Understanding WEATHER-BASED
“Smart” Irrigation Controllers
By Tom DiMeco of Pacific Landscape Maintenance A
dvances in technology are no longer simply the purview of computer companies, auto makers,
and appliances. Technological innovations are also occurring in the landscape industry— specifically around advanced or “smart” irrigation controllers. Some readers may know how a controller works to run an irrigation system, but the following overview is helpful.
The controller is used to determine when a community’s irrigation turns on (evenings and early mornings are best), and how long it stays on (which depends on what is being irrigated). The original basic controller is set manually, like a clock, and needs to be adjusted as the season warms and cools and more or less water is needed. The operator determines how long the irrigation should run based on several factors including the area (turf panels, shrub beds, or flower beds), the maturity of the plant material, the type of plant material, and the time of year. Unfortunately, since this is a manual process, there isn’t an ability to
24 Community Associations Journal | April 2023
fine tune the schedule based on current weather that is occurring at the particular site. That is why sometimes you’ll see irrigation running even when it has just rained or is currently raining.
That is why you’ll see irrigation running even when it has just rained or is currently raining.
Many Factors at Play
The introduction of rain sensors helped to address some of the rainfall challenges by adjusting the clocks automatically if heavy rains had occurred. Unfortunately, the amount of water needed for irrigation is based on multiple factors: ` Amount of rainfall or anticipated rainfall ` Air temperature ` Cloud cover ` Wind
The last three factors affect the evaporation rate of water
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