A very popular question we get asked is “should I shut off my irrigation controller when it rains?” To be honest, you shouldn’t have to worry about remembering at all if you have a properly installed system with a weather sensor or smart controller. If you have one of those two things, it does that for you automatically - and so much more. Let us break it down for you…
First, what is a rain sensor?
As you might have guessed, it senses rain.
It’s a device that communicates with your sprinkler controller about the recent rainfall. If enough rain has fallen, then the sensors inform the timer to skip the next irrigation cycle and not run. It’s a convenient piece of technology. If you’re out of town or just unaware of the weather forecast, the rain sensor will make sure your lawn isn’t overwatered.
The sensor would save you the mental anguish and money from not running your sprinklers during a thunderstorm. You’ll conserve water while still maintaining your lawn if you let a rain sensor manage your sprinklers.
Without a rain sensor, overwatering can occur. Not only is this a problem as it can damage the health of your lawn, waste water, and run your utility bills up - but it can also create run off from your property. Once the soil in your lawn absorbs all the water it can at one time, the ground will become saturated.
Second, what is a smart controller?
Smart irrigation technology uses your WiFi signal to read the forecast and soil moisture data to determine if your lawn needs additional watering. This is done with local weather stations that help inform the system whether or not the landscape is in need of water. These controllers are a proven technology to improve outdoor water use efficiencies. The transition will be both cost-effective and useful. Just a year of water-savings can easily pay for the smart controller upgrade, depending on the size of your lawn.
Your smart system will be able to decide how much water is needed, and when. If it rains heavily, the system may skip watering for that day. This type of lawn engineering can save up to 50% in watering costs - which is a lot when you're paying the local utility fees.
But wait, there's more…the smart controller can control many systems from anywhere in the world by opening an app on your phone. You can set your lawn watering schedule, days, and zones, or manually start and stop the sprinklers from your mobile device!
Why would this matter? Let's say you're out of town and your local lawn fertilization company sprays your lawn. Most of the time, they'll email a service slip requesting you to water their lawn application in that evening. No problem when you have the Hydrawise app!
Be sure to visit other articles we have on this topic:
- 5 Reasons to Install a Smart Irrigation WiFi Controller on your Gainesville Sprinkler System
- Are you wasting water in the rainy season?
If we can be of help with any of your St. Augustine or Nocatee lawn care, please don't hesitate to reach out to us give our team a call or text at (904) 813-LAWN. We look forward to working with you!