Industry experts estimate that 30-50% of water is wasted due to poorly tuned and poorly designed systems. It is also critical to keep your manual or automatic system tuned to get the most from your system on every watering opportunity and not waste water. Here are 10 Pro Tips to water efficiently.
- The Right Amount of Water. Water your lawn when it needs it. Pay attention to temperature, sunlight, wind, and natural precipitation patterns in your area. Lawns generally require from 1 to 2.25 inches of water per week during summer to thrive. Less is needed on cool or shady days and more in hot sunny summer days.
- The Right Time of Day to Water. Water your lawn in the early morning while the air is still cool. Afternoon watering causes water to evaporate too quickly, while evening watering promotes extended leaf wetness and the spread of disease.
- The Right Amount of Time to Water. Water your lawn fewer times to a depth of 4 – 6” to encourage a healthy root system. Do not do frequent short and shallow watering which promotes surface root growth, not deep root growth.
- Do NOT Water Streets, Driveways, and Sidewalks. Adjust sprinkler spray patterns to lawn and garden only.
- Lawn Heads Too Low. If you installed your system the same time you planted your lawn, it will only take a few years for the turf to mature to a point that the sprinkler heads won’t be able to reach above the mow height. This keeps the sprinklers from reaching the distances they need to cover the turf evenly. Raise the heads up to grade and cutting the turf back from around the heads are simple but effective ways to solve this issue.
- Shrubs or Flowers Too Low. When you originally installed the system, chances are the flowers and shrubs were smaller. Keeping an eye on flower and shrub growth and cutting back overgrowth will keep the heads from being obstructed. Alternatively, if cutting back shrub growth sacrifices your garden design, the heads can easily be moved away from the problem areas and back to the turf. In some cases you may just need to raise the head to reach above the current plantings.
- Straighten Sprinkler Heads. The freezing and thawing cycle of our winters wreaks havoc on sprinkler head positioning. The smaller spray heads are particular susceptible to becoming crooked due to the winter ground heave. Nothing will improve the effectiveness of your sprinkler more quickly than straightening the heads and keeping them perpendicular to the ground.For greater efficiency, replace the inefficient spray heads designed for lawns with more efficient drip irrigation that saves water by delivers water directly to the plant base.
- Repair Minor Malfunctions and Tuning. Clogged or damaged heads, broken lines and valves, and controllers not re-set for hot summer conditions can cause brown spots in your lawn. Repairing these will get your lawn the proper water coverage for hot summer conditions.
- Install New Technology Nozzles, Drip Lines, and Flow Meters. New technology nozzles reduce “misting” that result in water evaporation before it reaches your lawn. New Drip Lines deliver water most efficiently to trees, shrubs, and plants than older spray head technology. Flow meters alert you to a broken line or head so repair can be made immediately vs. days or weeks later.
- Install New Intelligent Controllers. If you have a smartphone, you could use a smart controller. New clock controllers are WiFI enabled with the ability to react to real-time weather data specific to one’s own geographic location to adapt its watering schedule. This reduces over watering when you had recent rain and increases watering just enough in times of drought.
You run your life with a Smartphone or similar device. It saves you time and that often saves you money.
If you run your sprinkler system with a device made in the last millennium, you’ve got a serious technology gap. And that’s not smart. Water is as precious as time and if you don’t run it well, that, too, will cost you money.
What is a “smart” controller?
The timer or controller is the brains of the system that tells sprinklers when and how long to water. And like the evolution of your personal cell phone, it can run on the latest technology – or merely limp along. Do you remember the limited functions your cell had in 1999? Point made.
What is a “smart” controller?
The timer or controller is the brains of the system that tells sprinklers when and how long to water. And like the evolution of your personal cell phone, it can run on the latest technology – or merely limp along. Do you remember the limited functions your cell had in 1999? Point made.
What makes a smart controller smart?
Three technologies can go into a smart controller:
- Some talk to a satellite that talks to weather stations and then relays info back to the controller. That weather data determines when your sprinkler system operates.
- The controller can also talk to moisture sensors in the root zones of YOUR plants in YOUR yard. It will set operating times based on the moisture levels in the soil.
- Some smart controllers rely on weather stations mounted on your house. They monitor real time weather conditions of natural precipitation, wind and temperature and use that data to determine if, when and how long the sprinklers run.
And you get to make your controller smarter still in the same way you enter contacts into your phone, you also need to enter personal details about your yard:
- All types of sprinklers you have such as rotors, pop-up spray heads or drip irrigation
- Plant type – lawn, shrubs, flowers, etc.
- Soil type – such as clay or sand
- Precipitation rates of each type of sprinkler, meaning how many inches of water each would apply in one hour
All this information makes the controller smart about your yard and it factors into the equations that set up watering times.
What about cost?
For a typical yard, the cost is right in the range of a new smartphone, which makes them affordable. And many controllers will qualify for rebates from your city or water provider. Add the rebate to money saved in water costs, and this technology will pay for itself in a short amount of time.
How Much Do I Spend On Watering My Lawn? How Much Can I Save On Watering My Lawn?
Most homeowners do not know how much they spend on watering their lawns. This results in some homeowners watering too much and just pay high watering bills. Other homeowners cut back their watering and suffer stressed lawns susceptible to weeds, insects, and disease, and worse.
BestYard.com is providing this Watering Calculator for homeowners estimate how much they spend on watering and how much they could save using 10 Pro Tips for Sprinkler Watering Efficiency, and 2 Pro Tips To Conserve Water.
A Sample Calculation is on the left. Enter Your Data on the right.
OF COURSE we would love to care for your yard.
BUT, whether we provide for your yard or not, we want it to be the best it can be.
THEREFORE, we want to provide you the best professional advice for your lawn care in this guide.
THIS IMPROVES our neighborhoods, community, and environment.
P. S. Let us improve your sprinkler efficiency to save you money. You enjoy your weekend.
If this sounds good to you, CALL 720-851-7550 click the Do It For Me button below to discuss your sprinkler system needs or request your FREE quote.
BestYard.com provides sprinkler system services in Aurora, Parker, The Pinery, Pradera, Castle Rock, Castle Pines, Lone Tree, and Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
If you give us the opportunity, we are confident we can please you.
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