by Winter has arrived, and that’s good news if you live in Southern Alabama. You can reset the amount of water you use with your sprinkler system.
Plus, you should hire a sprinkler system contractor to complete an audit on your irrigation system.
Taking Money-Saving Steps
You can reduce the amount of outdoor water use in winter by resetting your lawn sprinkler to distribute ½” of water per week.
During the spring and summer months, when temperature rise and grass is growing, you need to set your lawn and garden sprinkler to deliver 1.0” of water per week.
But the cooler temperatures, and the fact that your warm season lawn is dormant means that you can cut back on how much you water it.
You can also invest in making your sprinkler system more efficient by adding moisture and weather sensors.
Another way to save money on your water bills: a smart irrigation system that’s hooked up to a Bluetooth controller. You can adjust your sprinkler based on the data you receive.
All you need to do is have your system recalibrated to a smart sprinkler system. Then you can download an app to control your sprinklers through your Android smartphone.
Time’s running out: Read why you need to do these fall chores before winter.
You save money on your water bills because your smart sprinkler system gives you data on weather, moisture sensors and plant information to guide you.
The smart irrigation system delivers the right amount of water at the right time for each zone based on real-time data.
Not only do you conserve water, but you also save time from having to preset your timers.
Smart sprinkler systems also keep your grass lush, healthy and green. Lawn sprinklers help you to avoid over- or under-watering keeping your turfgrass vibrant.
Finally, you need to check your lawn and garden sprinkler every month to make sure all sprinkler and rotary heads are working and positioned to water only your lawn.
Why Your Lawn Sprinkler Needs a Yearly Audit
To get the most out of your sprinkler system as well as to keep your lawn and landscape healthy, your irrigation system needs a yearly audit.
A landscape or an irrigation contractor performs the audit and will be at your home during the hours you typically use your sprinkler system.
The contractor will first do a maintenance check to make sure rotary and sprinkler heads pop up and are in working order. Next, the contractor will go through each zone checking to make sure that water is distributing efficiently in each zone.
Learn more: 10 Reasons Why You Need a Lawn and Garden Sprinkler.
Your contractor will lay out containers in different zones to measure the amount of water that’s released. Plus, he or she will check where one sprinkler head ends and the next one begins.
Your contractor will also check
- The water pressure in each zone
- Where all spray heads are located and the space between each head
- The catch device locations
- How long each water test lasted
- If available, he/she will check your water meter
- Wind speed since it affects how well water is distributed
- To make sure that no valves are leaking and wasting water
- Your property’s soil type
- Your lawn and landscape’s root zone depths.
After your contractor finishes your sprinkler system audit, he/she will give you a report and recommendations on what parts of your sprinklers need repair or re-calibrating, so it works correctly in all zones.
How Xtreme Turf Lawn Care Helps You
At Xtreme Turf Lawn Care, we don’t perform sprinkler system audits, but we do care about your lawn.
You invested a lot of money into your lawn care. Keep your turfgrass healthy, lush and weed-free by investing in a sprinkler system. You can set up your sprinkler system to deliver the right amount of water at the right time and in the right place.
If you need fertilization and weed control services, call us at Xtreme Turf today at 251-648-9947 or fill out our contact form.
Xtreme Turf Lawn Care serves homeowners in Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Gulf Shore, Loxley, Mobile, Saraland, and Spanish Fort, AL.
Sources:
Haley, Melissa, B., et al., “Energy Efficient Homes: The Irrigation System.”
LandscapeManagement.net, “Step by Step: How to do an Irrigation Audit.”
Postscapes, “Top Smart Irrigation Sprinkler Controllers.”
