Sprinkler Systems

[DBMaster]

I thought I could vent a bit with my brothers/sisters here on BITOG. I have an automatic sprinkler system which I use judiciously to keep my property healthy, but not necessarily green, depending upon weather conditions. I added a rain sensor for $15 a number of years ago to prevent the system from running in the rain when I was traveling. I observe many of my neighbors running theirs, year round, on dormant grass, rain or shine. They don't even try to set the systems to run for an amount of time that does not just cause runoff from our clay soil. I run mine no more than two times a week - two cycles - six minutes per cycle. I shut it completely off once the nights get cool enough for the grass to go dormant. So, the system is off for at least four months. Without mandatory restrictions, many run them every other day and flood the streets and alleys. We are in a long term, historic drought, and no one seems to care.

Why does this bother me so much? Here is a statement from the Dallas News. I usually turn my system off, manually, after we get a good rain. I do realize that take some amount of thought which most are unwilling to sacrifice. My yard looks as good, or better, than theirs due to cutting the grass higher and allowing it to "stress" a bit. For Bermuda grass in this area that promotes deeper root growth.


Quote:


"Of course, a lot of homeowner just set their sprinkler system [in the spring] and let it run” whether their yard needs water or not, she said. “We need to change that behavior so the customers take ownership of the water supply and do the right thing.”

Am I just compulsive, or do I have a legitimate gripe against laziness?

 

[HTSS_TR]

I run mine six times a week - two cycles - 2 minutes per cycle. First cycle at 3:00AM second cycle at 4:00AM. I turn my sprinkler system off after we get any rain, light rain 2-3 days off, medium rain 5-6 days off, good rain a week or 10 days off.

 

[Greggy_D]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster

"Of course, a lot of homeowner just set their sprinkler system [in the spring] and let it run” whether their yard needs water or not, she said. “We need to change that behavior so the customers take ownership of the water supply and do the right thing.”

Am I just compulsive, or do I have a legitimate gripe against laziness?


If your neighbors are paying for their water, it's none of anyone's [censored] business. Sprinklers are out in the open, and thus a "target". Are you going to police the family that takes 20 showers a day, or washes 50 loads of clothes?

 

[Mamala Bay]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I run mine six times a week - two cycles - 2 minutes per cycle. First cycle at 3:00AM second cycle at 4:00AM. I turn my sprinkler system off after we get any rain, light rain 2-3 days off, medium rain 5-6 days off, good rain a week or 10 days off.


Draw back of watering early evening is excessive moisture especially windless cold nights that invites disease to grow.
High winds will dry the top layer off.

To minimize disease growth watering in the morning hours from 2-4 am would be a wiser route.

Hand light long watering is always the best. But most don't hve time. Reason you can dictate where and how much water is needed(shaded areas)rather a sprinkler system gives an even coverage. In large areas it becomes laborsome to hand water.

I always check the weather daily to get an idea how things are going to pan out.

 

[Donald]

I have a well and conserve water. God waters my lawn when needed.

 

[Artem]

I have an automatic "smart" sprinkler system in the home i rent. It uses well water and runs every other day for 35 minutes per zone (big zones though). If it rains, the sensor don't run the system that day @ the usual 4am.

I personally don't like the well water setup. Not only does the water STICK, I feel it costs me MORE, at the end of the day vs a conventional system which uses the city's water.

Electricity is more expensive in my house then water ($30 for water vs $160 for electric). With the pump running for 35 minutes x 7 zones, it's definitely expensive to keep my picture perfect, magazine quality grass.

I personally don't care what anyone else does with their lawn but I agree that I always laugh when it's POURING outside and I'm driving by a business or a residential area and someone's sprinkler is running at the same time

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Am I just compulsive, or do I have a legitimate gripe against laziness?

It bugs me, too. Every time it's raining, some automatic sprinklers are going. I suppose it bugs me because back in the 1980s, when we were drought stricken, we had water restrictions with respect to watering. The city had ads on TV and the radio, flyers, you name it. Yet, they would be watering relentlessly and in the rain.

 

[DBMaster]

Oh, yes, if my neighbor's pay for their water (cheap here) it is their God-given right to waste it and, eventually, bring about strict rationing.

That has to be one of the dumbest defenses I have heard. Just because you CAN waste resources, doesn't mean you should.

I never said these people should be pilloried. All I asked was if I was crazy in my thinking that people ought to exercise their brains a bit more than they currently do.

Thank you, for illustrating my point exquisitely. Places like the one in which I live were never intended to support the current population, much less overwatered green spaces. I suppose it is our God-given right to waste because we, at the present time, can do so.

 

[HTSS_TR]

USA is about 5% of the World population but we consume 25% of the World energy, because we have GOD given right to waste as much as we like !!!

 

[SteveSRT8]

yeah, we should all live in grass huts and eat worms and stuff. That makes perfect sense.

No guilt trips needed. Sure we waste energy/water/other resources. But we enjoy a lifestyle here that almost every other country is envious of. Since water is a fav subject does anyone really understand who exactly wastes the most water by far? Hint: it's not people watering lawns.

The media is constantly teaching you things. Has anyone noticed here? Or do we all just parrot what we learned?

 

[Shannow]

Interested here, who wastes the most water ?

 

[Smoky14]

I have desert landscape with a drip system for the few trees I have on the property........BIG plus is no grass to mow, more time to change oil OR ride the bike!

Smoky

 

[Schmoe]

Like Dallas area, it gets pretty dry up here in Oklahoma, but our forefathers had the insight to put reservoirs everywhere you look. But when it 's a bad drought, I'll turn off the sprinkler system and hand water the plants and also the house. Lot of people don't realize that you need to water your foundation.

 

[DBMaster]

All of the area's lake levels (All but one lake in Texas is manmade) are way down. It has been trending this way for years. It just feels like people around me are sticking their heads in the sand. One can have nice, healthy vegetation without the water waste.

What I am talking about is just mindlessly setting the system and then forgetting about it. Our turf grasses here go dormant for a good number of months and require NO watering, but these people can't even be bothered to shut off the sprinkler systems during that time.

The fact that I have not found a sympathetic audience here is very telling and I truly appreciate the insights into what a selfish culture we really are.

 

[Mamala Bay]

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
All of the area's lake levels (All but one lake in Texas is manmade) are way down. It has been trending this way for years. It just feels like people around me are sticking their heads in the sand. One can have nice, healthy vegetation without the water waste.

What I am talking about is just mindlessly setting the system and then forgetting about it. Our turf grasses here go dormant for a good number of months and require NO watering, but these people can't even be bothered to shut off the sprinkler systems during that time.

The fact that I have not found a sympathetic audience here is very telling and I truly appreciate the insights into what a selfish culture we really are.


If levels are that low I'm sure the state or county would had issue some warnings asking home owners to conserve water usage.

It's good for any state or your county to educate water conservation especially lawn usage(sprinkler systems). Hawaii has had some warnings asking home owners to skip couple days a week to cut water usage. Here personally during the winter months especially I'd cut the system off and hand water. Sometimes I wish I had a sprinkler system but then again I'd get lazy and abuse it so I hand water.

The worst I've seen is on military post. Advance notice "FLASH FLOOD WARNING" with water sprinklers going full throttle in early morning hours. Basically drowning the roots with no mental sense any adult would comprehend...

 

[Schmoe]

Did he just 'dis us???? Oh NO HE DIDN'T!!!! LOL!!!

 

[DBMaster]

This is Texas. Intelligence and forethought are foreign invaders here.

Have you learned nothing from watching Rick Perry on the national stage?

 

[Spazdog]

Two days a week for me. I don't have a rain sensor on my 1986 control unit. Just a "Rain/Off" position.

My yard isn't deep plush green, but my Post Oaks and Cedar Elms are healthy and if some idiot throws a cigarette butt on my lawn it won't immediately catch fire.

 

[Cutehumor]

my sprinkler system has six zones for a total of 100 minutes per cycle three times a week set up by the landscaping company. plants,trees,and yard get watered. the system does not run over the winter, it gets winterized and shut off.

 

[ARB1977]

A good rule of thumb is water your lawn one inch per zone per week. I water mine twice per week 15 mins per zone and I have 7 zones. Rain sensors are good but it take some water in order to make them work. By the time a heavy down poor happens the rain had stopped.

Our county is under stage two water restrictions....only water twice per week.