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.