How weather sensors improve smart irrigation in San Antonio

A sprinkler system running through a rainstorm is the clearest waste of water there is, and it is entirely avoidable for the price of one sensor.

Rain sensors turn the system off if it is raining, or has been raining for an extended period. This saves on your water bill and saves your landscaping from drowning. Too much water is just as bad as not enough.

Why it matters here

South Texas rainfall does not arrive evenly. Weeks of nothing are followed by an afternoon that drops more water than a fortnight of scheduled irrigation. A controller working from a calendar cannot tell the difference. A controller working from a sensor simply skips the cycle and picks the schedule back up when the ground has dried.

Freeze protection

A freeze sensor does the same job at the other end of the year, locking the system out when temperatures drop rather than laying water on a yard that is about to ice over. It also protects the system itself, since water sitting in an above-ground backflow preventer during a hard freeze is what cracks it.

Overwatering is a plant problem, not just a bill problem

Overwatering is one of the main causes of the lawn diseases we see in San Antonio. Brown patch in particular thrives where drainage is poor and the schedule is too generous. A sensor that skips unnecessary cycles removes the conditions those fungi need.

Fitting one to an existing system

Most controllers already have a sensor input, so adding one is usually a short visit rather than a rebuild. We currently include a wireless rain and freeze sensor with new sprinkler installations. If you have an older system without one, ask us about it when we are next out.