I know what to do with the zones obviously and the pump and the 24v ( is there a positive an negative?) but for the VC wire… can it just put that into one of the common connections in the rachio 3? just a little peace of mind that it will work.
thanks
@IxsharpxI - VC stands for Valve Common and will go to a C(ommon) terminal (there are 2 or 4 of them depending on the model) on the Rachio. For the 24 V question, the voltage is AC not DC - so there is not a positive or negative. And it really doesn’t matter as those wires will be abandoned as Rachio comes with its own power supply that plugs into the device.
Enjoy your gift and welcome to the community.
I replace tons of those Irritrol Rain Dial controllers. They are simple and easy to transfer to a Rachio controller just as @DLane pointed out.
I also noticed that you have an auxiliary pump on there and your Rachio 3 controller has a terminal for that too.
Welcome to the Rachio community. We are loaded with many professional and experienced irrigation people that can guide your comfortably through a painless installation.
That does look like the outdoor version of the Irritrol controller. If you are installing outdoors, don’t forget to get the original Rachio outdoor box.
One difficulty I’ve encountered is that there’s no obvious power plug. I thinks it’s wired directly into the fuse box and it has a seperate breaker labeled sprinkler system. I assume they have some sort of step down in between but I dont know. I can take multimeter measurements
@IxsharpxI - I believe there has to be a transformer somewhere. It could be internal to the Irritrol.
The Rachio just needs a normal 120 power outlet to plug its power adapter/brick into that will provide the proper 24 VAC power. I might just turn the breaker labeled sprinkler system off and then cap/wire nut off the power wires going to the Irritrol if you can’t find the transformer. If the transformer is internal to the Irritrol and one feels comfortable installing an electrical plug then one can do that - otherwise just use another outlet that is handy.
It also sounds like this might be an outdoor installation, so OP will also need the outdoor enclosure as well…
No it installed inside the garage. Next to the fuse box. No other plug ins nearby… it’s a head scratcher i have a feeling there may be a built in transformer but need to find it
Follow those 24v wires. Usually those types of controllers have a built in transformer. On those clocks, it would be under that gray and blue cover to the right.
That is where the 120 is hardwired from the panel. You will probably need to have an electrician terminate a standard plug for you in order to plug the Rachio power brick into…
Yes this is exactly what I’m expecting to see when i pull the cover off. I’m electrically savy… a simple plug is quite easy.
Perfect! Then all you need to do is mount an outlet to the wall, swap the irrigation wiring over to Rachio and you’re all set!
Then the fun begins of learning more about your yard than you ever thought you needed to know! It might even become a bit of an obsession!
Thanks everyone I’ll report back after christmas 
It’s after Christmas…
Got it all loaded up and signed in on the app. Wasn’t able to setup zones and other things because everything is winterized but…success!
Looks great, let us know if you have any questions.
Welcome to the Rachio family. 
Thanks this is controller #2 in the family. trynna convince my dad also haha
@Davidgar44 - wiring looks correct. Where is the black wire in the Rachio 12 zone in the original controller.
Was the original controller run before and all zones working before switching over to the Rachio?
Is the Master Valve/Pump Start Relay option on in the Rachio app?
Is water turned on to the sprinkler system (i.e. can you manually activate a valve and have water coming out)?
Can the resistance down the white (?) common wire and a zone wire be measured?
Is there a master valve in the system or a pump start relay?
