If your lawn is your pride and joy, you likely spend a lot of time maintaining, watering and inspecting your yard. Along with all the other smart features of modern life, smart irrigation systems can help you achieve total control over your watering schedule. It will also be beneficial as it reduces the waste of water and prevents overwatering your lawn.
Smart irrigation controllers are more than just an irrigation system that turns on and off based on your desired schedule. There are a variety of systems available which can monitor your climate, weather changes, soil condition, and water levels to enhance your watering schedule, adhering to when your lawn needs it the most. When the sun starts shining, or a thunderstorm is rolling in, your smart irrigation system will respond appropriately. If you have a traditional system, you might get stuck at work without realizing it’s raining outside, and it’s your scheduled time to water your lawn. You may even be able to upgrade your current irrigation system with a smart system to amplify your existing strategy. You can avoid all worry with a smart irrigation system.
What type of smart irrigation controller do we recommend?
Weather-based, or otherwise known as evapotranspiration controllers, rely on weather data to determine watering schedules and are the most effective controllers for accurately determining how much water your lawn needs. Working between the water level in the soil surface and the transpiration by plants, the weather-based controllers base their run times on this and the local weather data. The four parameters they use are wind, humidity, solar radiation, and temperature. A weather-based system is best for landscape water needs.
There are three styles of controllers, which are signal-based, historic ET, and on-site weather measurement controllers. Signal-based controllers utilize publicly available data that is sent via a wireless connection. Historic ET controllers utilize a pre-programmed curve based on historical water usage. The curve is adjustable. On-site weather measurement controllers use the on-site weather data to create the schedule.
Related: 3 Factors that Impact the Cost of an Irrigation System
What are the benefits of a weather-based smart controller system?
You have total control over your schedule and automation.
These systems allow you to have total control over your lawn care, even when you’re not home. You no longer have to waste your time setting up sprinklers, moving them around, forgetting they’re on and overwatering. The “set it and forget it” technology is a significant convenience that keeps your lawn looking it’s very best.
Related: Backflow Testing – What is it and Why is it Important?
You can save money.
Over-watering your lawn not only harms it, but it also costs a lot of money when you’re using all that water. You can reduce your annual bill by a whopping 30% by investing in a smart irrigation system. Your local water service may also provide a rebate for installing a smart system, so check with them to see the benefits they offer.
Learn more about water sensibility and water audits
You can adjust according to the weather.
For those who love to take care of their lawn, there’s nothing worse than watering your lawn just to have it rain hours later or having your traditional irrigation system timed to go off when it’s already raining, and you’re busy with other things. A smart system that responds to the weather can help you combat under and over-watering and wasting water.
Related: The Irrigation System Installation Explained
Reduce the water you waste
Surprisingly, the use of outdoor water accounts for over 9 billion gallons of water per day, and most of this is used for watering lawns, trees, and plants. Up to 50% of this water is wasted because of overwatering and having an ineffective watering plan. Smart irrigation systems directly combat these numbers and help you reduce the amount of water you’re wasting. A study by the International Center for Water Technology at California State University and the Irrigation Association show that when using a smart irrigation system, it can save up to 20% more water than traditional irrigation systems.
There are some excellent benefits to investing in a smart irrigation system. From giving you added control, helping you save money, peace of mind, and the best looking lawn on the block, they are an excellent addition to any home. If you are one of the many Canadians that are guilty of the overuse of water, you may want to consider adding a smart irrigation system into your life.
Contact us today to learn how a smart irrigation system can help you efficiently water your lawn!
