — or losing the time after every outage?
If you've set it correctly and it still drifts, or the clock resets itself every time the power flickers, the controller itself is the problem, not your settings. An older timer with a tired clock will keep doing this every season. See why sprinklers run at the wrong time for the full rundown.
Done fighting the timer?
The permanent fix is a WiFi controller you set from your phone. A Hunter HPC-400 (Hydrawise) keeps perfect time through power outages, handles the daylight-saving change on its own, and skips watering when it has rained. It reuses your existing valve wiring and heads, so it is a swap at the controller, not a rebuild. For a typical Newmarket property that is up to $580 a year in saved water.
See the WiFi upgradeWhen should you call us?
If you're in Newmarket, Aurora, King City, Stouffville, Bolton or Woodbridge and you'd rather not fight the timer, we can program it, diagnose why it's misbehaving, or upgrade it — usually same-day through the in-season window across our York Region core. If the rest of the system needs work too, here's our sprinkler repair page.
Start with our AI diagnostic tool, call (905) 960-0181, or book online.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Hunter X-Core run several times a day?
Too many start times. The X-Core treats start times 1–4 as separate run-throughs of the whole program, not as zones. Switch start times 2, 3 and 4 to OFF and leave only one active.
How do I turn off an extra start time?
In the Start Times position, press − until the display shows 12:00 AM, then press ► once. It moves to OFF. Do that for any start time you don't want.
My X-Core lost the time after a power outage — is it broken?
Not necessarily. Reset the clock under Current Time/Day and the schedule is intact. But if it keeps losing the time after every outage, the controller is failing and worth replacing.
Will I wipe my schedule by resetting?
A factory reset (holding PRG plus the side RESET button) erases all programs. Re-setting just the clock or a start time does not — those leave the rest of your schedule alone.