Moisture Control- Not Just for Skin Anymore
Posted by lindseyshoe
What is a moisture controller? Hint: It’s not an anti-aging cream.
A moisture controller is a really a tool to measure the moisture content of soil. How effective are they, how can you use them to conserve water and have a beautiful garden or yard? Read more on moisture controllers.
What is a moisture controller? Hint: It’s not an anti-aging cream.
A moisture controller is a really a tool to measure the moisture content of soil.
Soil moisture controllers are designed to bypass the scheduled automatic irrigation system timer if the soil water content is above a certain moisture level. The sensor is buried is the root zone and checks the soil water content to eliminate over watering which waste water and money. Rain shut- off devices are a related product that reduce unnecessary lawn watering.
A study in Northern Colorado showed that lawn watering accounted for at least one-half of the water used by the communities. A landscape and irrigation study in the Central Florida Ridge found that on average, 62% of potable water was used for landscape irrigation. Lawn watering is an ecological challenge across the country.
Lawn Watering Facts:
Lawns with automatic sprinklers are over watered by 35-40% during the lawn-growing season.
People using a hose to hand water lawns tend to over water by 9 %.
The average residential irrigation cycle consumes several thousand gallons of water during each irrigation treatment.
Irrigating a 5,000 square foot lawn can cost from $5.00 to $25.00 every time it is irrigated.
With a new awareness of the need to conserve water and the rising cross of water, many hose waters are only watering when “needed” but this need is usually determine by visual observation which can still result in over watering, which waste money and earth’s most precious resource.
While automatic sprinkler systems have the potential to conserve water this is only true if they are well designed, well installed and well maintained. Automatic sprinklers have also owner problems. Owners may set them and forget them, not readjusting based on need. In addition, automatic sprinklers can waste large amounts of water if there are broken pipes or sprinkler heads are not properly aligned.
Going green doesn’t have to mean eliminating all of your green space. How can a family maintain a green yard and still be “green” in their watering methods?
A moisture controller is a smart tool to ensure that lawn caregivers offer their lawn enough water but never too much.
Types of Moisture Controllers
Moisture Controllers That Suspend Irrigation When Not Needed
To go green while watering your green doesn’t mean that you have to give up the convenience of an automatic timer from your sprinkler system either. There are moisture controllers, like the Suspended Cycle, by Acclima that work with a traditional timer with watering schedules. However, with a moisture controller like the Suspended Cycle the system will suspend the next schedule irrigation when the sensors detect enough moisture in the soil.
Systems That Water Only When Needed
Other systems operate on the inverse. Systems such as the Water on Demand system by Acclima uses no scheduled programming but applies water only when the soil moisture level falls below a predetermined thresholds.
Rain Shut Off Devices
Rain shut off devices work with an automatic watering system to kick in a shut off when a measured amount of rainfall has occurred. Many sprinkler systems already have a rain shut off feature but many owners are unaware of the option or unsure how to set it. If you have an automatic sprinkler system, research the availability. Rain shut off devices like the Hunter Mini-Clik can be added to existing automatic water systems as well. In an effort to conserve water the city of Austin, Texas given out free Hunter Mini-Clik rain shut off devices to residents who own an underground automatic sprinkler system. Rain shut off devices adjusted to ½ inch (measurement of rain water) can conserve 15,000 gallons of water a year.
To conserve water and save money on water bills, many homeowners have also decided to reduce the amount of grass growing on their property and taken other steps such as creating rain gardens. For information and easy instructions, read, “When Life Gives You Rain, Create a Rain Garden.”
Eco-friendly efforts like reducing the amount of grass, creating rain gardens and using options like moisture control devices can money spent on water in the short term and save earth’s precious natural resources in the long term.