Sprinkler System Rain Sensor

Have you ever seen someone's sprinkler system on during the rain or just after a rain and thought about how wasteful that is or how that might negatively affect the lawn that is being oversaturated?  With all the rain in Columbia, S.C. that we've had lately, chances are you have.  Sprinkler System Rain Sensors are a great solution for this problem and can be installed on just about any modern lawn irrigation control panel.

If you do not have a more modern irrigation control panel timer, installing one would be the first necessary step in having a completely automated landscape watering system.  There will be a circuit inside the control panel where you can connect the new rain sensor wires.

The purpose of a rain sensor shutoff for an automatic irrigation system is to temporarily shut off the regular watering schedule of your system.  This is achieved by way of small, round leather discs that are inside the sensor that expand when they are wet.  This expansion trips the sensor and opens the circuit which shuts off the system.

Rain sensors can be adjusted to turn off the system from as little as 1/8th of an inch of rain to 1" of rain depending upon the product.  They can also be adjusted to dry out quicker and allow the regular watering schedule to begin sooner by way of the vent sleeve. 

Depending upon the situation, you can have wired or wireless sensors installed.  One consideration when looking at wireless rain sensors is battery life.  Consider that you will have to replace the batteries now and then which could be counterintuitive to the convenience factor of this upgrade.

In conclusion, if you are searching for an environmentally friendly way to save money, water, and the health of your turf you may want to look into having one of these sensors installed.  The cost depends upon the situation but can often be done in the $150-200 range by a qualified, local irrigation repair service.

Post Emergent kills weeds not grass

Do you have weeds in your grass and you're looking for a good solution to kill weeds in Lexington, Irmo or Columbia South Carolina?  Although the subject of weed control is very broad, I will attempt to address the question of what product to use at this time of year (summer) and what outcome to expect.  Weed controlling post emergent spray should be a part of your annual lawn weed control treatment plan.

Post emergent spray, not to be confused with PRE emergent (which we put down in granular form in the fall and in February) is a topical spray that when sprayed on many lawn weeds will yellow out and kill the weed to the root.  Some types of weeds like clover require 2 applications of post emergent.  As the name of the product implies, it is formulated to kill the weeds AFTER they have germinated as opposed to before they have germinated (pre emergent). 

Here is a centipede lawn that has been treated with post emergent, spray on application, 10 days after the chemical was applied.  Note ththat the weeds are yellowing out while the grass remains unaffected.

Post emergent is only one component of a comprehensive annual weed control program.  It should not be considered to be the "silver bullet", but, in my opinion, is one of the more effective spot treatments with nearly immediate results.  The timing of the application is critical - many post emergents should be applied well after the grass has come out of dormancy or it will affect the new, tender grass growth.

To apply this product, you basically just hook the hose-ready fitting on the bottle to your garden hose and apply as directed on the bottle.  Spray it on evenly and let it dry.  Be careful when using where there might be dogs or cats present as it can make them sick.  Don't get it in your pool.  Just use common sense, use enough to do the job, and that's it! 


 

Sprinkler System Control Panel Not Working

If you live in the Columbia S.C. or Lexington Area, you may wake up to find that your Sprinkler System Control Panel is Not Working this morning.  This is likely due to the lightning thunderstorms we had last night in our area.  Lightening can affect not only your irrigation controller, but also your wiring and your zone solenoids.

Some symptoms that your lawn irrigation timer is bad are as follows:

• Every zone you put the dial on turns the same zone on
• There is a red indicator light on at the top of the controller
• There doesn't appear to be any power to the panel
• The control panel is obviously damaged by lightening (blown off the wall, charred, yes this happens!)
• Some irrigation zone valves do not turn on

Landscape wiring related to your sprinkler system can also be affected by lightening or power surges.  These phenomenon affect the wiring sometimes by shorting the wires at the connection points.  To repair low voltage sprinkler wiring, you must first locate the fault with a wire tracer.  Another sure fire way to repair faulty sprinkler system wiring is to run new wire, digging it under the surface of the sod by using a trencher.

Irrigation systems have separate zones for the various parts of your lawn and flower beds.  These zones are controlled by valve solenoids that tell the valve to open and close.  If the solenoid has been affected by lightening, that zone will not open OR it will stay on. 

All diagnistics on lightening related irrigation problems should be addressed by a qualified technician working for a licensed sprinkler repair company.  Many years of experience can mean the difference between shoddy workmanship and an inordinately long repair process and a quick, efficient, quality repair job.