Everyone strives to have a lawn and garden that is the envy of the neighborhood. One of the most important steps in achieving a lush, green, and inviting lawn is to water with even coverage. Many do not have the time, or desire, to adjust, move, and control water hoses throughout the day. Luckily, automatic sprinkler controllers take care of that for you. Timers allow you to water your lawn any time of the day.
Whether you are relaxing inside your home or vacationing in another country, your automatic sprinkler timer will properly care for lawn. The following should give you a bit of a guide to follow when selecting the best sprinkler timer.
There are two main categories of sprinkler timer, digital and electromechanical. Most homeowners prefer digital, but the one drawback is that they are susceptible to power outages that can interrupt operation. Digital is the preference because it allows for dynamic functionality. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can buy irrigation controllers with awesome features that can actually help you save in the long term.
The best sprinkler timer will allow you to customize settings for each station. Say you have six stations; you will want to have the option to omit some of the zones, choose the order in which they are watered, and how long each of them is watered.
A 4-zone timer will only run 4 electric valves. Plan ahead. If your system may require more stations in the future, buy the 6 station timer. This will cost a few dollars more now, but potentially save you a lot in the future. There are some timers that have the ability to add additional stations by using bigger modules. Many timers also have multi-function capabilities which allow you more versatility in your watering times.
If you live in a stormy area that suffers frequent power outages, you may want a sprinkler controller with a backup battery. It should be noted that you cannot run your sprinklers on the battery power, but it does ensure your setting are saved so that you can avoid the inconvenience of resetting it every time the power goes out.
No matter what kind of climate, rain/freeze sensors are useful. This feature is especially helpful if you have plants, trees, and grass that are susceptible to over-watering. Most controls with rain sensors offer a bypass, so you can use your best judgment and manually override the sensors.
There are controllers made specifically for drip zones if that is all you need.
These are just a few features and options to consider. If you have any trouble deciding which features are necessary, and which features you can omit to save money, contact a member of customer service team.
The first step in deciding which timer to buy is to strategize coverage. Many yards have areas that need to be watered more than others, and your timer can be customized to meet these needs. It is helpful to divide your lawn into zones, taking note of which areas need more or less water to determine how long you want to water that zone. Another important consideration is which time of day you want the sprinkler system to come on. These zones should all be connected with a single valve. You can then find a sprinkler controller that will be able to handle the number of zones you have specified. From there, you can decide on additional features that will make your sprinkling system more effective.
Many years ago companies and cities didn't have automatic sprinkler timers and had to hire a professional to water their landscape around the clock. Today we can water grass and flower beds with a simple click of a button all thanks to sprinkler timers. There are many great benefits to installing a commercial sprinkler timer for your office or commercial building, including:
