Pros:
Saving Time
Watering your lawn takes some planning and time out of your day. Ensuring you are watering at the right time, the entirety of your yard, and watering enough are all factors you need to consider. Investing in an irrigation system, especially if you live on a larger property, will save you loads of time because you can set it and forget it. Some of the more sophisticated systems keep tabs on your soil’s water level, so it won’t overwater and kill your lawn.
Convenient
Irrigation systems are hugely convenient for those who live busy lives or for those who consistently forget about watering their lawn. It’s a great way to ‘set and forget’ it but still maintain a beautiful lawn. You can even leverage remote capabilities through your smartphone.
Increased Resale Value
A healthy green lawn will reflect the pride of ownership you have in your home, and if you’re looking to sell, it increases your curb appeal. Many interested buyers will love having an irrigation system already installed and ready to go. Does the capital investment have a net depreciation (the investment less the cost to upgrade the system) value – the selling price can be increased by said depreciation value?? The buyer reaps all the benefits of the system without the investment cost
Long-term Savings
While it’s a significant initial investment, it will help you maintain proper water levels, so you don’t spend extra money on your water bill each month. Automatic watering also helps the environment by reducing your water usage.
The water savings with the SMART controller:
Savings in weed & grub control; re-sodding or seeding; replanting of shrubs, trees etc., and soil retention
Replacing a timer-based system to a WaterSense Controller can save 15% in water consumption or 7,600 gallons annually
Focus
A professionally designed irrigation system can be strategically positioned to direct the water by location, timing and need instead of allowing runoff on sidewalks or driveways.
Aesthetics
Eliminate unsightly hoses and sprinklers with sprinkler heads that are only visible when in use and retract neatly out of sight when they're not. Drip irrigation is another efficient watering solution that also looks visually appealing.
Health
Depending on the climate and soil conditions in your area, your lawn will likely require 30 to 60 minutes of watering once or twice a week. Too much or too little water can result in an unhealthy landscape, but with a properly scheduled automatic irrigation system you can rest easy knowing your plants will receive the perfect amount of water with little to no waste.
Flexibility
This type of system can be customized to suit any size of property, unlike manual sprinklers which have a limited range of motion.
Eco-friendly
Reduce the amount of water you use to water your lawn and garden with the strategic placement and timing of your irrigation system. Studies have shown that as much as seven percent of runoff can occur from poor use of residential water. Installing eco-friendly irrigation systems that are used properly can limit waste to a minimal.
Overall Water Management
Most residential property owners use excessive amounts of water to keep their turf and landscape green and fresh, costing them more money than is necessary. By learning to water your lawn properly with the help of a watering system, you can conserve a significant amount of water and still get the healthy beautiful lawn you want.
Sod
For newly installed sod, we recommend that you water at least two times each day. In the case of extreme heat, it might be necessary to add a third water cycle. Once the grow-in period of a few weeks has passed, it is recommended to reduce the watering frequency.
For twice a day watering, schedule your system for 3-6AM and 6-8PM.
Zone your landscape
Different plantings, even adjacent ones, can have very different irrigation needs. Delivering the same amount of water to them often results in wasteful overwatering and costly plant loss. With smart irrigation, you can easily create and monitor zones to deliver each plant type the exact amount of water it needs to stay healthy and vigorous – no more.
Monitor moisture
Older automatic irrigation systems simply run on a timer, without taking actual conditions into account. But there’s no point in watering when it’s raining. One simple way to benefit from smart irrigation is to integrate a rain sensor into your system and program it to shut off when it’s raining.
Adjust your cycles
Various soil types absorb water at different rates. Too much water too fast or for too long a time can overwhelm a soil’s ability to absorb. That leads to runoff—and water waste. With a smart system, you can adjust the watering cycle length and flow rate to ensure that every drop gets used, or even incorporate soil moisture sensors that turn zones on or off as needed.
Cons:
Maintenance & Repairs
Investing in an irrigation system requires an upfront capital expenditure -,. and annual irrigation maintenance and repair costs. There are many moving parts when it comes to a sophisticated system. Some parts will need to be replaced over time, and Blue Jay offers a variety of preventative maintenance programs, which is an excellent investment that reduces repair costs and extends the life of the system.
Keeping your system in good working order once or twice a year will help it last much longer and prevent bigger issues from occurring. Parts like sprinkler heads can become damaged or shift out of alignment during regular maintenance like mowing your lawn or lawn rolling, aerating etc.. Your system will require winterization during the low temperatures to prevent tree roots and pests from damaging the system. If you live in a particularly cold climate that experiences hard freezes, you will need to carry out heavy-duty winterization to avoid underground pipes sustaining damage and requiring repairs.
At Blue Jay Irrigation we’re proud to offer a 5-year warranty on all residential (on the whole system or just the sprinkler heads etc.??) irrigation installs and a 1-year warranty on commercial irrigation installs.
Weather
Suppose you live in a particularly windy place or somewhere where it rains a lot. In that case, an irrigation system may not perform its best for you. Wind can change where the water is intended to go, which can over water in some areas and not sufficiently water others. If your city sees a lot of rainfall, investing in an irrigation system may not be the best idea.
Whether you decide whether an irrigation system is right for your lawn and gardens or not, there are plenty of pros and cons to consider. While an irrigation system is convenient, time-saving, and great value to your home and the environment, it’s also an upfront investment. It will definitely improve your home’s value and reduce the amount of time you need to plan around watering your lawn.
