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Automatic Lawn Sprinklers

13 years ago

Here is a question for those of you who have automatic lawn sprinklers with timers.

Do you have a rain sensor connected to your timer?

This morning I saw two different lawns being watered after we just had almost 1" of rain in the past 24 hours. I just don't get it.

I suppose there could have been a legitimate reason for those systems running after a soaking rain, but I suspect the odds are favorable that these and other automatic systems are set, and then ignored without the use of a rain sensor. A sensor is cheap and easy to install, and will save you money on your water bill, thus paying for itself many times over. Then there's the issue of overwatering your turf.

Well? Do you have a rain sensor connected to your automatic irrigation system? And if you don't, then why not?

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Comments (4)

dwrecktor
13 years ago
I totally agree w/ u. So easy & cheap to install. I've seen sprinkler going during a downpour. What a waste. One thing to keep in mind is the sensor detects air moisture so after a heavy rain and air moisture dries up a system can still go off even though the ground is saturated so you have to manually turn it off or adjust the start day. I'm in north Texas w a Bermuda lawn and I think I ran my system 5 or 6 time all last summer b/c I paid attention to the weather and adjusted my systmem accordingly.
tiemco
13 years ago
People are lazy jerks and don't care about things like that (well most people). Some people are too lazy to recycle, conserve energy, walk from a parking space that is too far from the store for them, and the list goes on. Why buy a rain sensor when you can just leave your system set to ON. Why does the mailman drive on my lawn on a weekly basis? Because he's a jerk who doesn't care. He sits on the right side of his little truck, it's not like he can't see the lawn.
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bpgreen
13 years ago
I don't have a rain sensor. But I also don't just set mine and let it run. I adjust the days it runs based on conditions.
metal
13 years ago
I have the Toro wireless rain sensor with the discs that have to dry out before it turns the system back on. I have is set so it shuts the system off if we have more than 1/4" of rain and it works very well. I paid ~$50 for it at Home Depot.

Neighbor across the street has her lawn company come out in the spring to turn her system on and then they come back out in the fall to shut if off. I have offered to teach her how to use her controller, but she isn't interested. We do have private wells here, so it costs ~$0.25 to water per hour, but wasting is wasting.

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