Rain/Freeze Sensors - A Compliment to Any Irrigation System

If you are at all "weather aware" then you have probably noticed that very little, if any, irrigation was needed to supplement Mother Nature's rainfall until well into June in 2019. If you had your sprinkler system turned on prior to mid-June and didn't turn it "off" nor have a working rain sensor, then you most likely had the opportunity to pick mushrooms in your yard between mowings. (We’re not sure if these were of the edible variety!)

Additionally, for those irrigation system owners who don't opt to have their sprinkler system blown out by the second week of October, they may have noticed 2019 was the second year in a row when the outside air temperatures dropped below 20 degrees F prior to October 15! This made for interesting ice formations caused by any lawn irrigation systems that weren't turned off or didn’t have a working freeze sensor attached to their system. It also left quite a few above-ground backflow devices prone to freeze damage that weren't properly drained or covered (See corresponding blog about the Fitrite backflow cover).

These two examples of recent weather occurrences clearly illustrate the usefulness of a wireless rain/freeze sensor. The sensors are relatively easy to install and compliment virtually every brand of sprinkler system. They are installed without wires as there are no wires leading from the base unit, located near the clock, to the transmitting unit, which is located outside to collect the rainfall and detect outside air temperatures.

The sensors integrate well with most any brand of irrigation controller and are adjustable at the base unit. Specifically, the Rain Bird wireless rain/freeze sensor is adjustable in 2-millimeter increments of collected rainfall from 1/8" (3mm) to 1/2" (13mm). In addition, they trip when air temperatures reach compromising temperatures of 33, 37 or 41 degrees F depending on their adjustment. They, in effect, keep the sprinkler control clock from sending a signal to the zone valves if tripped by the existing weather conditions. Fortunately, for those involved in the maintenance of the yard and/or irrigation system, the newer Rain Bird clocks allow the manual operation of the system even when the sensor has been tripped, thus allowing the system to be turned on to water in recently applied fertilizers and/or herbicides or blown out for the winter.

These rain/freeze sensors can give the home or property owner a worry-free solution to unnecessary watering after ample rainfall or from unwanted liability exposure due to freezing water on landscapes and sidewalks/driveways during unseasonable cold snaps. These are reasonably inexpensive, will pay for themselves in a matter of a season or two, and their cost can be offset to users of Ft. Collins City water in the form of a City of Fort Collins rebate. 

Please refer to: : www.fcgov/com/utilities/residential/conserve/water-efficiency/water-efficient-sprinkler for further details.