Running through running sprinklers in hot summer days is fun for young and old alike. It’s even more fun for your lawn and gardens to get the right amount of water. You install a sprinkler system to have peace of mind that your lawn and gardens receive just the right amount of water during hot summer months. In the words, your, #1 criteria is a reliable sprinkler system. What does that mean? Are you facing a sprinkler repair? Use a repair as an opportunity to create a real upgrade.
Sprinkler Repair To New Controller
While there are differences in the quality of drip lines, sprinkler heads, and system valves, the main feature to upgrade is the sprinkler system controller since it is the way you
(1) set up zones,
(2) operate the entire system from your phone, and
(3) use water more effectively, which is another way of saying “save money on water”.
When having your sprinkler service at your property for a sprinkler repair, have them install a smart sprinkler controller. Is a smart sprinkler system better than the old manually controlled system? You bet! You will never return to the old, “dumb” sprinkler controller.
Smart Sprinkler Reviews
Steve of the series SteveDoes, a host on SHG Living created a video on his four-year experience with bhyve sprinkler. Steve felt bhyve provided him a reliable sprinkler system over the last four years, so he recently upgraded to their new smart sprinkler controller. This kind of test is certainly a well-earned endorsement.
Steve likes the fact that his smart irrigation controller allows him to label his zones for better identification. Steve is also hoping for water conservation as a direct result of the system’s weather forecasting feature. Oh yes, we have all seen sprinklers running in the midst of rain. In other words, a smart reliable sprinkler controller should also provide the best weather forecast for watering when needed and water conservation or no water when Mother Nature provides it.
Sabine H. Schoenberg, host of SabinesNewHouse is also a big fan of smart and reliable sprinkler controllers in her garden design. Among her initial selection criteria is how many zones a smart irrigation controller is set up for. Many units provide only 8 zones. While controllers can be twinned it is much more manageable to operate your system with one single controller.
Sabine points out that larger properties have many different light, soil, and slope conditions for both lawn and plantings compared to smaller, more cohesive landscapes. In other words, zones need to be planned on nature’s conditions, not man-made system configurations. Invariably, this means more zones on larger properties. The good news is that having many zones means that water consumption can then be fine-tuned based on light and soil conditions – a real help in water conservation.
The detailed information on each zone also shows you where your system might require a sprinkler repair. This again minimizes the loss of water. This is good for your pocketbook as well as the planet.
Here is one more experiential insight: Reliable sprinkler controllers with weather forecasting are as good as the weather station they connect to. Schoenberg points out that some smart irrigation controllers she installed connected to less accurate weather stations in her area. By contrast, Rainmachine connects to one which has proven to be the most reliable weather station in her area.
Rainmachine offers 16-zone smart irrigation controllers.
“For larger properties, this is not only ideal but essential,” says Schoenberg. She
goes on to note that “homeowners should also know that one zone goes to the
Master Valve shutoff, which is required by building codes. So really you should
plan for 15 zones in a 16 zone controller.”
Sometimes in the world of smart devices, it means you have to go through a reset procedure. Having a good, a.k.a. available and patient support staff from your controller company is key. Mrs. Schoenberg mentioned that Rainmachine identified that her irrigation controller was not working as it had been hit by lightning. Indeed there had been a lightning storm in the area. Instead of a sprinkler repair, Rainmachine made it even better. Since the event occurred in the first year of operation, Rainmachine replaced it with a new one, free-of-charge. Talk about a reliable sprinkler company.
Use your next sprinkler repair as your opportunity to install a smart irrigation controller in your system. You will wonder why you waited so long.
