For many homeowners, keeping your property aesthetically appealing is an important part of owning a home, and that starts with choosing the right irrigation controllers.
Some make the mistake of purchasing the cheapest irrigation controller available, which can lead to significant issues in water consumption and heightened costs. Additionally, these inexpensive controllers (also known as dumb controllers), prevent you from realizing the many benefits provided to you by your local water district.
Fortunately, the marketplace is now full of smart controllers that can detect areas of low moisture and provide irrigation to landscaping all at the control of your computer or tablet in the comfort of your own home or office. They can even adjust the amount of water flow based on the weather, the plant and soil types that are being watered, and slope. These newer style controllers have the ability to save an Association hundreds or thousands of dollars per year in decreased water consumption.
Although smart controllers can be more expensive to install, often times the added costs will be returned to you through water savings and the many and various rebates that local water districts are offering to promote the use of this new, green and sustainable technology. So before you replace your old irrigation controller with the least expensive option, stop, think, and do a little research. You might be able to install a new, smart controller that will save you time, money, and energy in the long run.