Rain Sensors - Do You Have One?
Have you checked your rain sensor lately? Does your automatic lawn sprinkler system even have a rain sensor? Since 1991 there has been a mandatory law here in Florida that states that all automatic lawn sprinkler systems installed after that date must have a rain sensor device installed.
If you don't already know, a rain sensor is a small piece of equipment that hooks up to your sprinkler system and shuts they system down if there is adequate rainfall. Most brands of rain sensors can be adjusted to shut the system off from 1/8" to 3/4" of rain.
The way most rain sensors work is by a small cardboard like material disc that swells out when it becomes saturated. When the disc swells out, it puts a break in the common or negative wire(s) in the system which in turn doesn't allow the pump to turn on or electric valves to open.
Even though there has been a law in effect that requires rain sensors, many systems still don't have them. The law is not heavily enforced, and there are certain areas that don't require inspections and therefore the contractor or homeowner can get by without installing one.
Although beneficial to saving water and not overwater the lawn some contractors feel that rain sensors are a hassle. I agree that they can be, especially when the homeowner or customer doesn't know that their sensor is set for a specific amount of rainfall. You may get a call from someone who says "it's raining, but my system is still running", but the sensor may have not yet measured enough rain.
You also get calls when people don't see there system run a day or two after it rains. This is because it could take a couple of days for the disc to dry out let the system go back to operational. The rain sensor is designed to dry out at approximately the same rate as the soil.
Overall, I do recommend the use of rain sensors. Especially when you are using metered (city) water and are paying for the use. This small device could save you hundreds or more dollars a year and it will also prevent overwatering of your lawn. Overwatering of your lawn could lead to fungus, yellowing and overall poor health of your lawn.
Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
If you don't already know, a rain sensor is a small piece of equipment that hooks up to your sprinkler system and shuts they system down if there is adequate rainfall. Most brands of rain sensors can be adjusted to shut the system off from 1/8" to 3/4" of rain.
The way most rain sensors work is by a small cardboard like material disc that swells out when it becomes saturated. When the disc swells out, it puts a break in the common or negative wire(s) in the system which in turn doesn't allow the pump to turn on or electric valves to open.
Even though there has been a law in effect that requires rain sensors, many systems still don't have them. The law is not heavily enforced, and there are certain areas that don't require inspections and therefore the contractor or homeowner can get by without installing one.
Although beneficial to saving water and not overwater the lawn some contractors feel that rain sensors are a hassle. I agree that they can be, especially when the homeowner or customer doesn't know that their sensor is set for a specific amount of rainfall. You may get a call from someone who says "it's raining, but my system is still running", but the sensor may have not yet measured enough rain.
You also get calls when people don't see there system run a day or two after it rains. This is because it could take a couple of days for the disc to dry out let the system go back to operational. The rain sensor is designed to dry out at approximately the same rate as the soil.
Overall, I do recommend the use of rain sensors. Especially when you are using metered (city) water and are paying for the use. This small device could save you hundreds or more dollars a year and it will also prevent overwatering of your lawn. Overwatering of your lawn could lead to fungus, yellowing and overall poor health of your lawn.
Scott
http://www.autolawnsprinklers.com
posted by Irrigationman at
12:32 PM
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