Water Saving Tools & Tips for Your Sprinkler System
Whether you’re considering the health of your grass, or the health of your wallet, managing your water usage is an important part of maintaining your lawn.
If your systems uses Wichita city water, there are water restrictions. These sprinkler sensors and tips can help you reduce water waste:
- Rain sensors
- Smart irrigation timers
- Soil sensors
- Flow meters
- Watering early in the morning
- Moisture Retention Treatments
These sprinkler sensors and tools can help prevent overwatering, detect leaks, and lower your water bill.
Rain Sensors
A rain sensor stops your sprinkler system from running when your lawn has already received enough rain. The sensor detects moisture and temporarily pauses the watering schedule.
A properly installed rain sensor can help prevent puddles, runoff, and unnecessary watering after a storm.
Rain sensors typically use an expansion disk or collection cup to detect rainfall. Expansion disks are the most common and contain a small cork-like material that swells when wet.
When the disk expands, the sensor temporarily stops the sprinkler system from running. Once it dries, normal watering resumes.
This prevents your system from watering after an overnight storm, which can lead to:
- Lawn disease
- Erosion
- Standing water
- Mosquitoes
- Higher water bills
A rain sensor helps your lawn make the most of natural rainfall while reducing unnecessary water use.
Smart Irrigation Timers
Smart sprinkler timers allow you to connect to the system using a smart device and an app. Many smart timers can also connect with a rain sensor, soil sensor, or flow sensor for better control. Being able to make adjustments on the fly, even when you aren’t at home, will allow you to reduce water waste, and optimize your watering from any location.
Many smart controllers are also able to access weather data based on zip code. The system can adjust automatically if it is likely to rain.
Soil Sensors
Soil sensors use an underground probe to constantly monitor your lawn’s moisture level. This data is sent to your timer, where the system automatically adjust the watering schedule to water the correct amount.
Measuring moisture near the lawn’s roots removes the guesswork from watering. This means less water is wasted.
Water Flow Meters
A water flow meter monitors how much water moves through your sprinkler system.
The water flow meter may alert you to:
- Broken sprinkler heads
- Underground leaks
- Stuck valves
- Unusual water usage
- Low water flow
These meters are designed to monitor water flow throughout your irrigation system. If your system has an unusually high or low flow, it will warn you. If a leak or another problem causes abnormal water flow, the meter can alert you so the system can be inspected. The meter also allows you to see reports on how much water is used in each zone.
Water Early in the Morning
Run your sprinkler system early in the morning when temperatures are cooler. This gives water more time to soak into the soil instead of evaporating.
The best times to run your sprinkler system is between 5:00 am – 10:00 am,
Moisture Retention Lawn Treatments
Reddi’s lawn department offer a granular lawn treatment that can reduce water consumption by as much as 50%. Each application lasts about 90 days.
If you’re interested in reducing water waste by upgrading your sprinkler system in the Wichita, KS area, give us a call. Our technicians can help you find the best devices for your system.
