Overview

Program priorities are a powerful capability in Baseline controllers that have been available for six to eight years. While many users are aware of this feature, it's not used as often as it could be, and its operation is sometimes misunderstood. Program priorities allow you to control which programs take precedence when multiple programs need to run, ensuring that critical watering areas always receive water when needed.

Understanding Program Priorities

Each program can be assigned a watering priority ranked from 1 to 99, where 1 is the highest priority. When a start event occurs, the program with the highest priority (lowest number) has precedence over all other programs. The higher priority program will preempt lower priority programs and run to completion before the lower priority programs run.

If all programs are set to the same priority, they run in order by program number. For example, if Program 2 and Program 3 are both set to priority 5, Program 2 will run before Program 3.

The default priority for all programs is priority 5. This middle-range default was chosen for ease of programming—it allows you to easily designate some programs as higher priority (1-4) or lower priority (6-99) without having to change the priority settings on all programs.

Start Events

A start event is any condition that triggers a program to begin watering. While traditional timers use scheduled start times (such as 8:00 AM on Tuesday), Baseline controllers support multiple types of start events including:

• Scheduled start times
• Event by code
• Coaches button
• Temperature sensor triggers
• Moisture sensor triggers
• Other sensor inputs

Step-by-Step Guide

Setting Program Priorities Through BaseManager

1. Navigate to the Schedules tab in your BaseManager account.

2. Click on the program you want to modify to open its details.

3. Click the Edit button to access the program settings.

4. Scroll down to locate the Schedule Priority setting, which will show the default value of 5.

5. Change the priority number to your desired value (1 being highest priority, 99 being lowest).

6. Click Save to apply the changes.

Setting Program Priorities at the Controller

1. Turn the dial to the Program position or press the Program button.

2. Navigate to Advanced Program Setup in the menu (located in the lower corner of the display).

3. Scroll through the list to select the program you want to modify.

4. Navigate to the priority setting for that program.

5. Use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the priority number.

6. Select Return to Run to save the changes and return to normal operation.

Using Live View

Live View provides a free alternative to accessing controller settings remotely without requiring a full BaseManager subscription. As long as your controller is connected to the internet, you can use Live View to access and modify program priorities using the same steps as if you were standing at the physical controller. The only difference is that you navigate using button clicks instead of rotating the physical dial.

Live View is particularly helpful when working with technical support, as support staff can navigate through your controller settings with your permission to diagnose issues without requiring full BaseManager access.

Practical Applications

High-Visibility Priority Areas

One common use case is ensuring that high-visibility areas always receive water. For example, on a site with more than 90 zones, the owner may want to guarantee that annual color beds at the front entrance get watered every single day, as failure to water these beds would be immediately noticeable and problematic.

To implement this, set the program that waters the annual beds to priority 1, and leave other programs (such as turf irrigation) at the default priority 5. This ensures that the annual beds always receive water first, and nothing else will water until those beds are complete. The system will then move on to lower priority programs like turf.

Behavior When Higher Priority Programs Start

When a higher priority program's start time arrives while a lower priority program is running, the controller will automatically pause the lower priority program. For example, if turf is running at priority 5 and the start time arrives for annual beds set at priority 1 (or any priority lower than 5, such as 4), the turf program will pause and the higher priority program will run.

Paused programs are indicated by the color pink on both the controller display and in Quick View. When the higher priority program completes, the paused programs will automatically resume from where they left off.

If a program is set to priority 1, it will water completely by itself with no other programs running concurrently. If a program is set to a higher priority but not priority 1 (such as 2, 3, or 4), the controller will check if it can run other programs concurrently based on the system's concurrency settings.

Synthetic Turf with High Water Demand

Another application involves synthetic turf cooling systems that share a water source with landscape irrigation. When the synthetic turf runs, it requires large water volume and full system pressure. Running any other zones simultaneously would compromise the pressure and flow needed for the synthetic turf system.

By setting the synthetic turf program to a higher priority than the landscape programs, you ensure that when the synthetic turf needs to run, all landscape irrigation automatically pauses. The synthetic turf receives all available water and pressure, and when it completes its cycle, the landscape irrigation automatically resumes.

This scenario is particularly useful when a coaches button serves as the start condition. When the coach pushes the button, the landscape irrigation automatically pauses, the athletic field runs its quick syringe program, and when complete, the landscape resumes automatically. The user doesn't have to manually stop and start programs—the priority system handles everything automatically.

Tank or Cistern Refill Protection

Sites that use a tank or cistern as their water supply need to prevent the tank from running dry, which could starve the system, introduce air into the lines, and potentially damage pumps. Program priorities provide an elegant solution for managing tank refills.

When the cistern reaches an empty condition (indicated by a pressure transducer, switch, moisture sensor, or other input), a refill program starts automatically. This refill program typically draws from a domestic water supply or other source to replenish the tank.

By setting the cistern refill program to priority 1 and all other programs to the default priority 5, the system automatically pauses all landscape irrigation as soon as the fill valve turns on. The refill program runs until completion (either timed or triggered by a sensor indicating the tank is full), and then landscape irrigation automatically resumes from where it left off.

This same application applies to other water vessels including fountains, wells, and ponds or surface water sources. The specific way the refill program operates may differ, but the priority application is identical—protecting pumps and ensuring adequate water supply by prioritizing the recharge of the water source.

Fire Protection Perimeter Watering

In fire-prone areas, particularly on the West Coast, properties may have perimeter irrigation systems designed to wet down native vegetation or chaparral material in the event of an approaching fire. These systems typically use large rotor heads positioned around the property perimeter.

By setting the perimeter fire protection program to priority 1 and all other landscape programs to lower priorities (such as 2 or the default 5), property managers can activate fire protection at any time. When they press a coaches button or activate another start condition, the perimeter program immediately starts and all other irrigation pauses until the fire protection cycle is complete.

This ensures that all available water pressure is diverted to the perimeter protection system when needed. This application can also be automated using an air temperature sensor—when temperature reaches a critical threshold, the perimeter watering can activate automatically without manual intervention.

Priority Interaction with Concurrency

How Priority Affects Zone Concurrency

When you assign a program the highest priority (priority 1), it will ignore the controller-wide concurrency settings and run only according to its own program concurrency settings. For example, if your controller is configured to run seven zones simultaneously across all programs, but you have a priority 1 program set to run two zones at a time, when that priority 1 program runs, only those two zones will operate. No zones from other programs will run concurrently.

The priority 1 program must run to completion before any other programs can start. This means the controller cannot run zones from other programs even if there is available capacity within the controller-wide concurrency limit.

Running Multiple High-Priority Programs Concurrently

If you need multiple programs to run concurrently while still maintaining priority over other programs, assign them the same higher priority number. For example, if you have two programs that both need priority over landscape irrigation, set them both to priority 1 (or any number lower than the other programs).

When multiple programs share the same priority number, they can run concurrently according to both their individual program concurrency settings and the controller-wide concurrency settings. For instance, you could run two zones from one priority 1 program and simultaneously run zones from another priority 1 program, respecting the concurrency limits of each program and the overall controller capacity.

Hydraulic Considerations

Program priorities can significantly impact hydraulic performance, particularly on sites designed to maintain specific flow rates. For example, if a site is designed to run 100 gallons per minute continuously, but a priority 1 program only uses 10 gallons per minute, the system will drop from 100 GPM to 10 GPM while that priority program runs.

This reduction in flow can cause problems if your pump cannot operate efficiently at low flow rates, as it may result in excessive pressure. To maintain hydraulic performance while using priorities, consider creating multiple programs with the same higher priority. For example, instead of one priority 1 program running 10 GPM, you could have four programs all set to priority 1 that collectively run 90 GPM, keeping the system closer to its designed flow rate.

On sites with large water capacity (such as 400 gallons per minute available) and many programs (such as 28 programs), careful planning is required to set up priorities in a way that maintains proper hydraulic operation while still providing the control needed for critical watering areas.

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Understanding Status Indicators

When programs with different priorities are operating, the controller and BaseManager use color coding to indicate status:

• Blue: Zones that are actively running within the higher priority program
• Pink: Programs or zones that are paused because a higher priority program is running
• Yellow: Programs or zones that are waiting to run

In BaseManager Quick View, you will also see a message stating "A program with a higher priority has preempted this program" when a lower priority program has been paused by a higher priority program. This is a low-level informational message confirming expected system behavior.

Common Pause Conditions

When you see pink (paused) status on the controller or in Quick View, there is always a reason. Program priorities are one common cause of pause conditions, but there are other reasons why programs or zones may pause. If you encounter unexpected pausing, verify the priority settings of your programs to ensure they are configured as intended.

A common scenario occurs when users assign priority to programs without fully understanding the behavior, then become concerned when they see other programs paused. This is expected behavior when a higher priority program is running—the system is operating as designed.

Reviewing Historical Operation

If you need to understand how your system has been operating over the past seven days, use the Activity Report in BaseManager. The Activity Report shows the color coding of zones at different times throughout the day, allowing you to see if programs were running (blue), paused (pink), or waiting (yellow) at any given time. This historical view can help you determine if priority settings are causing programs to pause more frequently than intended.

Making Changes to Existing Programs

Real-Time Priority Changes

When you change a program's priority setting, the change takes effect immediately. You do not need to wait for the next watering cycle or restart the controller. If you need to adjust priorities to change the running sequence of programs, you can do so at any time, even while programs are actively running.

Rearranging Program Sequence

To change the order in which programs run, assign them appropriate priority numbers. Programs with the same priority will run in program number order (Program 2 before Program 3, for example). If you want a specific program to run first, assign it the highest priority (lowest number). If you want multiple programs to run in a specific sequence while maintaining priority over other programs, assign them the same priority number and arrange them by program number in the desired sequence.

Video Walkthrough

Video originally published September 2020.

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1. Search within this Baseline knowledgebase

2. Visit the Baseline support page

3. Call 866-294-5847 or email support@baselinesystems.com, hours are from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm Eastern Time or 4:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time.