Hunter Archive - Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer

How do you deactivate a sprinkler that is no longer needed?

Johann Kodnar — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 14:30:10 +0000

In an existing irrigation system, it may be necessary to temporarily or permanently deactivate a sprinkler, or even remove it from the system entirely. Here’s how it works and what to look out for.

Even if you’ve planned everything perfectly, redesigning your garden may require adapting an existing irrigation sector and relocating sprinklers to other locations or deactivating them. The best way to proceed depends primarily on whether the change is permanent or temporary. There are basically two options:

Remove the sprinkler completely from the pipeline
Leave the sprinkler in the pipeline, but ensure it no longer releases water

If the deactivation has a limited expiration date and the sprinkler is to be used as usual afterward, the second option is recommended, for example, if you set up a sandbox for your children in the garden for a few years, but already know that it will disappear again afterward. Or, for example, if a renovation involves temporarily dedicating a section of the garden to storage and not watering it. However, if the renovation is permanent and renders the sprinkler obsolete, it should be removed completely.

Turning off sprinklers

On the one hand, there are sprinklers and sprayers that have a shut-off function. This includes all Hunter and Rain Bird spray nozzles, whose water flow can be reduced to zero using the adjustment screw. This is also possible with the Gardena SD30 and SD80 pop-up sprayers. Hunter and Rain Bird also offer this option for their state-of-the-art Hunter I-20 and Rain Bird 5000 plus gear-driven sprinklers. Shutting off ensures that no water is released, but the sprinklers still rise. All older Hunter and Rain Bird gear-driven sprinklers and all other Gardena sprinklers do not have an integrated shut-off option.

With the Hunter MP Rotator, there are two options: For Pro-Spray, PRS30, and PRS40 bodies, there are special Hunter sealing caps that can be screwed on instead of the standard cap to seal the bodies at the top. Alternatively, you can screw a Hunter blind nozzle onto all bodies with a 5/8-inch external thread riser instead of standard nozzles. In this case, the nozzle still rises, unlike the previous version, but no longer releases water. These practical shut-off caps and blind nozzles are rarely available in stores. Without knowing exactly what you’re looking for, it’s difficult to find these products, so here are two direct Amazon links*:

Amazon offer: Hunter Pro-Spray Cap
Amazon offer: Hunter Blind Nozzle

Removing the sprinkler and closing the connector

If the sprinkler doesn’t offer any of the options listed above, or if you want to remove it permanently anyway, the easiest way is to remove it and seal the connector attached to the pipeline with a cap. To do this, proceed as follows:

The theoretically possible minimum is to unscrew the sprinkler from the top of the connector by twisting it and then pull it out of the ground. The connector thread is then exposed, and if you have very narrow hands and a lot of fingertip strength, you could theoretically unscrew the cap right away.

In practice, however, this doesn’t really work. On the one hand, there’s a very high risk of accidentally getting soil into the pipeline, and on the other hand, the narrow access makes it almost impossible to exert enough force to properly unscrew the cap, and you also don’t have the necessary space to wrap the thread with Teflon tape beforehand to seal it!

Therefore, you’ll have to invest a few extra minutes and dig a few centimeters around the sprinkler. This is done before unscrewing the sprinkler from the thread to prevent soil from falling into the pipeline during excavation work. Only after the connection point has been thoroughly exposed and cleaned should the sprinkler be unscrewed. If it was mounted on a swing joint, both the sprinkler and the swing joint are removed. Now carefully wrap Teflon tape around the thread of the connector and screw on the cap. It is sufficient to tighten it by hand; no tools are required. Then, pressurize the irrigation system and check that the cap is tight. If everything is correct, the hole can be filled again.

Step-by-step process in pictures:

Special case: When the sprinkler is the last one in the line

The procedure described should be omitted if the sprinkler to be removed is the last one in the line and the pipeline is blown out with compressed air before winter. In this case, this would create a dead end in the irrigation system, where the water would stagnate during the winter and could cause frost damage. Therefore, in such a case, the plug is installed at the sprinkler that was previously passed through in the line. This means the next one in the direction of the water source from the sprinkler to be removed. Immediately after this sprinkler, the pipeline pipe is cut off and an end cap or connector end piece is installed. The removed sprinkler then no longer needs to be plugged, as the upstream section of pipe no longer serves any function. Here, too, a leak test must be performed before filling the pipe.

Caps/Blank Plugs

Caps and blank plugs are available in plastic or metal and are available from irrigation companies such as Rain Bird or Gardena and a variety of other companies. Most sprinklers require caps with a 1/2-inch internal thread; larger sprinklers also require caps with a 3/4-inch internal thread. Some caps include an internal sealing ring, eliminating the need for additional sealing with Teflon tape.

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Why do you need a solenoid valve box, and what are the alternatives?

Johann Kodnar — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:46:32 +0000

If you use solenoid valves in your garden to switch between different irrigation zones during an irrigation cycle, the question inevitably arises as to how to safely and effectively house the valves. A suitable and widely used solution is a solenoid valve box, a stable, robust housing that is usually buried underground and houses the solenoid valves and, if necessary, other equipment.

In this article, I describe the function of a solenoid valve box in an irrigation system, how to install it, the advantages of using one, and what alternative options exist. I will also introduce some solenoid valve boxes available on the market and show the differences between them.

A solenoid valve box can be used for both regular lawn irrigation and micro-irrigation, and of course, you can also combine both within a single box.

Advantages of Using a Solenoid Valve Box

Using a solenoid valve box offers the following advantages:

Protection from Accidental Damage

This is especially true if you are considering installing the solenoid valves unprotected in the garden as an alternative. Passersby could get caught on such an unprotected structure and inadvertently damage it. Lawnmowers, trimmers, gardening activities, or animals that approach the system out of curiosity or chew on components could also cause damage. The buried box, which is enclosed at the sides and protected by gravel at the bottom and a lid at the top, provides a physical barrier against such damage and also protects against accidental adjustment of settings.

Protection from Wind and Weather

The housing in a solenoid valve box protects the components and wires inside from adverse weather conditions, whether heavy rain, heat, cold, or UV sunlight. It also keeps dirt, debris, moisture, and pests out of the irrigation system. This saves repair costs and extends the life of the system.

Easy Access for Maintenance

A valve box provides easy central access to the solenoid valves, whether in the event of necessary repairs or cleaning, or should a valve need to be replaced. Furthermore, the annual purging of the irrigation system with compressed air can be easily performed centrally via the solenoid valve box.

Neat, visually appealing housing

Unlike exposed valves and cables, a valve box is visually invisible at first glance and unnoticeable. This creates a tidy and clean appearance and does not affect the appearance and aesthetics of the garden.

What does a solenoid valve box consist of?

The following components are used in a solenoid valve box:

Solenoid valves
Connecting pipes
1 connection fitting for connecting to the supply line
Several connection fittings at the outlet for connecting to the outgoing pipelines

As well as a few optional components that can be very useful in practice:

Filter
Compressed air connection
Ball valve
Damp-proof box for wiring

Both solenoid valve boxes and wall-mounted systems are very simple in their basic design: The water flows through a main pipe, from which branches lead either on both sides or on one side at right angles. A solenoid valve is attached to each of these branches, which allows water to flow into the corresponding zone on command or closes again, thus terminating the water supply.

Pipe Connections and Connection Fittings

For residential applications, 1-inch diameter pipes are typically used within the solenoid valve box. The connection fittings on the inlet and outlets of the box are usually either 1-inch or 3/4-inch.

Depending on the size of the pipeline you want to work with, it’s best to go straight for the box with the appropriate fittings to avoid the need for intermediate pieces. The pipe connections are not constructed like standard PE fittings; instead, they use special connectors called valve manifolds.

These are designed to save space, so the box doesn’t have to be unnecessarily large, and the connection points are designed as union joints rather than standard threads. This has the great advantage that the connections in the valve box can be removed relatively easily at a later date without having to disassemble the entire box, allowing, for example, a defective solenoid valve to be easily replaced. It’s also relatively easy to make modifications to the box at a later date.

In this view from below, you can see the cross-piece pipe connections arranged one behind the other to save space.

Such valve manifolds are offered by brands such as Dura, Rain Bird, and Irritec. Unlike the connectors used in pipelines, a cross connector is also offered here, i.e., a connector that distributes the water crosswise in four directions.

Solenoid Valves

In principle, any type of solenoid valve can be used in a valve box. It is only important that the connections match the connections of the pipe connections, as solenoid valves are available in different thread sizes and with both external and internal threads. Some solenoid valves also have a flow regulator built in, such as the Hunter PGV-101, which is not a requirement but can be useful in some situations.

Filters

A sieve or disc filter is often installed at the inlet to prevent contaminants from entering the irrigation system. This filter must be cleaned from time to time. If a filter is already installed in the pump or directly downstream of the pump, then the additional filter in the solenoid valve box is not necessary. A filter basket on the intake opening of a suction hose should not be considered a filter replacement in this regard, as it only filters very coarsely.

Example of a filter

Compressed air connection

This is used to blow out the irrigation system with compressed air before winter. A compressor is connected using a suitable connector, and the water is blown out through the sprinklers or other openings. This is not necessary if the system is designed to drain using a drain valve or a manually opened ball valve located at the lowest point .

Ball valve

This is located in the solenoid valve box on the supply line and allows the water supply to the box to be completely shut off. This can be used for maintenance work in the box or in the event of a leak. It is also practical for closing the connection to the water source when blowing out with compressed air, so that the compressed air can only spread in the desired direction toward the sprinklers.

Waterproof junction box for wiring (cable box)

A waterproof junction box, in which the cable wires of the solenoid valves are brought together, is not mandatory, but it makes connecting the solenoid valves to the water computer easier. This saves you the trouble of creating a waterproof connection yourself, and in many cases, the seller already pre-wired the wiring.

This solenoid valve box includes a waterproof junction box, and the solenoid valves are already connected to the junction box. The wiring to the water computer then runs directly from the junction box.

How do you install a solenoid valve box?

Installation isn’t too complicated and involves the following steps:

Selecting a suitable location for the box

It’s important that the cable connections from the solenoid valves housed in the box to the irrigation computer can be neatly laid, so the solenoid valve box is often placed near the irrigation computer. However, this isn’t mandatory; with 19 AWG cables, distances of up to 300 feet (100 meters) are generally possible.

You’ll only see the lid of the final buried box, so choosing the location can also depend on where in the garden it fits best or is least disruptive. Such lids are quite stable and can be walked on, and some can even be driven over by car (check the manufacturer’s instructions!).

Access to the solenoid valve box isn’t usually needed very often. If you use compressed air, then once a year before the start of winter; if you use a filter in the box, then every few months, depending on the level of water contamination, to clean the filter. Otherwise, if everything goes according to plan, there is usually no reason to open the solenoid valve box during normal operation.

Dig a Hole

The hole for the box should be slightly deeper and significantly longer and wider than the outer dimensions of the box to allow space underneath for the gravel fill and sufficient space on the sides to guide the supply line and the pipeline outlets to the zones. Allow about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) at the bottom, and at least 8 inches (20 cm) around the box.

Fill with Gravel

Ideally, you should place a weed barrier in the area under the box to prevent weeds from growing through from below. Then, add about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of coarse gravel to prevent rainwater from stagnating in the box, instead draining away quickly. The gravel is then compacted to prevent the base from giving way.

Insert the box

The box is then positioned so that it is level, there is enough space on the sides for the connections, and its lid sits slightly above ground level, about 0,5 inches (1 cm). This way, it is not visible in the lawn at first glance and can be safely driven over with the lawnmower. The slight protrusion above ground level prevents softened soil from being washed onto the box during heavy rainfall.

Box positioned in the hole

Connect the pipeline

Now, the connector at the box inlet is connected to the supply pipeline leading to the water source, and the pipelines supplying the individual irrigation zones are connected to the outlets. As always, the following applies here: Use as few connectors as possible to avoid unnecessary pressure loss! Therefore, only use 90-degree connectors (L-pieces) if they are absolutely necessary due to the space available. If conditions permit, it’s better to simply route the pipeline in a wide arc around the bend.

It can’t hurt to color-code the different pipeline ends leading to the irrigation zones, e.g., with differently colored insulating tape. This makes it easier to distinguish which end of the pipeline belongs to which zone when connecting, and you don’t have to figure it out by trial and error.

Test the connections for leaks

I would perform this step before connecting the irrigation computer. Common solenoid valves allow for this by allowing manual opening of the valve. If that’s not possible, this step is only possible once the control system is connected.

To do this, activate the water source and then open and close the individual solenoid valves one after the other. This is done by turning the solenoid valve coil a quarter turn in the direction indicated on the valve.

After opening, carefully check each zone to ensure that no water is leaking at any of the connection points inside or outside the box. Once everything is sealed, you can proceed to the next step.

Connecting Solenoid Valves to the Irrigation Computer

Two wires lead from each solenoid valve. One of these wires must be connected to one of the zone outputs of the irrigation computer. These are usually labeled with numbers, so for an irrigation computer with six zone outputs, for example, these are labeled “1” through “6.” The second wire must be connected to the COM port of the irrigation computer. It doesn’t matter which of the two wires goes to the zone output and which to the COM port. If it’s important that the zones follow a specific order, for example, a certain zone is number 1, then another zone is number 2, and so on, then the wiring must be done accordingly.

Since space would quickly become limited at the shared COM port if the wires from numerous solenoid valves were routed through it, these wires are combined beforehand and then connected to a common wire at the COM port. And since the wires leading from the solenoid valve aren’t very long (approx. 20 inches, 50 cm), an additional control cable is usually required to extend them to the irrigation computer.

These control cables are cables for low-voltage applications with a relatively small cross-section, but a larger number of wires, which can be purchased from irrigation retailers.

This is what a control cable looks like. In this case, it has 7 wires, i.e., for 6 zones.

When joining the wires, make sure they are watertight. Specially offered cable sleeves and grease caps can be used for this purpose. The following article provides a detailed practical example for connecting solenoid valves to the irrigation computer.

Fill the hole again

Now you should perform another test to ensure that the zones can be switched on and off correctly via the computer and that all connections in the box are still sealed. Then, carefully fill the remaining space around the box with soil. It’s best to dig it slightly above the soil level, as the soil will settle slightly over the next few days. Optionally, you can add some humus and sow grass seed, or reinsert a previously dug-out turf so that the area around the lid can quickly become regrowth.

Solenoid valve box fully installed

What alternatives are there to the solenoid valve box?

Under no circumstances is it recommended to bury the solenoid valves themselves – without anything around them – or to bury them in a box that is inaccessible from above or that is completely buried in the ground. In the first case, the valves are not adequately protected, and long-term functionality is not guaranteed. In the second case, if something malfunctions, you cannot reach the valves, or after a longer period of time, you may not even know where the valves are buried.

It is also no longer state of the art to place the valves individually in several locations in the garden. This used to be common practice to save on pipeline costs, but it brings with it disadvantages in operational handling that are far from offset by the comparatively small savings in material costs.

Wall Mounting

An equivalent alternative to placement in a valve box is a wall-mounted system. The components included are practically identical to the internal components of a solenoid valve box, but they are mounted in such a way that the system is suitable for wall mounting.

The advantage over a solenoid valve box is a comparatively lower price and easier installation. The disadvantage is that the valves cannot be elegantly concealed underground; instead, they are visible from the outside. This may not be a problem if the wall bracket is installed in a location that is not or hardly visible from the outside, or in a separate utility room, but in other cases it could make the garden look a bit cluttered.

Example of a valve distributor set suitable for wall mounting (Image: DVS Irrigation)

Automatic Water Distributor

An automatic water distributor is a way to do without solenoid valves altogether. This solution doesn’t work quite as professionally as a solution with solenoid valves, but it is significantly less expensive. Currently, the only product in this segment is the Gardena Automatic Water Distributor. It has 6 zone outputs and operates without electricity, instead using the pressure of the flowing water to switch from one zone output to another.

Gardena Automatic Water Distributor

For this to work, you need a different type of irrigation computer than the one used for switching external solenoid valves—namely, one through which the water flows. And its software must be compatible with the automatic irrigation computer; I explicitly point this out in the following irrigation computer comparison.

Irrigation Computers with Multiple Outputs

Theoretically, it’s even easier to use an irrigation computer with multiple outputs. Models with 2, 3, and even 4 outputs are available on the market; with the Orbit B-Hyve XD and the LinkTap Q1, there are even smart models with 4 outputs that can be controlled via the web.

Orbit B-hyve XD Irrigation Computer with 4 outlets

Should you buy a ready-made solenoid valve box or assemble it yourself?

Building it yourself is basically quite possible; all the necessary components are also available separately. The challenge is, on the one hand, to ensure everything is properly sealed and, on the other, to make the box compact enough to avoid taking up too much space in the garden.

You can only save a limited amount by building it yourself: Ready-made solenoid valve boxes for 6 zones cost around $400 to $500 in stores, with the cheapest options starting at around $300. Six solenoid valves alone cost around $150. A large empty jumbo valve box costs $70 to $100. Three valve manifold crosspieces cost around $25, and the seven required PE pipe connectors cost around $35. This brings the material costs to around $300, and that doesn’t include a filter, compressed air connection, ball valve, or moisture-proof box. These add up to another $80 to $100.

Ultimately, a maximum saving of $100 seems possible, but it involves a lot of effort and the risk of having to deal with leaks or purchasing incorrect components that don’t fit together properly. In my experience, DIY construction isn’t really worth it in this area. I would only recommend it if you need a solution outside of the standard range, e.g., because space isn’t available, or if it’s important to you to install very specific components in the box.

What should you look for when buying?

There’s a wide range of pre-assembled solenoid valve boxes on the market, some from well-known brands like Rain Bird or Hunter, and some from no-name suppliers. And some are also hybrids, e.g., no-name pipe connections and housings combined with branded solenoid valves from Hunter.

Brand or no-name?

My tip: I would advise against completely no-name products in this area, as the product quality is questionable and you run the risk of purchasing a product that is unreliable in everyday use and potentially causes a lot of trouble. However, I think a hybrid, where the essential components like the solenoid valves are from branded manufacturers, but the rest of the components are partly or entirely no-name, is worth considering. This could save you a few hundred dollars or more compared to a 100% branded product. In such a case, I would just pay special attention to ensuring the housing is sturdily built. Some boxes are offered that look quite delicate, and I have doubts about whether they’re even suitable for driving over them. The option with the lowest risk is obviously to go for the complete branded product.

Number of Zones

The first selection criterion is the number of zones you want to supply with the valve box. The box must contain at least that many solenoid valves, although it never hurts to have one or two zones in reserve in case you want to expand or modify something. Solenoid valve boxes aren’t available in any size; the largest I know of are for 10 zones, but usually they top out at 6. If you need more, you’ll have to install multiple boxes.

Direct or alternating current

Depending on whether you’re using a water computer with a power connection or a battery-powered water computer, you’ll need a box with 24-volt alternating current (AC) or 9-volt direct current (DC) solenoid valves. Most of the models available are 24V valves.

Size of the inlets and outlets

Boxes are available with 1-inch or 3/4-inch inlets and outlets, some packages allow you to select the size variable at the time of purchase. Ideally, you should buy a box that matches the planned connection sizes. So, if you have a 1-inch supply line, choose one with a 1-inch connector on the inlet side, and if you’re using a 3/4-inch pipeline on the zone side, choose one with a 3/4-inch connector on the outlet side.

Included extras

If you haven’t planned a drain valve or a deep-seated ball valve in your irrigation system for frost protection, then a compressed air connection included in the box is mandatory. In conjunction with the compressed air connection, a ball valve on the inlet side is a great advantage, as it makes it very easy to avoid the compressed air blowing toward the water source.

A filter is also required if you haven’t already planned for one elsewhere. This is even more important if you are also operating micro-irrigation zones.

A damp-proof box is also perfectly fine; it simplifies the initial installation. Alternatively, you can easily make the waterproof connections yourself using suitable accessories.

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In the test: Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinkler as a solution for watering narrow lawn strips

Johann Kodnar — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 08:10:22 +0000

Irrigating a narrow, elongated area is one of the most difficult tasks when installing irrigation. Some manufacturers offer strip sprinklers specially developed for this purpose. This article uses the Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinklers to show how such strip sprinklers work and how well they perform in practice, and highlights other alternatives from other suppliers.

The solution approach of strip sprinklers sounds compelling: instead of supplying a narrow strip of lawn with water using a large number of small circular sprinklers or sprayers, sprinklers are used that irrigate an almost rectangular pattern. This is why they are often referred to as rectangular sprinklers.

Such sprinklers are offered by Hunter, Rain Bird and other suppliers, although only Hunter with the MP-Rotator strip sprinklers and Rain Bird with the R-VAN strip sprinklers offer a rotating sprinkler type (rotating nozzle sprinkler), most of the other solutions offered are nozzle sprinklers that release the water in a comparatively gush-like manner and in large quantities. You notice this difference when comparing the rainfall rates.

The rectangular irrigation pattern is not achieved with one sprinkler alone in all solutions, but rather several sprinklers must be placed in a coordinated manner. With one sprinkler alone, many places, especially in the immediate vicinity of the sprinkler, would remain completely dry and even irrigation would not be possible.

Introducing the Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinkler

With this solution, three sprinklers are placed in a predetermined pattern to supply a strip of lawn. The width of the lawn strip is 60 inches. The Hunter MP Rotator side strip sprinkler is a circular sprinkler from the MP-Rotator family that has very low water consumption and also works according to the MPR principle, i.e. ensures that the lawn is watered as evenly as possible. The water is not released in a gush, but the sprinkler head moves during irrigation and divides the water into fine strips of water.

To supply a strip of lawn measuring 60 inches x 360 inches, you need the following 3 sprinklers:

MP-LCS 515 -> Left Corner
MP-RCS 515 -> Right Corner
MP-SS 530-> Side Strip, to be placed in the middle of the strip

The body for this type of sprinkler must be purchased separately. You can get a cheap Pro-Spray body for around 3 USD, or even better, you can get a PRS-40 housing that is pressure-regulated to 40 psi for 10 to 12 USD. This automatically ensures that 40 psi of pressure (and no more) reaches the sprinkler, giving it exactly the ideal pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Of course, you have to make sure that enough pressure reaches the body yourself; the body can only reduce the pressure, not increase it.

In practice, the positioning of the 3 sprinklers looks something like this:

Irrigating a rectangular strip measuring 60 x 360 inches with Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinklers

The three sprinklers are all placed on the same side at the edge of the strip, the LCS on the left, the SS in the middle and the RCS on the right. From the sketched throwing area, you can see that you have to rain a little beyond the strip if you want to irrigate all the edge areas of the strip as well as possible. The sprinklers would be positioned about 180 inches apart and would supply water to a strip of about 60 x 360 inches.

If you instead have a lawn strip twice as wide, about 60 x 720 inches, you would need not 6 but only 5 sprinklers, three SS and one LCS and RCS each. The sprinklers are then placed, as before, at a distance of approximately 180 inches, as follows:

Watering a rectangular strip of 60 x 720 inches with Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinklers

Alternatively, you can also place two of the sprinklers on the opposite side:

Alternative positioning with two opposite sprinklers

And if you want to irrigate a short strip of 60 x 180 inches, then one LCS and one RCS sprinkler are sufficient:

Positioning for a strip of 60 x 180 inches

Water pressure

Hunter recommends a pressure of 40 psi on the sprinkler to operate this type of sprinkler ideally and specifies a rectangular area of 60 x 360 feet that is irrigated at 40 psi. The easiest way to achieve this perfect 40 psi is to use the appropriate body that is regulated to 40 psi pressure (Hunter Pro-Spray PRS-40). If a slightly smaller or larger strip is to be irrigated, the throw distance can be reduced or increased by increasing or decreasing the water pressure, or the throw distance can be reduced by up to 25% by adjusting the interference screw in the sprinkler.

Since the Hunter MP-Rotator side strip, like all MP-Rotator sprinklers, has a built-in MPR principle, the precipitation rate adjusts automatically. If an alternative PRS-30 body is used, which regulates the pressure to 30 psi, the irrigated rectangle would be approximately 47 x 340 feet. As always, it should be noted that these are laboratory values that experience has shown are not quite achieved in practice. It is a good idea to always calculate about 10% less, i.e. place the sprinklers a little closer together.

Precipitation rate

The MP-Rotator side strip has a precipitation rate of approximately 0.58 inches/hour. This differs only slightly from the approximately 0.43 inches that the MP-Rotator usually has in the square pattern, so the MP-Rotator side strip sprinklers can also be operated together with the other MP-Rotator sprinklers in a zone.

This does not apply to the MP-Rotator MP800 series, as this has a precipitation rate that is almost twice as high at approximately 0.78 inches/hour. If you want to operate side strip sprinklers in a shared zone with MP800 sprinklers, Hunter recommends setting the sprinklers twice, i.e. once as described in the first and second positioning examples above and a second time opposite each other. This would result in a rainfall rate of approximately 1.14 inches per hour. Alternatively, you can also operate the side strip sprinklers in their own, independent sector.

Hunter MP-Rotator strip sprinkler in the test

I tried out the Hunter strip sprinklers in my test environment.

Hunter MP-Rotator RCS in action

The picture shows the sprinkler (RCS) to be placed in the right corner. The wet floor panels clearly show that the throw distance of 180 inches promised by the manufacturer is achieved quite well; one panel is 20 inches long and wide.

And here for comparison the MP-SS to be placed in the middle

To what extent are the throw distance and width accurate?

The test result matched the performance data promised by the manufacturer pretty well:

The throw distance of 180 inches is pretty much achieved, only the last 20 inches were a bit tight, as only a few drops of water reached the area. In real operation, I would therefore be better off calculating with 20 inches less, so that the MPR principle is still adhered to at the last corner and it receives enough water.
The throw width of 60 inches is covered pretty precisely. And above all: According to my test, there is hardly any overspray, and if so, only by a few inches. The MP-Rotator works very consistently and evenly. With a little fine-tuning by adjusting the sprinkler, you can water a predefined strip very precisely and reliably.

Alternatively, I also tried how the spray pattern behaves with only 30 psi pressure on the sprinkler. Result: The sprinkler works perfectly and evenly even at 30 psi. The throw distance and width are imperceptibly shorter by about 8 to 12 inches, which corresponds very well to the manufacturer’s specifications. Out of interest, I then tried going down to 20 psi and further. Even at 20 psi, the sprinkler still worked quite well, but below that the desired spray pattern was very difficult to maintain.

The pressure measurement directly on the sprinkler was carried out with an MP-Rotator measuring device, which is screwed directly in front of the nozzle.

Water Flow and Precipitation Rate

The water flow I measured of 13 gallons per hour for the RCS and LCS and 26 gallons per hour for the SS is exactly what Hunter specifies. This also matches the precipitation rate I calculated above of 0.58 inches per hour.

Other alternatives for watering a lawn strip

In addition to the strip sprinkler presented above, there are a few other ways to water a lawn strip:

Rotating strip nozzles from Rain Bird

The Rain Bird counterpart to the Hunter MP Rotator strip nozzles are the Rain Bird R-VAN strip nozzles. In terms of spray pattern and application, they are practically identical to those from Hunter.

Watering with MP800 sprinklers with a very short throw

The Hunter MP Rotator MP800 sprinkler is a “normal” circular sprinkler, but can be set to a very short throw of up to 70 inches, so that you can also water lawn strips of at least 70 inches wide. For a strip of 70 x 360 inches, this could look like this (drawn with the DVS Irrigation Irrigation Planner):

The MP800 has a precipitation rate of 0.8 inches/hour, which is about twice as high as the other MP Rotator sprinklers. You should therefore not mix them in a common zone.

Irrigation with a square sprinkler

The principle of this type of sprinkler is familiar from sprinklers that can be placed freely on the lawn: These throw the water high up and slowly swing from left to right and then back again. In this way, the area directly around the sprinkler is also supplied with water quite well. This type of sprinkler is usually not submersible; the only pop-up sprinkler I know of is the OS-140 from Gardena. Since it is possible to set the sprinkler’s throw width very narrowly, up to 40 inches wide, by variably adjusting the nozzles and the throw distance can also be greatly reduced, this sprinkler also represents an alternative for watering a narrow strip of garden. The biggest disadvantage is that the sprinkler is significantly larger than others and therefore requires a significantly larger recess in the ground than others. This is not very attractive visually and could be perceived as disturbing in the lawn.

Spray nozzles from Hunter and Rain Bird

Hunter and Rain Bird also offer classic spray nozzles with a large flow rate and a rectangular spray pattern. At Hunter, these nozzles are called the same as the MP-Rotator nozzles: RCS-515, LCS-515 and SS-530. Like the MP-Rotator side strip nozzles, these are placed on the edge of the strip. Alternatively, Hunter also offers nozzles that are placed in the middle of the strip with the CS-530 and ES-515 nozzles.

The counterpart from Rain Bird is the 15-strip series. Nozzles: 15RCS, 15LCS, 15SST (placed on the edge), 15EST, 15CST (placed in the middle of the strip).

Der Beitrag In the test: Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinkler as a solution for watering narrow lawn strips erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

In the test: Hunter Pro HC Hydrawise vs. Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with LNK WiFi module

Johann Kodnar — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 14:24:41 +0000

In the following article I will compare the Hunter Pro-HC irrigation computer with the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 in combination with the Rain Bird WiFi module in a practical test. The article also includes a comparison of the Hydrawise system used in the web-enabled Hunter computers with the Rain Bird Smart Watering system used in the Rain Bird computers.

Below you will find an overview of the product offering from Hunter and Rain Bird in the area of web-enabled irrigation computers and a brief introduction to which strategy they each pursue:

With the purchase of the Hydrawise company in 2016, Hunter suddenly acquired enormous know-how in the field of WiFi irrigation computers. The Australian startup Hydrawise was only founded in 2011 and developed a very successful web-enabled irrigation computer with sophisticated functionality from scratch in a very short time and with a focus on well-functioning software. Hunter has adopted this software into its own Hunter Hydrawise product line, further developed it and combined it with Hunter’s strengths in the production of irrigation computer hardware.

Rain Bird also has this distinctive know-how in the construction of classic irrigation computers but originally pursued a slightly different strategy: Rain Bird did not offer web-enabled irrigation computers as a separate product category, but rather enabled the customer to improve their conventional Rain Bird irrigation computer with an additional module card into a web-enabled irrigation computer. The LNK Wifi module required for this has been available on the market since 2016 and since then some Rain Bird irrigation computers have been equipped with the necessary connection slot. Currently four Rain Bird models are WiFi ready, meaning they can be upgraded with the additional WiFi card.

Since 2020, the strategies of Hunter und Rain Bird have aligned somewhat: Hunter now also offers the option of subsequently upgrading an irrigation computer into a web-enabled irrigation computer. The new redesigned Hunter X2 has a a prepared plug-in slot that allows it to be transformed into a web-enabled computer with the Hydrawise system using the new Hunter Wand module. And in return, with the Rain Bird ST8-WiFi 2.0 and the Rain Bird RC2, Rain Bird offers, for the first time, irrigation computers that already have WiFi on board. So both manufacturers now offer products that are already web-enabled and those that can optionally be made web-enabled with an expansion card. The software used in the Hydrawise or Rain Bird Smart Watering computers is always the same across all models from each manufacturer, regardless of whether web access is on board or expanded with a plug-in card.

Which models are available?

Hunter Hydrawise

Hunter’s Hydrawise product line currently consists of 5 products:

Hunter HC Hydrawise
Hunter Pro-HC Hydrawise
Hunter HPC Hydrawise
Hunter HCC Hydrawise
Hunter X2 in combination with a Hunter Wand WiFi plug-in module

In the sales offers, the name Hydrawise is not always included in the product name, as it is actually already included in the model name through the “H”. But with the exception of the Hunter X2, the irrigation computers listed above are in any case always Hydrawise computers.

The Hunter HC is the irrigation computer that was designed by the Hydrawise company back in the day. The other products are computers built from scratch by Hunter. The software used is the same in all models. The Hunter HC and the Hunter Pro-HC are particularly interesting for the usual private user. But also the Hunter Wand Module, if you want to subsequently make a conventional Hunter X2 computer web-enabled. The HC is the cheapest model, but you have to make small compromises in terms of manufacturing quality, as the focus in development at the time was entirely on the software and less on the hardware. And the HC is only suitable for indoor use. The Pro-HC was already manufactured by Hunter and is as high-quality and robustly built as you would expect from a Hunter computer. It is also available in an outdoor version.

The Hunter HPC and Hunter HCC hardly play a role. In my opinion, the Hunter HPC can do less than the Pro-HC and is rarely offered on the market. The Hunter HCC is aimed at large commercial systems where it is necessary to supply water to a large number of zones and can optionally be operated with a two-wire decoder system. It is also the only Hydrawise computer that can open two valves at the same time.

The Hunter X2 in combination with a Hunter Wand module is a consideration for those who are initially satisfied with a conventional irrigation computer, but would like to keep the option open to switch later. Compared to Rain Bird’s modular system, Hunter Wand works a little differently. By using the wall module, you practically switch to web use and deactivate most of the functions directly on the computer. Unlike Rain Bird, where both are always completely synchronized, so you can always do everything on both the computer device and the app. The principle used by Hunter has the advantage that you can use the full software functionality and are not limited by the capabilities of the computer. You only have to make a small compromise when it comes to the number of programs when using Hunter Wand (only 3 programs instead of the usual 6 with Hydrawise).

My tip: If your budget isn’t yet stretched to bursting, I would recommend accepting the manageable surcharge and choosing the higher quality Hunter Pro-HC in the weather-protected outdoor version. This means you are on the safe side in terms of manufacturing quality and also benefit from one or two details that Hunter has improved compared to the original model.

Overview of the WiFi enabled Hunter irrigation computers on Amazon:

Computer

Hunter HC

Hunter Pro-HC

Hunter HCC

Hunter X2 (for WiFi additional Hunter Wand module required!)

Zones

6 or 12

6, 12 or 24

8, modularly expandable up to 54

4, 6, 8 or 14

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Outdoor

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

4 watering intervals per zone with 6 start times each

Price

Computer

Zones

6 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

Price

Price not available

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Zones

6, 12 or 24

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

Price

$399.00

Computer

Hunter HCC

Zones

8, modularly expandable up to 54

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

Price

$531.95

Computer

Hunter X2 (for WiFi additional Hunter Wand module required!)

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 14

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

4 watering intervals per zone with 6 start times each

Price

$101.52

WiFi expansion module Hunter Wand at Amazon:

Auto Amazon Links: No products found.

Rain Bird Smart Watering

Rain Bird currently has 5 web-enabled irrigation computers in its range:

Rain Bird ESP-RZX
Rain Bird ESP-TM2
Rain Bird ESP-ME3
Rain Bird ST8I-2.0
Rain Bird RC2

The ESP in the model name stands for “Extra-Simple Programming”.

For the frist 3 Rain Bird Computers to make them web-enabled, you need an additional Rain Bird LNK WiFi plug-in module; the ST8I-2.0 and the RC2 already have web access on board as standard.

Overview of the WiFi enabled Rain Bird irrigation computers on Amazon:

Computer

Rain Bird ST8I-2.0

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 (LNK WiFi required!)

Rain Bird ESP-ME3 (LNK WiFi required!)

Rain Bird RC2 (also offered as Arc8)

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 12

4, modularly expandable up to 22

4, 6 or 8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

6 start times per zone

3 programs with 4 start times each

4 programs with 6 start times each

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

Computer

Zones

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

6 start times per zone

Price

$148.99

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 (LNK WiFi required!)

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$124.43

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-ME3 (LNK WiFi required!)

Zones

4, modularly expandable up to 22

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

4 programs with 6 start times each

Price

$142.25

Computer

Rain Bird RC2 (also offered as Arc8)

Zones

4, 6 or 8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$125.75

Expansion module LNK WiFi at Amazon:

Auto Amazon Links: No products found.

Comparison of Hunter Pro-HC with Rain Bird ESP-TM2 including WiFi module

Package contents Hunter Pro-HC

In addition to the irrigation computer, the scope of delivery also includes mounting dowels, two keys to lock the computer and installation instructions.

Hunter Pro-HC with closed cover, installation instructions, mounting dowels and screws and key

When opened

Rear and side view with side cutouts for cable entry and mounting holes

Computer with open inner compartment containing the connections for the zones, sensors and the power connection

Package contents Rain Bird ESP-TM2

With the Rain Bird ESP-TM2, the scope of delivery also includes the irrigation computer, assembly material and installation instructions. The ESP-TM2 cannot be locked with a key, but a snap lock ensures that the lid cannot open accidentally.

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 in the closed state including installation instructions and mounting material

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with the lid open

Back with mounting holes, bottom side there are two large passages for power and solenoid valve cables

After removing the inner cover, access to the zone connections, the power connection and the sensor connection becomes clear

In order to make the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 web-capable, this Rain Bird LNK WiFi module is also required

Putting into operation

Putting into operation of Hunter Pro-HC

To establish the power connection, the lid of the inner compartment must be removed from the hinges once in order to have enough space to remove the cover of the power connection. If the cover is removed, the cover of the power compartment can be removed after loosening the screw. There is a cable clamp to make the connection.

Hunter Pro-HC with the lid for the power compartment removed (on the right the detached lid of the inner compartment)

The computer automatically turns on as soon as it is connected to the power and starts the configuration menu. There you have the choice whether you want to configure the computer online or offline. It is also possible to program irrigation planning on the Hunter Pro HC without a web connection. However, only in a limited form and the programming is not particularly convenient, so this option will only be used in exceptional cases.

Connect to the web

In the next step, the computer automatically scans the area for available Wi-Fi networks. The networks found are available for selection. You can then select your own Wi-Fi and after entering your Wi-Fi access data, the connection is already established. This is very convenient and easy so far and can be done in less than 3 minutes. At the end of the process, a serial number is shown on the display, which you need to connect the device to the Hydrawise app.

The serial number issued at the end of the installation is needed in the next step

Download the app and connect it to the device

The Hydrawise app works on Android and Apple iOS devices and can be downloaded free of charge via Google Play or Apple App Store. Alternatively, access without an app via the web browser is also possible.

To use the app, you must register a Hydrawise account. When you start it for the first time, you will automatically be asked to enter your account’s user email and password. If you have not yet had anything to do with Hydrawise products and therefore do not have such an account, you must now create one. All you need to do is provide your name, email address and information about whether you are a specialist company or a private individual. The correctness of the email address must then be confirmed via an email sent and a password must be set. After logging in, you come to a setup assistant that asks you for the serial number that was previously displayed on the irrigation computer screen.

After entering the serial number, the app is ready to start. The setup assistant helps you with the first steps, alternatively you can also make the settings freely.

Enter the serial number

Putting into operation of Rain Bird ESP-TM2

To do this, the black cover of the power compartment must be removed so that the cable clamp underneath is accessible.

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with power compartment cover removed

After establishing the power connection, the WiFi module must be plugged in:

After inserting the module, it begins to flash green and red alternately

After inserting the module, there are no further installation steps to be taken on the computer; the further steps are carried out via the app.

Download the app and connect it to the device

The Rain Bird app for Android and Apple iOS devices can be downloaded free of charge via Google Play and Apple App Store. Access via the web browser is not possible with Rain Bird.

After installing the app, the first step is to select the computer model that you want to operate with the app. In my case the Rain Bird ESP-TM2. Then briefly exit the app and select the Rain Bird network in the Wi-Fi settings of the mobile device. In order for this to be displayed there, the cell phone must be near the computer, the computer must be connected to power and the WiFi module must be inserted. The WiFi module must also flash green and red alternately. If it doesn’t, press the button on the module.

Now the app is opened again and in the next step it contacts the irrigation computer. To obtain automatic weather data, you must then enter the country and postal code in which you operate the irrigation and set a password to access the device. In the next step, the app shows the available WiFi networks. The home network must now be selected from these and the password required for access must be entered. This completes the setup of the app; a setup assistant like Hydrawise is not offered.

Entry of the W-LAN network via which access to the Internet is to take place

Comparison hardware

Below is a comparison of the hardware of the two irrigation computers:

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Zones

6, 12 or 24

4, 6, 8 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor?

Indoor + outdoor model available

Outdoor

Connection option for sensors?

2 (can be used universally, with both normally open and normally closed sensors)

1 (for normally closed sensor)

Connection option for master valve/pump start circuit?

Control possible directly on the computer?

Yes, but limited to the basic functions

Yes, full functionality available

Lockable

Additional WiFi module required?

Yes - LNK WiFi module for around 80 to 90 USD

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

$399.00

$124.43

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Zones

6, 12 or 24

Indoor/Outdoor?

Indoor + outdoor model available

Connection option for sensors?

2 (can be used universally, with both normally open and normally closed sensors)

Connection option for master valve/pump start circuit?

Control possible directly on the computer?

Yes, but limited to the basic functions

Lockable

Additional WiFi module required?

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

$399.00

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor?

Outdoor

Connection option for sensors?

1 (for normally closed sensor)

Connection option for master valve/pump start circuit?

Control possible directly on the computer?

Yes, full functionality available

Lockable

Additional WiFi module required?

Yes - LNK WiFi module for around 80 to 90 USD

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

$124.43

Case

The case of both computers makes a high-quality impression to me; the Hunter Pro-HC seems a little more stable in comparison. It also offers the option of locking the computer with a key, which can be particularly useful if it is installed in a publicly accessible place.

Number of zones

The Rain Bird ESP-TM2 has a maximum of 12 zones; with the Hunter Pro-HC, significantly more extensive irrigation solutions of up to 24 zones are also possible. In return, the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is advantageous in that it not only offers a 6 and a 12 zone model, but also an 8 zone model in between. In my experience, it happens quite often that the 6 zone model is just too small, but a 12 zone model would be unnecessarily large, then the 8 zone model comes in handy.

Indoor/outdoor model

The Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is only available in an outdoor version; with the Hunter Pro-HC you can choose between a weatherproof version for outdoor use and a version for indoor use. As usual, the outdoor version costs a little more.

Connection option for sensors

The Hunter Pro-HC has a significant advantage here: It has outputs for not just one but two sensors and both outputs can be used with sensors that work according to the normally open principle as well as the normally closed principle. Which type you use is simply configured in the software. This means that a wide variety of sensors from numerous manufacturers are available for use. The Rain Bird ESP-TM2 can only be connected to a normally closed sensor.

Master valve/pump start circuit connection

Both computers have a separate output that can be used to switch a master valve or a pump. The output switches at the same time as the start of a zone, so that an upstream master valve opens at the same time or a few moments before and allows the water to pass through to the zone. And when the zone closes, it also closes again. This serves as additional protection should a zone not close properly. Or, alternatively, a pump is started when the zone starts, so that it starts and stops its service precisely for irrigation.

Monitoring proper valve wiring

Both computers warn in the event of defective cabling. In this regard, Hunter speaks of an integrated milliampere sensor, Rain Bird of automatic short-circuit detection.

Control/programming directly via the computer

Here the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is ahead. You can also carry out all of the functions available via the app directly on your computer. And supported in a very comfortable way with a clear control wheel. With the Hunter Pro-HC, limited operation via the display is possible in offline mode, but many additional functions possible via the app are not available here.

Additional parts required to make the computer web-capable?

With the Hunter Pro-HC nothing additional is required, with the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 you need the additional LNK WiFi module, which costs around 80 to 90 USD. This fact must be taken into account when comparing prices. Both computers do not require an additional gateway to access the Internet; the connection is made directly to the WiFi.

Comparison software:
Hunter Hydrawise vs Rain Bird Smart Watering System

Following is a software comparison of the Hunter Hydrawise and Rain Bird Smart Watering System systems used to control the computers.

You can read a detailed introduction of the extensive functions and setting options of the two systems in the following two articles:

Blog post: How Hunter Hydrawise works
Blog post: How the Rain Bird Smart Watering System works

In principle, it should be said in advance that the systems function according to very different basic principles:

The Rain Bird software only allows what is possible with direct input via the computer. Therefore, depending on which Rain Bird computer model you use, the software may also contain different functionalities or the number of programs and start times or the maximum possible running time may be different. For example, with a Rain Bird ESP-TM2, 3 programs with 4 start times each are possible, but with a Rain Bird ESP-ME, 4 programs with 6 start times each. Although the same software is used, not every model can use the maximum possible number allowed by the software, but the limitations of the purchased hardware remain.

With Hunter Hydrawise, however, there is a strict separation between hardware and software and all computer models can always use the full Hydrawise functionality. Regardless of which computer model you use, for example, 6 programs with 6 start times each can be used and a maximum running time of 24 hours can be defined (the only exception is Hunter Wand: only 3 programs with 4 start times). All models also benefit equally from functional expansions through future updates. The only limitations with Hydrawise are the structural conditions of the hardware. For example, if the computer model only has one built-in sensor output, then logically only one sensor can be used in the software.

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Software system

Hunter Hydrawise

Rain Bird Smart Watering System

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

Optionally on a program basis or on a zone basis

On a program basis

Programs

Start times

Watering duration

1 to 1,440 minutes (24 hours)

1 to 360 minutes

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent irrigation plan or Smart (ET) schedule (system decides independently when to water) or Virtual Solar Sync (system independently adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs)

Time-dependent irrigation plan or automatic seasonal adjustment (system automatically adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Yes - only reading or also writing (writing allows you to change settings)

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Software system

Hunter Hydrawise

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

Optionally on a program basis or on a zone basis

Programs

Start times

Watering duration

1 to 1,440 minutes (24 hours)

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent irrigation plan or Smart (ET) schedule (system decides independently when to water) or Virtual Solar Sync (system independently adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs)

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Yes - only reading or also writing (writing allows you to change settings)

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Software system

Rain Bird Smart Watering System

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

On a program basis

Programs

Start times

Watering duration

1 to 360 minutes

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent irrigation plan or automatic seasonal adjustment (system automatically adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Continuation

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Define irrigation triggers?

Yes, with "Predictive Watering" watering can be controlled using 8 tailored rules (skipping watering runs, length of watering)

No, active control is not possible. If you select the “Automatic seasonal adjustment” option, the system automatically adjusts the irrigation runtime.

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Every night - with a paid upgrade to the Enthusiast plan, also before each watering run

Each night

Integration of your own weather station possible?

By default no, only when upgrading to Enthusiast plan

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None - Optional upgrade to paid Enthusiast plan with additional features available (cost 66 USD/year)

None

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Define irrigation triggers?

Yes, with "Predictive Watering" watering can be controlled using 8 tailored rules (skipping watering runs, length of watering)

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Every night - with a paid upgrade to the Enthusiast plan, also before each watering run

Integration of your own weather station possible?

By default no, only when upgrading to Enthusiast plan

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa

Ongoing costs?

None - Optional upgrade to paid Enthusiast plan with additional features available (cost 66 USD/year)

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Define irrigation triggers?

No, active control is not possible. If you select the “Automatic seasonal adjustment” option, the system automatically adjusts the irrigation runtime.

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Each night

Integration of your own weather station possible?

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None

Below are further details on some of the points mentioned:

Accessibility/synchronization

Both systems can be accessed via the app on Google and Apple devices; Hunter Hydrawise can also be accessed from ordinary desktop computers in the web browser. This is a small advantage, especially when setting up at the beginning, because it is a little clearer and is also a little quicker with a mouse and large keyboard. With Rain Bird, it can also be a problem if you lose your cell phone that is running the Rain Bird app, as there is no synchronization with a website and the data is therefore lost in this case. Hunter Hydrawise, on the other hand, automatically synchronizes with the cloud.

Programming methods

At Rain Bird, irrigation runs are created in the classic way, on a program basis. With Hydrawise you can choose between program-based programming and zone-based programming, which will satisfy fans of both options.

Programs/start times/watering duration

Hunter Hydrawise is clearly ahead here, allowing for more programs, more start times and a much longer watering duration. That’s nice, but in practice 99% of users will probably be able to cope with the programs, start times and watering duration of the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 without any problems. These three things usually do not represent a bottleneck and are more than generous.

Different watering modes

With both systems you can define fixed irrigation times (time-dependent irrigation plan); both Hunter Hydrawise and Rain Bird Smart Watering System also offer the option of having the system automatically adjust the irrigation duration depending on the projected evaporation. With Hunter this happens in Virtual Solar Sync mode, with Rain Bird by activating the “Automatic Seasonal Adjustment” option. Hunter offers a third option with the Smart (ET) mode: In this mode, the system automatically adjusts which days the irrigation takes place, but the irrigation duration is not changed.

With Rain Bird, if the “automatic seasonal adjustment” option is not selected, the time-dependent irrigation plan takes place completely without automated adjustment of the irrigation. With Hunter, you can create numerous automated rules in this mode using predictive watering.

Use of irrigation templates

Hydrawise makes it possible to create templates to carry out irrigation runs. This saves you from having to enter things that you have already considered a second time in the same way and instead you can use them again and again. If you work with a professional contractor, it is even possible for them to provide you with their finished templates in the software.

Local access to irrigation computers

Alternatively, on both computers it is also possible to access the computer using the app without an existing internet connection. This works with Bluetooth with Hydrawise and with a hotspot with Rain Bird Smart Watering. In both variants, the user must be in close proximity to the watering computer with their cell phone.

Granting access to other users

Both systems make it possible to give additional users access to the irrigation system. This can be very practical if several family members need to access it, or if you delegate supervision to someone on site while on vacation. Hunter Hydrawise conveniently offers the option of providing read-only access. In such a case, only existing programs or manual irrigation runs can be executed, but nothing can be changed in the programming of the system. Alternatively, you can grant full access. There is no such distinction with Rain Bird, but it is possible to grant access for a limited period of time to just one or two days.

Alert notifications

In the Rain Bird system 8 different warnings can be activated, in Hunter there are 9, although some are only possible under certain conditions. The warning messages are sent directly to the cell phone via push notification,

Flow meter

A few very important warning notifications are based on measurements from an optionally connectable flow meter. Based on deviations in water consumption, this detects when there is a leak and gives an alarm. The flow meter can be connected to one of the two sensor outputs on the Hunter Pro-HC and is defined in the Hydrawise software. The Rain Bird Smart Watering System does not provide for the use of a flow meter.

Use of weather data

Local weather data is used in both systems. Where this data comes from, how it is processed, what exactly was measured, etc. remains unclear at Rain Bird, but at Hunter the weather service and weather station used are transparent. The weather station used can also be influenced up to a certain point. If you upgrade to the paid Enthusiast plan, you can even select 5 weather stations and, if necessary, also integrate your own weather station. In addition, with Predictive Watering, Hunter Hydrawise allows you to use weather data tailored to your needs with rules to control irrigation according to your own ideas. The measured amount of rain over the last few days, the forecast amount of rain for the next few days as well as the forecast temperature, humidity and wind speed for the next few days are available. Based on these rules, irrigation runs can be completely suspended, their length changed or additional irrigation runs can be inserted.

The weather data for both systems is updated at night so that current weather data is available for the irrigation planned for the next day.

Define seasonal adjustment (per month).

With the Rain Bird Smart Watering System, a factor for seasonal adjustment can be defined globally, e.g. 80%. In this case, the irrigation runs would only last 80% of the programmed time. However, this deposit is only possible if you do not let the system do the seasonal adjustment automatically and you can only store one factor at a time and not define different factors for different months of the year.

With Hunter Hydrawise you can use seasonal adjustment in addition to all the other features of the program. You can define various predictive watering rules and then also inform the system that the result of these rules would be fully applicable in the hottest month and in another colder month, for example, only 70% of the time should be watered. An adjustment factor can be stored for each month from January to December.

Suspend watering x days

This plays a larger role with Rain Bird, as there is no programming option to completely eliminate irrigation runs; they are always only adjusted in length. But if it’s just pouring rain, it can make a lot of sense not to water at all. The only way to do this with Rain Bird is to actively set a time out.

This is also possible with Hunter, but will not normally be needed in daily use, as the rules can be defined in such a way that weather-related outages are carried out automatically. However, the option can be useful in other cases, for example if the garden is being dug up and you would like to suspend watering.

Cycle and soak phases

If the soil to be irrigated is particularly dense, it may not be able to absorb the water as quickly as it is watered. Some of the water then runs away unused. To avoid this, there is the option of dividing the irrigation run into irrigation phases and soak phases. Instead of watering for an hour at a time, for example, you water for 20 minutes at a time and leave a 10-minute break in between. The same applies to steeply sloping terrain. Hunter Hydrawise has included this option; with the Rain Bird Smart Watering System this is only available on certain more expensive computer models; it is not available in conjunction with the Rain Bird ESP-Tm2.

Lawn Growing Program

Hunter Hydrawise includes its own lawn growing program. This is simply a program whose first and last execution can be timed, which makes it very suitable for watering the newly planted lawn particularly intensively for a while.

Add sensor type

Hunter Hydrawise allows you to configure the available sensor ports as desired so that all possible types of sensors can be used on them. Both sensors based on the normally open principle and sensors based on the normally closed principle. When adding a water flow meter, the pulse value of the device can be defined.

Define valve delays

When using a main valve, Hydrawise allows you to set a small delay between opening the main valve and opening the zone valve. A delay between closing one zone and opening the next zone can also be defined. This can be useful in certain technical constellations in order to build up the required pressure in a timely manner.

Ongoing costs

The use of the software is free with both providers. With Hydrawise there is the option of upgrading to the paid Enthusiast plan, but this is not a must, the software also works very well in the normal version and is very comprehensive.

Conclusion and recommendation

In terms of hardware, the two computers are more or less equal. The only significant difference here is the additional second sensor connection on the Hunter Pro-HC if you plan to work with several sensors or use a flow meter. And if you want to implement very extensive irrigation, then the higher number of possible sectors with Pro-HC could play a role. In this case, you can alternatively consider one of the more expensive Rain Bird computers that also meet these criteria. Structurally, both computers make a flawless, very stable and well-made impression.

In terms of price, the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is the cheaper choice. Although you still have to add the costs for the additional WiFi module to the pure computer price, it is still around 100 USD less than the price of the Hunter Pro-HC.

Commissioning both computers for the first time is very easy and can be completed in just a few minutes. With the Pro-HC it’s a bit quicker and easier than with the Rain Bird, but I wouldn’t say there’s a significant difference here.

The really big difference and the criterion that, in my opinion, you should primarily consider when buying is the software: The Hydrawise system from Hunter is a very innovative product that has completely rethought smart irrigation. The Rain Bird Smart Watering System, on the other hand, is a further development based on what already exists. This difference is clearly noticeable during use.

The Rain Bird System primarily offers a way for private users to remotely operate their irrigation computer from anywhere in the world. It works simply and well and is the right choice if that’s enough for you and you want to spend as little time with the system as possible. Although automation using web weather data is also on board, you can hardly set anything with it and you cannot transparently understand how it works. The optimization options here are therefore very limited.

In comparison, Hydrawise is a very large and powerful system that is aimed at private users and professionals and gives you really extensive setting options. The whole thing seems well thought out and there are sensible and usable options available to tailor the irrigation, i.e. to optimally supply the garden with water and at the same time only use as much water as is necessary. This can be controlled very well by using parameters such as rainfall, wind speed, humidity and temperature and using rules to cancel irrigation runs in certain constellations or change their duration. Hydrawise is the right choice for those who want to get the most out of their irrigation and also want to adjust details exactly how they want. You don’t have to be afraid that the system will overwhelm you. An assistant helps with the initial setup and the system is intelligently structured in layers so that the essentials can be done quickly and the fine-tuning can then be carried out little by little.

Conclusion: For me, as someone who is interested in exactly these optimization options, the Hunter Pro-HC is clearly the winner in the comparison. It is simply the much more ambitious product and looks like the next generation model in comparison. What also really bothers me about the Rain Bird Smart Watering System is that some software options are only available in more expensive models. This seems like a very antiquated approach to not ruining your own business and also means that you can only benefit to a very limited extent from future improvements through updates. I would only recommend the Rain Bird System for someone who is simply looking for a simple, well-functioning remote control option for their irrigation computer, for example to be able to control the irrigation while on vacation and doesn’t want to pay unnecessarily much for it.

Der Beitrag In the test: Hunter Pro HC Hydrawise vs. Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with LNK WiFi module erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

This is how the Hunter Hydrawise system works

Johann Kodnar — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:59:59 +0000

The following article introduces the possibilities of the popular Hunter Hydrawise irrigation system. This is cloud-based and is used on the web-enabled Hunter Hydrawise computers HC, Pro-HC, HPC, HCC and the X2 in conjunction with the Hunter Wand module. In principle, all of the functions presented can be used regardless of the computer model used; there are only restrictions on individual small details. In this case, this will be pointed out separately in the article.

The Hunter Hydrawise system is used via the Hydrawise app for Apple and Android devices. Alternatively, it can also be accessed directly via the web browser.

When you start the system for the first time, a setup wizard guides you through the individual steps. If you have fairly simple requirements, this can be enough. If not, the system allows you to make very extensive adjustments. Below is a detailed overview of how the Hunter Hydrawise system works and what can be adjusted.

Watering Triggers

The watering trigger menu essentially contains the heart of the Hydrawise system. Here you can choose from a range of watering rules that you can adapt to your own needs. On the one hand, these rules rely on historical precipitation data from a virtual weather station and, on the other hand, on predicted local weather values (precipitation, temperature, wind, humidity) based on data from the Weather Company (weather.com). Irrigation based on these predicted values is called “predictive watering” at Hydrawise. The virtual weather station means that Hydrawise obtains the weather data via the Weather Underground service from a nearby airport weather station. Hydrawise has a total of 10,000 different airport weather stations to choose from.

If you upgrade from the Home to the Enthusiast plan, Hydrawise obtains the data from up to 5 different nearby weather stations and consolidates them into a common virtual weather station in order to be able to provide even more reliable data. In this case, private weather stations are also available and you can choose from a total of 120,000 private and airport weather stations. This upgrade to the Enthusiast Plan costs 66 USD per year and can be completed through Account Settings. With the Enthusiast plan it would also be possible to choose a self-operated weather station. To do this, it must first be added to the Weather Underground service and can then be selected.

You can define 2 rules from the measured precipitation data from the virtual weather station, and 6 rules can be stored based on the predicted weather values from weather.com. 5 of these rules ensure that irrigation is stopped when the rule arrives:

The temperature forecast is below a certain number of degrees
The chance of rain exceeds a certain percentage
The predicted wind speed exceeds a predefined level
The day before it rained more than a predefined amount
In the previous three days it rained more than a predefined amount

For example, if you have defined that there should be no irrigation if there was 1 inch per square meter or more of precipitation the day before and it rained 1.1 inches the day before, then irrigation will be canceled. Only the subsequent planned irrigation takes place again. Before this, it is checked again whether one of the rules applies. So if it rains enough for weeks, then there will be no irrigation for weeks.

You can set the values according to your own ideas. And you can activate or deactivate the rules. If a rule is deactivated, it will not be available for selection when a zone or program is created and therefore cannot be used. Conversely, activation does not mean that the rule is used; it must also be selected when the zone or program is created. Here you only define whether it should be available for selection and what the limit values should look like.

Two of the rules lead to longer or more frequent watering:

Reduce watering time by a predefined percentage if the temperature forecast is below a certain value
Water by a predefined percentage more when the temperature forecast is above a certain value and the humidity is below a certain value (whether this rule, if applicable, results in a longer watering time or additional watering runs can be defined in detail when creating zones and programs)

According to Hunter, the data used for the adjustment is automatically transmitted between midnight and 2 a.m. Approximately 1 hour before the start of the first watering run of the day, the watering schedule is then updated based on this data. If you have taken out the paid subscription to the Enthusiast Plan, the weather data will also be determined and the irrigation plan updated one hour before each other program start of the day. In this way, very current data can be included in the decision-making process.

Applicability of irrigation rules

Not all rules are possible in every application scenario. Depending on the irrigation modus selected, the following rules can be used:

Rule	Time based watering type	Smart (ET) Watering	Virtueller Solar Sync
Do not irrigate if rainfall in the last 24 hours is greater than x inches	Yes	No	Yes
Do not irrigate if rainfall over the last x days is greater than x inches	Yes	No	Yes
Do not water if the temperature forecast for the day is less than x degrees Fahrenheit	Yes	Yes	Yes
Irrigate x percent less if the temperature forecast for the day is less than x degrees Fahrenheit	Yes	No	No
Irrigate x percent more if the temperature forecast for the day is higher than x degrees Fahrenheit and humidity is below x percent	Yes	No	No
Do not irrigate if the probability of precipitation is greater than x percent	Yes	No	Yes
Do not irrigate if the wind speed forecast for the day is greater than x mph	Yes	No	Yes
Use temperature forecasts to predict smart watering	No	Yes	No
Use rainfall forecasts to predict smart watering	No	Yes	No

Selection of programming mode

Hydrawise offers you two modes to choose from:

Standard mode
Advanced mode

Standard mode is the programming mode traditionally used in the irrigation sector, advanced mode is the mode that was newly introduced by the company Hydrawise. After Hunter took over Hydrawise, the customer is now offered both modes to choose from. Except for the Hunter HC, which was designed by the Hydrawise company back then, in which only the advanced mode is possible.

Which of the two you prefer is to a certain extent simply a matter of taste. In standard mode, hardly anything can be defined about the zones themselves, apart from their names; all the settings such as running time, start time and additional settings happen when defining the irrigation programs. In advanced mode, however, the running time and additional settings are defined in the zone; only the start time is then specified in the program. Some functions or additional features can only be used in one of the two modes. Below is an overview of the main differences:

Topic/Function	Standard Mode	Advanced Mode
Industry standard	Yes	No
Zones can have several different running times	Yes	No
Irrigation programs can have multiple start times	Yes	No
Irrigation programs can be named	Yes	No
Creation and use of irrigation templates	No	Yes
Using the Smart Evapotranspiration option to determine when irrigation occurs	No	Yes
Using the Water More Often When It’s Hot Option	No	Yes

Standard mode gives you somewhat more options if you need to create more complicated irrigation programs. For example, if a zone should not always be watered for the same number of minutes, but rather 20 minutes on Monday and 40 minutes on Wednesday. It would not be possible to store this in the advanced mode because the running time is determined once for each zone. In return, a few of the additional smart options such as Smart (ET) mode can only be used in advanced mode. You don’t have to do without the basic possibilities of the mode itself, even in standard mode, you just need to set the individual “predictive watering” rules so that they achieve the same result. You just can’t rely on a ready-made “automatic” system here.

Both modes will normally be suitable for the usual requirements. Only if you have more unusual wishes can it happen that these can only be implemented in one mode or the other. You can change the mode at any time after you have made your choice, even later. Practical: The zones already created in the other mode are retained. Information will only be shortened or expanded if necessary. The programs must be created separately in each mode. However, the system remembers the programs created in the previously used mode in the background, so that you do not lose any information by switching the mode back and forth, but can return to the previously used status.

In the controller settings, the programming mode can be changed by clicking on the edit symbol.

Programming the irrigation schedule

These settings are made in the “Zones & Programs” menu. How exactly this works and what options are available to you differs quite significantly depending on the mode you choose. What is the same regardless of the mode is the maximum number of 6 programs that can be set, each with a maximum of 6 start times (exception: Hunter Wand: max. 3 start times). How many zones can be created depends on the computer model used, i.e. a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 54, depending on how many zones the computer hardware supports.

Due to the quite large difference, I explain the programming separately first for the more extensive Advanced mode and then for the Standard mode.

Programming the irrigation schedule in advanced mode

Add zone

Step 1: Enter basic data

Naming the zone
Selection of which zone output should be used
Selecting a zone symbol
Selecting an irrigation type

Entering the zone basic data

The naming of the zone and the assignment of a zone symbol serve to better identify and differentiate the individual zones. If you want, you can upload a photo of the zone later.

Setting the zone number determines which zone output on the Hunter controller the zone should use. For example, if you have 6 zone outputs available, you can choose a number between 1 and 6. Numbers that have already been selected for another zone cannot be assigned again.

In advanced mode, in addition to the standard type “Time-based irrigation plan”, you can choose from the following two irrigation types:

Smart (ET) type

If this irrigation type is selected, the system automatically determines when to irrigate based on precipitation and evaporation. It automatically takes these values from the connected virtual weather station for the past or extrapolates them for the future from the weather.com online source used. An average, sandy soil is assumed. The values to be entered in the next step differ from the time-based irrigation plan because certain selections are not possible due to the choice. Note: Smart (ET) schedule is not possible in standard mode.

Virtual Solar Sync

When Virtual Solar Sync is selected, the system simulates the use of a Solar Sync Sensor. Instead of a physical sensor, however, the data from the virtual weather station or weather.com is also used. Depending on the projected evaporation values (evapotranspiration), the system automatically adjusts the running time of the programmed irrigation runs.

Which irrigation type is right for you?
There is no one best type among the three offered. According to Hunter, in principle the same water savings can be achieved with all three. Which one you choose depends on your own requirements and also on how much you want to deal with the system itself or how much you want to leave to fixed program logic.

Choosing a time-based irrigation plan offers you the opportunity to plan the irrigation program in great detail according to your own specifications. The days on which watering should take place as well as the start time and duration of watering can be set precisely. And you can define exactly which weather-dependent parameters should ensure that irrigation is canceled, added or takes place longer or shorter. If something doesn’t work exactly according to plan, you can adjust the parameters very finely and get closer and closer to the desired result. Conversely, this mode also requires the most attention to the options offered by the system if you want to exploit the full potential.

The Smart (ET) Schedule makes many decisions for you. You just need to define how long the irrigation run should be and how many days apart it should take place during the peak period (= hottest time). The system obtains the necessary weather data online and uses it to calculate the evaporation relevant to the irrigation location on a daily basis. In this way, it calculates, just as a connected soil moisture sensor would, what moisture there is in the soil at the current time and when watering needs to be done again. So watering is not done on fixed days, but rather the system determines these independently. The irrigation duration, however, remains at the predefined value and is not adjusted, which can be advantageous if you value intensive irrigation that moistens the soil down to the roots.

Virtual Solar Sync mode works very similarly to Smart (ET). Again, based on rainfall and evaporation, the watering schedule is automatically adjusted. However, in this case this happens as it would if a physical Solar Sync sensor was used. Watering is carried out on fixed days specified by the user, but the length of watering is adjusted based on the weather data. This is particularly advantageous if you have to or want to water on specified days and don’t want to water on the other days. For example, if it is agreed with the municipality that watering is only allowed on certain days or if you share a common pump with neighbors.

Step 2 – Option 1: Define time-based irrigation schedule

These steps must be carried out if the irrigation type “Time-based irrigation schedule” was selected when creating the zone:

Choose between defining time and frequency or using a preconfigured watering schedule

If using a watering schedule was selected:

Choice of desired schedule. Most of the other settings are then no longer necessary as these are taken over from the predefined plan.

If Time and Frequency Definition is selected:

Enter the watering duration in minutes
Selection between irrigation at every program start and interval based irrigation
Activation/deactivation of the predictive watering triggers
Setting a monthly adjustment

If you select the option “Enter Time and Frequency below”, then the start time and how often the zone should be irrigated must then be defined. If the “Use a Preconfigured Watering Schedule” option is selected instead, the values from a template can be used so that no new definition is necessary. Provided you have created a suitable template beforehand or if your own garden is looked after by an irrigation company, they can also make their in-house templates available to their clients. The purpose behind it: You don’t always have to think about which settings are best, but you can use predefined settings for a specific application, practically like a template that you use again and again. If you create such settings yourself, it also has the advantage that you only need to define them once and then you can use them again and again for different zones. A possible template would be, for example, “Law was newly planted,” in which the appropriate irrigation settings for a newly created lawn that needs to be watered very often at short intervals are then explicitly stored. From now on, if you plant a new lawn in a zone, you can use this template for the necessary settings.

When it comes to irrigation frequency, you can choose between depending on the programs you have created (these are defined afterwards) and a fixed interval entry. The first option is shown on the left in the previous screenshot, the second on the right. The interval entry is somewhat misleadingly named: If you enter 3 days, this means that the water will be irrigated every 3 days. Optionally, you can also switch to weeks or define how often you want to water per day.

In the “Predictive Watering” section you can specify which of the previously defined trigger rules should be applied to the zone by checking or unchecking them. There are 5 different triggers to choose from that prevent watering from occurring and three that lead to additional watering runs or to an extended or shortened watering time.

The exact limits are defined separately in the “Watering triggers” menu as described above. At this point you just define which of the rules should be taken into account. There is one more rule to choose from than can be defined in the Watering Trigger menu. This is because the rule “Water x% more if the temperature forecast for the day is higher than x degrees and the humidity is below x degrees” can be applied in two ways: If you choose “Water longer when hot” the running time of the irrigation runs is increased in order to follow the rule. If you select “Water more often when hot” then the additional irrigation requirement results in an additional irrigation run. To do this, it is necessary to define a second, optional start time, which in this case would be used for additional irrigation.

Monthly adjustment

In addition to the Predictive Watering rules, a monthly adjustment can be defined for the zone. This increases or reduces the programmed running time of the irrigation in a certain percentage ratio on a monthly basis. This means you can automatically water for a shorter time in the cold months and longer in the warm months.

Each month it can be defined that 100% of the running time (= as programmed) or more or less is watered

Cycle and soak phases

Using this option it is possible to extend the irrigation time, which is then divided into irrigation phases and pause phases. This can be useful if you are irrigating a clayey soil where the water takes a long time to be absorbed into the soil. Or even when irrigating sloping terrain. You define the maximum amount of time you should water in one go and how long you should allow a break afterwards to give the water a chance to seep in. In this way, as much of the water as possible actually reaches the ground and as little water as possible is wasted.

Adjustment of cycle and soak time

If only one zone is programmed at the start time, then the running time of the zone is simply extended accordingly. For example, if a start time of 4:00 p.m. and a watering duration of 1 hour are stored and you have defined a maximum cycle time of 20 minutes and a soak time of 10 minutes, then this would lead to the following process:

4:00 p.m.: Start irrigation and run the irrigation for 20 minutes
4:20 p.m.: 10 minute break
4:30 p.m.: 20 minutes of watering
4:50 p.m.: 10 minute break
5:00 p.m.: 20 minutes of watering
5:20 p.m.: End of irrigation

In the example, the entire irrigation run would take 20 minutes longer.

If several zones are programmed at the start time, they would alternate so that the overall running time would not be extended. Let’s assume that zones 1, 2 and 3 are programmed with a start time of 4:00 p.m. and each have a watering duration of 1 hour. As before, the maximum cycle time should be 20 minutes and the soak time should be 10 minutes. The process here would be as follows:

4:00 p.m.: Start zone 1 and run the irrigation for 20 minutes
4:20 p.m.: zone 1 stops, zone 2 starts and 20 minutes of watering
4:40 p.m.: zone 2 stops, zone 3 starts and 20 minutes of watering
5:00 p.m.: zone 3 stops, zone 1 starts and 20 minutes of watering
5:20 p.m.: zone 1 stops, zone 2 starts and 20 minutes of watering
5:40 p.m.: zone 2 stops, zone 3 starts and 20 minutes of watering
6:00 p.m.: zone 3 stops, zone 1 starts and 20 minutes of watering
6:20 p.m.: zone 1 stops, zone 2 starts and 20 minutes of watering
6:40 p.m.: zone 2 stops, zone 3 starts and 20 minutes of watering
7:00 p.m.: End of irrigation

The total irrigation running time would therefore not change because the break in one zone is used to irrigate the other.

Water adjustment

Last but not least, an option is offered with which you can increase the irrigation times for the zone globally by a certain percentage. This can be useful if you notice that the current settings are watering a little too much or too little, but you don’t want to adjust the watering in detail, but simply want to make a quick adjustment up or down. This option makes no sense in the initial creation of a zone, because then you could simply define the duration as longer.

By moving the slider, watering times can be extended or shortened by up to 100%

Step 2 – Option 2: Define Smart (ET) Schedule

The following steps must be carried out if the “Smart (ET)” irrigation type is selected instead of a time-based irrigation plan when creating a zone:

Choose between defining time and frequency or using a preconfigured watering schedule

If using a watering schedule was selected:

Choice of desired schedule. Most of the other settings are then no longer necessary as these are taken over from the predefined plan.

If Time and Frequency Definition is selected:

Enter the watering duration in minutes
Selection between irrigation at every program start and interval based irrigation
Activation/deactivation of the predictive watering triggers
Setting a monthly adjustment

Definition of a Smart (ET) schedule that automatically controls irrigation based on calculated evaporation

In Smart (ET) mode, the irrigation duration is specified by the user; the system independently adjusts at what intervals and on which days the irrigation takes place. For this purpose, the reference value is specified as to how often irrigation must be carried out at the absolute peak time. So if the sun burns down at 95 Fahrenheit for a week in midsummer, how many days apart should be irrigated? Optionally, you can switch the selection from days to weeks here.

The box “Run this zone at the next available start time” can be checked if the first watering is already overdue, meaning the plants or lawn are already thirsty for water. Otherwise, the automatic system would only plan the first watering in a few days instead of starting immediately.

In the “Predictive Watering” menu item, there are significantly fewer options to choose from in Smart (ET) mode than if you define the irrigation completely manually, since the automatic system takes over a large part of the decisions. You can specify that watering should be stopped completely at a certain outside temperature. You can also define which parameters the Smart (ET) automatic system should work on. You can choose whether it should only use evaporation values (forecast ET ) or also precipitation values (forecast rainfall). What leads to better results may vary from case to case in practice and is best tried out.

Monthly adjustment

A monthly adjustment can also be defined in Smart (ET) mode (for an explanation of this, see the time-based irrigation plan above).

Cycle and soak phases

Likewise, irrigation can be divided into cycle phases and soak phases (explanation also as before).

Water adjustment

And you can also increase or reduce the irrigation globally by a certain percentage for fine-tuning (explanation also as before).

Step 2 – Option 3: Define Virtual Solar Sync Mode

The following steps must be carried out if the “Virtual Solar Sync” irrigation type is selected instead of the two previously described options when creating a zone:

Choose between defining time and frequency or using a preconfigured watering schedule

If using a watering schedule was selected:

Choice of desired schedule. Most of the other settings are then no longer necessary as these are taken over from the predefined plan.

If Time and Frequency Definition is selected:

Enter the watering duration in minutes
Selection between irrigation at every program start and interval based irrigation
Activation/deactivation of the predictive watering triggers
Setting a monthly adjustment

Definition of the zone in Virtual Solar Sync mode

Unlike in Smart (ET) mode, the irrigation duration is adjusted automatically here. The irrigation duration entered serves as a reference value; this is lengthened or shortened depending on the calculated evaporation. Following the same principle as using a Solar Sync Sensor with the irrigation computer. The system does not change the specified days, so you can rely on the fact that there will be rain on these days.

In the “Predictive Watering” menu item, not all eight possible options are available in the Virtual Solar Sync mode, but with 5 options, significantly more manual intervention can be done than in the previously described Smart (ET) mode.

Monthly adjustment

A monthly adjustment can also be defined in the Virtual Solar Sync mode.

Cycle and soak phases

Likewise, irrigation can be divided into cycle phases and soak phases.

Watering adjustment

And you can also increase or reduce the irrigation globally by a certain percentage for fine-tuning.

Add program

A program is always created in the same way, regardless of which mode (time-based irrigation plan, Smart (ET), Virtual Solar Sync) the zone was defined in.

Step 1: Enter program data

Enter start time
Selection of watering type
Selection of watering days

Definition of program data

Entering the time at which the program takes place with a 12 hour clock. So up to and including 12 noon with the addition of “am” and after 12 noon with the addition of “pm”.

The watering type can be selected between normal weekly irrigation, irrigation only in even weeks, irrigation only in odd weeks and low priority irrigation time. A low priority irrigation time is only used if the system needs to schedule additional watering runs in addition to the scheduled watering runs (“Water more often when hot” option).

When selecting the irrigation days, you can choose between “Selected days of the week”, “Even days” and “Odd days”. If you choose “Selected days of the week”, you can specify whether you want to rain for each day from Monday to Sunday. In the example shown, watering would occur on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you define the days of the week for a program that is used for a zone with a Smart (ET) schedule, then a restriction of the days of the week means that the program logic can no longer freely choose the best day, but is limited to those available and therefore, it may sometimes only be able to water later than would be optimal.

Step 2: Select the zone(s)

Now you have to determine which zones should be executed with the defined program start time on the defined days. Only a single zone or several zones can be selected. You can also optionally select that the program should apply to all zones. Alternatively, a predefined irrigation schedule can also be selected.

In the case shown, the “Drip irrigation” zone is added to the program

Programming the irrigation schedule in standard mode

Add zone

Step 1: Enter basic data

Naming the zone
Selection of which zone output should be used
Selecting a zone symbol

Creation of the zone

Creating a zone in standard mode is limited to naming the zone, selecting an icon, and assigning it to a zone output on the Hunter computer. At this point you cannot choose between different irrigation types; this definition only takes place when the program is created. In standard mode, irrigation duration, irrigation frequency and rules for triggering irrigation are also not defined in the zone, but in the program.

Step 2: Definition of cycle and soak phases and water adjustment

As in the advanced mode, it is also possible in the standard mode to define cycle and soak phases and to define a global adjustment of the irrigation by a certain percentage.

Definition of cycle and soak phases

Definition of a global watering adjustment

Add program

Step 1: Enter program basic data

Naming of the program
Selecting a program type

Entering the basic program data

As in the advanced mode, the time-based irrigation plan and the virtual solar sync are available as program types. The Smart (ET) option is not available in standard mode.

Step 2 – Option 1: Define time-based irrigation plan

These steps must be carried out if the program type “Time-based” was selected when creating the program:

Selection of irrigation days
Definition of program start times

Definition of irrigation days and start times

You can set specific days of the week to water, or you can set watering to occur on odd or even days. The fourth option is to set watering intervals, i.e. watering every x days.

Up to 5 different start times can be saved for the program.

Selection of zones and definition of watering duration

The next step is to select one or more zones that should be processed in the program and define how long irrigation should last for each of these zones. In the example shown below, 3 zones with 50 minutes each are added to the program. With a start time of 5 a.m., the first zone would run for 50 minutes, then the second zone for 50 minutes and finally the third zone for 50 minutes.

Selection of zones and definition of watering times

Predictive watering rules

In standard mode, the predictive watering rules are set in the program. The rules available for selection are the same as in advanced mode; an explanation of the individual rules can be found there.

Adjust irrigation based on predictive watering rules

Grow In program

This option is only available in standard mode. Here you have the option of having the irrigation program start and/or end at a specific start or end point in order to allow newly sown lawns to be watered more frequently and more intensively with this program for a while before switching to the standard irrigation program.

Define the start and end times of the growth program

Monthly adjustment

The monthly adjustment allows you to increase or decrease the programmed watering time by a certain percentage for each month of the year.

Enter monthly adjustments

Step 2 – Option 2: Define Virtual Solar Sync Mode

If the “Virtual Solar Sync” irrigation type is selected when creating a program instead of a time-based irrigation plan, the settings work exactly as described previously for option 1, with the only exception that there are slightly fewer predictive watering rules to choose from.

Predictive watering rules possible in Virtual Solar Sync mode

Creation of an irrigation template

In the Zones & Schedules menu in Advanced Mode there is also the option to create irrigation templates, which can then be used when defining new zones. If you let a professional irrigation company manage the irrigation, then they can make their templates available globally to all customers they support.

The following information is stored in the template:

Name of the template
Irrigation Type Used (Time Based Irrigation Schedule, Smart (ET) Schedule, Virtual Solar Sync)
Watering duration
Watering frequency
Predictive watering rules
Monthly adjustment

Add sensor

Hydrawise offers very extensive options for working with sensors. There are two sensor inputs available on the irrigation computer, to which a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or flow meter can be connected as standard. Which sensor can be connected to which input is not fixed, but is simply defined when the sensor is added. When connecting a rain or soil moisture sensor, you can also choose whether they work according to the “normally open” principle or the “normally closed” principle. This is very positive, as in principle the entire range of sensors available on the market is available for use. When it comes to flow meters, you can also choose from a number of different models. For the added sensor it can be defined for which of the zones it should work.

Does it make sense to use a sensor?

Using a flow meter gives you the ability to monitor the system for proper water usage and quickly detect problems. But why do you need a rain sensor or soil moisture sensor with a Hydrawise computer? In principle, this function should already be covered by obtaining the weather data via the web?

In my opinion, using a soil moisture sensor usually doesn’t make sense unless you want your system to be extremely precise so that you don’t want to rely on the extrapolated Hydrawise values. The extrapolated values are created once at the beginning of the day based on the weather forecast valid at that time. If the weather then behaves differently than predicted, for example if there is a short, intense downpour that was not predicted, then irrigation may occur even though the soil moisture values would speak against it. This won’t happen too often over the course of a year and won’t make too much of a difference, but if you want to avoid it at all costs, then using a soil moisture sensor can make sense. Alternatively, this inaccuracy could also be reduced with the paid upgrade to the Hydrawise Enthusiast plan, which entitles you to update the weather data more frequently (more on this in the section “Change account settings”)

The same argument applies to the rain sensor and there is another one here: an additional rain sensor also makes sense if it is important to you to 100% rule out watering when it starts to rain. So if irrigation that has already started should stop immediately when rain falls. For example, to avoid strange looks from neighbors who make fun of watering when it rains at the same time.

You can find out more about how rain and soil moisture sensors work in principle in the following blog post: Rain, soil moisture and other sensors

Add your own sensor type

If you don’t find the desired flow meter among the selectable flow meters, or if you want to use a completely different sensor type, you can create a new one in Hydrawise.

Adding a flow sensor

When installing a flow meter, the liter per pulse value of the flow meter must be stored. Communication with the flow meter does not work in such a way that the liter output flowing through is transmitted as a numerical value, but rather, like rain and soil moisture sensors, the sensor only sends electrical pulses to the irrigation computer. The liter per pulse value indicates after how many liters have passed through the sensor sends an electronic pulse to the irrigation computer. For example, if the sensor sends one pulse per 10 liters and it has sent 6 pulses, then the irrigation computer knows that 60 liters have flowed through. The smaller the liter value per pulse, the more precise measurements are possible.

Installation of a customer-specific flow meter

Adding an alternative sensor type

If you want to use a sensor other than a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or flow sensor in Hydrawise, you can create a new one in the system. In the following screenshot I have shown an example of a motion sensor that should start watering when a motion is detected. When you create your own sensor, normally open and normally closed sensors are possible. And these can either start or turn off the zone. In addition, a specific minute value can be stored within which the sensor is prevented from being triggered again.

Installation of a new type of sensor

Add alerts

Under the menu item Account – Alerts you can define events about which you would like to be actively notified.

It is currently possible to create the following 4 alerts:

Notification if the control unit has not had an internet connection for x days
Notification when there is a high current flow in the solenoid coil of a zone (short circuit to the solenoid)
Notification when there is low current flow in the solenoid coil of a zone (defective cable on the solenoid coil)
Notification when a watering run has been skipped

With an additional flow meter, the following 4 notifications can also be created:

Notification when a zone’s water consumption is x% higher than the last run
Notification when a zone’s water consumption is x% lower than the last run
Notification if more than x liters of water have been used in the last minute even though no zone was active
Notification if more than x liters of water were used within the last hour even though no zone was active

And if you have a rain sensor, the following notification can also be created:

Notification when rain sensor status changes

When creating an alert, you can choose whether it should apply to all control devices stored in Hydrawise or only to certain ones. If an alert occurs, it will always be added to the event log in the app’s Account – Events menu. In addition, you can also have the warning actively displayed as a push notification on your cell phone, which I would definitely recommend because it could easily be overlooked in the menu since you don’t normally check it regularly. If you have upgraded to the paid Enthusiast plan, you can also have the warning sent to you as an SMS.

Selection of the alert type and determination of the limit value

Determination which control device(s) the alert should apply to

Select how you would like to receive the warning message

Change Controller Settings

In the controller settings menu, various basic settings of the irrigation computer can be changed. As already described above, this includes the possibility of changing the program mode from standard operation to advanced operation or vice versa. Apart from that, the following settings can also be made here:

The name of the control device can be changed
You can decide what the irrigation computer should do when it does not have an internet connection. By default, it continues to use the most recently transmitted watering times; alternatively, you can select that no watering takes place in such a case.
The time zone used for the settings can be changed
Valve delays can be stored. The master valve delay determines the minimum number of seconds that should pass after the master valve opens before a zone valve is opened. The inter-zone delay determines how many seconds should elapse after a zone closes before the next zone’s valve opens. In certain setups, these settings can help you build the necessary water pressure for irrigation before opening the zones.

Possible controller settings

In the Weather Stations tab you can specifically select from which weather stations the weather data is obtained. However, this is very limited by default (selection only from airport weather stations and limited to one station); only with a paid upgrade to an Enthusiast plan can you choose from up to 5 private weather stations. And then it would also be possible to select a weather station that you operate yourself.

In the Expanders tab, the use of additional hardware modules for additional sector outputs can be stored so that more zones can then be supplied.

In the Offline Adjustments tab, monthly adjustments can be stored that would be applied if the irrigation computer was not connected to the Internet for a long period of time.

Change Account Settings

In the Account menu item, a few interesting settings relating to the Hydrawise account can be made. The possibility of creating warning messages has already been described above. In addition, you can view warning messages that have occurred in the Events submenu and, under the event type “Info”, you can see a history of the changes made in the system and irrigation runs that have taken place.

In the Messages submenu you have the option of contacting a Hydrawise authorized contractor near your home directly. To do this, authorized dealers within a 20 mile radius are suggested and their contact details are displayed. You can now contact them by phone or email or directly using the chat function integrated into Hydrawise.

In the Account Details submenu you can change the language and the units of measurement used in the program, as well as change the email address. If you want, you can also upload a photo of yourself or your garden.

If you want to upgrade your Hydrawise account to the Enthusiast plan, you can do so here too. This currently costs 66 USD per year and can be paid directly via the app with Paypal. You can then select several weather stations from a larger pool of stations for predictive watering and it is also possible to integrate your own weather station. The watering times are updated not just once a day, but 1 hour before each program starts and you can add up to 5 instead of up to 3 control devices to your Hydrawise account. In addition, the report history is longer at 365 days and you have more image storage at 100 megabytes. Warning messages can also be sent via SMS.

Hydrawise Enthusiast Plan

In the My Controllers submenu it is possible to add up to two additional irrigation computers to the account or to remove an existing control device and replace it with another one.

In the Users submenu you can see which users currently have access to the Hydrawise account and you can create access for additional users. They can then also access the Hydrawise account via the Hydrawise app on their cell phone or on their desktop computer via the web browser at https://app.hydrawise.com/config/dashboard.

To do this, simply enter the user’s name and email address and determine which of the two possible authorization levels he should have:

Can modify configurations and run zones
Can view configurations and run zones manually

The first level should be reserved for users who are more familiar with the system and are able to make adjustments. The second level is good for users who only want to use the system but do not want to change any settings. If you give such users this permission level, you avoid the risk of something being accidentally changed. If you work with a professional operator, you may only receive limited authorization for daily use and the operator, as an admin, will make changes to the configuration.

Adding a new user

Finally, electronic files can be stored and accessed under My Files. This could be an issue if the system is operated by a professional who provides the user with instructions for daily use. If you operate the system yourself, I can’t think of any useful application.

Menu item Home (Home Page)

The Home page is the start page of the Hydrawise system, where you can see an overview of essential information.

Created irrigation runs (click on a run to get detailed information about it)
Weather forecast for the next 3 days
Observations on temperature and precipitation
Information about sensors used
Information about the control unit

This information can be seen on the home page

By clicking on one of the zone symbols it is also possible to quickly start a manual watering run. After selecting the zone, all you have to do is enter the desired running time and start irrigation.

Menu item Zones and Programs

The zones and programs created are displayed under the menu item Zones & Programs. You can change the settings by clicking on the edit symbol. You can also set here whether a master valve is used for irrigation. Such a master valve is automatically opened when each zone valve is opened. It is installed directly after the water connection and serves as a safety net should the zone valve not close properly. Alternatively, it can also be used to start a pump.

Menu item Reports

A range of information can be found in the Reports menu item:

The irrigation runs planned for the next 30 days are displayed in calendar form. The planning is always based on the current weather forecast, so it can change again the next time the weather data is updated. You can also look up which irrigation runs took place in the previous days.
A detailed weather forecast is available for the next few days
The values measured by the weather station can be accessed in detail (wind, precipitation, temperature). The calculated evaporation can also be tracked.
Comprehensive water consumption statistics (if an additional flow sensor is present)
Historical weather data

Example of an overview of planned irrigation runs

Bluetooth control

The Bluetooth control menu item offers an alternative to controlling the irrigation computer via cell phone if Wi-Fi is not available. To do this, you must be in close proximity to the watering computer (maximum approx. 70 feet away).

Purchase a Hydrawise irrigation computer

In my experience, particularly the the Hunter HC and the Hunter Pro-HC are suitable for the usual private user, although I myself tend towards the Pro-HC, which is a little more expensive but has better manufacturing quality and is also offered as an outdoor model. Another alternative would be to use a traditional Hunter X2 irrigation computer of the latest generation and make it web-enabled with an additional Hunter Wand WiFi module.

Hunter Pro-HC on Amazon:

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Hunter HC and Hunter X2 with Wand on Amazon:

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Conclusion and Recommendation

The article has become very long and there is a good reason for this: Hydrawise’s setting options are actually very sophisticated and extensive. I can hardly think of a scenario that couldn’t be covered with this. The product created by the then Australian startup company Hydrawise was absolutely revolutionary at the time and was cleverly further improved by Hunter technicians after the company was taken over, so that it is now a mature product that works well in practice. By intelligently using the weather data available online, you can actually save a lot of water when watering, thereby protecting both the environment and your own wallet. The comparatively high purchase price is somewhat put into perspective when you consider that in return you save yourself having to purchase additional sensors. Also unlike some other systems, you don’t need an additional gateway to connect to the web.

With the abundance of setting options and small wheels that you can turn in the Hydrawise system, some people may be afraid that they will be completely overwhelmed by the software. In my opinion that is not the case! The software is cleverly structured in layers so that the essential things can be set very easily and with the support of a setup assistant. Only for further optimizations you have to go deeper into the system. If you want to squeeze every last percent out of the system in order to use as little water as possible and irrigate as efficiently as possible, then it is best to gradually approach the optimal setting. So make a small change, try it out for a few weeks to see what effect it has, evaluate whether it has had a positive effect and then think about the next change step. This only requires minimal effort and little by little you will find your perfect setting.

In my opinion, you can usually get by with the free basic version of the software, so an update to the paid Enthusiast plan is not necessary in order to have a suitable product; you can also use the software in the basic version . An update may make sense if you have a large area to irrigate and want to maximize water savings with even more current weather data and measurements from your own weather station.

In my opinion, Hydrawise is the best smart irrigation system currently available on the market. And it is very likely that it will remain in that position for the next years, because developing such complex software requires thousands and thousands of developer hours, so this technological advantage can only be made up with an immense amount of money. Every user automatically benefits from further improvements to the Hydrawise software, as the software is always updated to the latest version.

Der Beitrag This is how the Hunter Hydrawise system works erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

What is a 2-wire irrigation system and what advantages does it have?

Johann Kodnar — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 14:01:16 +0000

The trend towards using 2-wire irrigation systems comes from the USA and is becoming increasingly important in the professional sector. Here I explain what distinguishes a two-wire system from a conventional system and what advantages and disadvantages it has.

In principle, 2-wire systems have existed for many years and have so far been used primarily in the golf industry. In the USA, these are now becoming increasingly widespread in the private and commercial sectors, which is also due to the fact that more and more irrigation professionals are now familiar with this technology.

The difference between a 2-wire system and a traditional irrigation system is that all solenoid valves and sensors are connected to the irrigation computer using the same 2-wire cable harness. The 2 wires lead from the irrigation computer first to the first solenoid valve, from there to the second, then to the third, etc. etc.

In contrast to a traditional system, in which a wire that controls the valve is led from the irrigation computer to each solenoid valve. And in addition, a common wire is used as a neutral conductor. For example, if an irrigation system uses 8 solenoid valves, then a total of 9 wires are required; if it consists of 20 solenoid valves, then 21 wires are required. If a solenoid valve is to be switched, the irrigation computer sends voltage via the cable connected to the valve.

Below I have shown this graphically in a simplified manner. On the left is the irrigation computer, next to it are the solenoid valves attached to it and the cable connection in between:

Conventional system, an additional wire is added for each additional solenoid valve, the neutral wire is shared

2-wire system, all solenoid valves are connected to a two-pole cable via decoders

With a 2-wire system, you only need 2 wires, regardless of the number of valves and sensors connected. The system is intelligent and automatically communicates with the right recipient. This works with additional decoders that are placed in front of each solenoid valve and each sensor and have an individual address. If you want to switch a solenoid valve, the irrigation computer speaks to the decoder that is connected upstream of the desired valve and this opens the valve.

Unlike the conventional system, the 2-wire system is not one-way, but enables two-way communication. The decoder can not only receive commands, but it can also send information back to the irrigation computer. Status information from valves and sensors can be reported back and modern irrigation computers can send automatic warning messages based on this if there is a problem.

In addition, expanding an existing system is much easier than with a conventional system. With the conventional system, a new cable would have to be pulled from the irrigation computer to the newly added solenoid valve; with the 2-wire system, this can simply be continued from the point closest to the existing irrigation system. This can potentially save a lot of effort on excavation work. Alternatively, if desired, a second and third 2-wire cable harness can be created in a 2-wire system if this is more advantageous than continuing the existing one.

In summary, using a 2-wire system has the following advantages.

Advantages of a two-pipe irrigation system:

Fewer cables are required and costs for the increasingly expensive copper cables are saved
For very large irrigation solutions, a computer can control a much larger number of valves (200 or more). Conventional computers usually have a maximum of 54 valves. This saves costs for additional irrigation computers and allows everything to be controlled centrally on one computer.
2-wire systems have a significantly greater range than conventional systems, meaning valves/sensors that are very far away can also be connected.
Two-way communication allows problems to be reported back so that they can be identified and resolved early
Subsequent expansions of the system are very easy

On the other hand, 2-wire systems also have disadvantages compared to conventional irrigation systems.

Disadvantages of a two-pipe irrigation system:

A specially designed irrigation computer and components are required (note the exception below). These do not operate with the usual 24 volt alternating current voltage but with 30 volt direct current. Use with existing components is therefore not possible.
Every solenoid valve and sensor must be preceded by a decoder, which effectively acts as their brain. There are additional costs for this.
If the two-wire cable harness is damaged in one place, all valves and sensors located after this point will fail in one fell swoop. In such a case, a very quick reaction is necessary and it should be precisely documented how the cable harness runs underground.
2-wire systems have high installation requirements. High quality cable with double covered insulated twisted wire and solid core must be used. The jacket should be made of polyethylene and not PVC. The connection points must also be waterproof and the decoders must be grounded with ground rods to protect them from static electricity.

So you can see that in return for the possible savings, a lot of additional effort is required. In addition, the installation is more complex, so it should always be carried out by a specialist and here too you have significantly less choice as not all professionals are trained in this system. In expert circles, a 2-wire system is viewed as a cheaper alternative to a conventional irrigation system for systems with at least 25 to 35 sectors.

2-wire systems are offered by major manufacturers such as Rain Bird and Hunter. Hunter offers the ACC2 decoder controller (75 to 225 sectors) and the ACC-99D decoder controller (up to 99 sectors), Rain Bird has the 2-wire decoder controller ESP-LXIVM (60 to 240 sectors) and the 2-wire decoder controller ESP- LXD (50 to 200 sectors) in the range.

Due to the high requirements for installation and materials to be used, combined with the resulting usefulness only for very large projects, 2-wire systems currently hardly play a role for the typical private user. But that could change in the next few years, because in manufacturer circles the 2-wire system is seen as the system of the future. At the end of 2019, Hunter took an important step towards making the 2-wire system more attractive for private use with the introduction of its EZ Decoder System (EZDS). The EZ system (pronounced “easy”) can be retrofitted into an existing solution and avoids many of the previously existing disadvantages of a 2-wire system.

EZ decoder system from Hunter

No special 2-wire irrigation computer is required for this, but existing irrigation computers from the Pro-C, HCC and ICC2 series can be converted to a 2-wire system with an additional expansion module or a hybrid solution is also possible, i.e. some of the valves can be controlled using conventional ones system and the other part using a two-wire system.

To convert, the expansion module is connected to the existing computer and the 2-wire cable harness is then routed from the expansion module to the solenoid valves and sensors. Unlike previous solutions, the existing valves and sensors can continue to be used because the EZ decoder system works with the same 24 V voltage as the conventional systems. Existing cables can also be used. Only one EZ1 decoder needs to be placed in front of the valves and sensors so that they receive the unique address required for the 2-wire solution.

The very high installation requirements of previous 2-wire systems are no longer required: normal cable can be used and the decoders do not need to be grounded.

Pro-C computers can be converted into a 2-wire system with a PC-DM module. Up to 28 decoders can be attached to this. HCC and ICC2 computers are retrofitted with an EZ-DM module, which allows up to 54 decoders.

The EZDS system offers a comparatively cheap and, above all, quite easy way to switch to a 2-wire system or to convert only parts of the system to it in the first step. The functionality of the irrigation computer is completely retained during a conversion. There is currently no Rain Bird equivalent to the EZDS system, but it can be assumed that this will happen soon.

My point of view: The introduction of the EZDS system is an important step and could give a strong boost to the spread of 2-wire systems in the private sector. In my opinion, a certain stumbling block could still be the quite high price for the EZ1 decoders, which are currently available in stores for around 50 to 60 USD each. Since one decoder is required for each solenoid valve, this adds up quite a bit. One can hope for future price reductions here.

Der Beitrag What is a 2-wire irrigation system and what advantages does it have? erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Ways to monitor and secure an irrigation system

Johann Kodnar — Sat, 22 Apr 2023 20:08:28 +0000

There are also certain risks associated with the operation of an automatic irrigation system. Here you can find out what these are, how relevant they are for your own situation and which methods you can use to secure them.

It’s easy to overlook this at first glance, but automatic irrigation also harbors two major risks:

Irrigation does not stop as soon as it should and continues uncontrolled
The irrigation should be watering, but it isn’t

Especially the first point can lead to big problems.

Irrigation continues uncontrolled

Automatic irrigation is usually initiated and ended by a valve that opens and later closes again. If there is a defect in the valve so that it no longer closes or no longer closes properly, the irrigation continues.

If the water is drawn from a public network, this can lead to a very high water bill if you only notice the error late, for example because you are on vacation or do not visit the area to be irrigated regularly. Pumping water from a well only incurs the additional cost of electricity, but of course you may be wasting many thousands of liters of water.

Even more dangerous and expensive the effects of uncontrolled water leakage can be: At some point, the ground can no longer absorb any more water and, in the worst case, this will run into the basement, under the terrace, on to the neighbors or flush out paths or undermine foundations. That can get really expensive.

Irrigation is not carried out

This can also happen due to a defective valve that does not open as planned and therefore does not let water through. Or a failure of the irrigation computer, problems with the pump or a pressure switch, faulty sensors or a manual valve that was closed by mistake.

This damages lawns and plants in the garden that do not receive a scheduled supply of water. If the error is not noticed for a long time and the weather is unfavorable, then plants can, in the worst case, die completely or suffer permanent damage.

How high you rate both dangers, I would make dependent on the conditions in your own garden: If you pump water with a pump, the garden does not border directly on the house and neighboring gardens or there is not much in the garden that can be damaged, and you pass the garden every day and never go on vacation, then you can probably do without an additional safety net.
If, as the opposite extreme example, you use public water in the garden, if you have expensive plants and furniture in the garden, if the garden is located in such a way that large amounts of water flowing away would cause considerable damage, or if you are often not on site for weeks, then protection would be strongly recommended.

Both the risk of uncontrolled water leakage and the risk of watering runs being skipped can be controlled with manageable effort. There are different possible solutions to this.

Using a master valve

A master valve, or sometimes called a main valve, is an additional electronic solenoid valve that is placed next to the point where the irrigation system is connected to the water supply. Whether this is before or after a check valve or pressure reducer is a matter of taste, the only important thing is that the master valve is installed in the pipeline before the sector valves. These are the solenoid valves that open or close on command from the irrigation computer when a specific sector is to be irrigated.

The master valve is always closed in the initial state and is only opened as soon as a sector valve is also opened. This parallel switching takes place fully automatically via the irrigation controller. The prerequisite for this is an irrigation computer that supports the use of a master valve. Such computers either have their own additional master output to which the master valve can be connected, or one of the normal sector outputs can be defined as the master output. All Hunter, Rain Bird and Orbit computers support the use of a master valve, also the Gardena Smart Irrigation Control and the OpenSprinkler can use a master valve. A master valve is not supported on water tap controllers, i.e. sprinkler timers with a built-in valve through which the water flows.

In order to use a master valve, the master valve function only has to be activated once on the computer and the master output is then automatically activated at the start of each sector.

Any normal solenoid valve can be used as a master valve. Since it is installed in the area that is constantly under pressure, it has the highest requirements of all the solenoid valves used in the irrigation system.

The master valve is placed in the irrigation system before the sector valves

Pros & Cons Master valve

Advantages:

Prevents the irrigation from continuing uncontrolled if a sector valve does not close (since the master valve does not let water through)
Also minimizes the negative effect of slight leaks in the pipeline, since water can only flow out during the irrigation times (otherwise the master valve does not let water through)

Disadvantages:

Because the master valve limits the effects of leaks in the system to the time while irrigation is running, you may notice such leaks later than it would otherwise have been the case
Additional costs for a solenoid valve
Small additional pressure drop

Pump control

A pump control can be used as an alternative to a master valve. As described above, you need an irrigation controller that supports a master valve. In this case, instead of connecting the master output to a valve, it is connected to a pump controller (a pump start relay (Amazon Link)) to switch a connected pump on and off. The functionality and the advantages and disadvantages are the same as previously described for the master valve.

Water flow meter

A water flow meter measures how much water the irrigation system uses. In order to use a flow meter to monitor irrigation, the irrigation controller must be able to communicate with a flow meter. This requires a modern irrigation computer such as a Hunter Hydrawise computer or a Rain Bird ESP-M3 controller. With the faucet control computers, the LinkTap G2 computer offers this option; none of the Gardena computers are compatible with flow meters.

A suitable irrigation computer, in combination with a flow meter, offers the possibility to monitor the following things:

Is the water consumption of a sector higher than the usual consumption?
Is water consumed even though no sector was active?

This identifies both of the problems mentioned at the beginning of the report. And with computers like Hunter Hydrawise, you can be notified automatically by push message on your mobil phone or by e-mail if one of the defined rules exceeds or falls below the limit value. With the use of a water flow meter, you are automatically informed when the water consumption exceeds the usual level and you also notice if an irrigation should not run unexpectedly and you can react to problems very quickly. In some irrigation programs it can also be specified that the master valve is closed when certain limit values are reached, so that further water leakage is prevented.

If the irrigation computer used does not support a water flow meter, you can use an autonomous water flow meter. In this case, the flow sensor is simply installed in the line and the threshold value from which an alarm is to be triggered is programmed into the associated control panel. The alarm can then either be output as an acoustic warning signal or the sensor switches a relay, which can then be used to activate a pump or a solenoid valve, for example.

Pros & Cons Water Flow Meter

Advantages:

Lets you know immediately if the water consumption is too high or if there has been no water consumption at all. This means that the two dangerous situations (irrigation continues uncontrolled or irrigation does not take place at all) are under control
Since you can compare the measurement results with the target values in a very targeted manner, even small deviations due to minimal leaks are noticed very quickly

Disadvantages:

Additional cost for a water flow meter
Small additional pressure drop

Protection over the pump

Modern pumps such as the Grundfos Scala include intelligent monitoring functions that can be used to identify problems in the irrigation system and subsequently stop the pump function. For example, a maximum runtime of the pump can be set, after which the pump switches off automatically. If you know, for example, that the watering runs last a maximum of 3 hours all in all, then you can set the maximum running time at 4 hours and thus have the certainty that the pump would switch off automatically if the watering did not stop after the scheduled time.

In addition, a modern pump also detects minimal leaks that lead to repeated switching on and off of the pump and switches the pump off after a user-specified number of consecutive switching on and off in exactly the same pattern. This way you can quickly track down small leaks and fix them as quickly as possible. This not only saves water, but also protects the pump, for which frequent short starts within a short period of time are not good.

Pros & Cons Protection over the pump

Advantages:

Protection against uncontrolled water consumption
Detection of small leaks

Disadvantages:

Modern pumps are more expensive than run-of-the-mill pumps

Solenoid valve monitoring via the irrigation computer

Modern irrigation controllers such as the Hunter Hydrawise computers and the Rain Bird ESP-TM2, ESP-ME and ESP-ME3 series computers have a built in feature that monitors that the current flow to the solenoid valves is at the expected level. A value that is too low indicates a defective cable, and a value that is too high indicates a short circuit in the magnetic coil. As soon as there is a deviation from the norm, you are notified immediately so that problems can be identified and rectified as early as possible. Hunter calls this function an integrated milliampere sensor, Rain Bird speaks of automatic short-circuit detection.

More options

When watering from a cistern with automatic water replenishment, additional protection can be provided via a water level switch. The main danger here is that water is refilled unchecked, even though the cistern is already full and the excess water runs out unnoticed for hours or days via the overflow. The water level switch automatically switches off the refilling pump or activates an alarm when a certain water level mark is exceeded, at which point the water will overflow.

An alternative way to force a pump to turn off after a certain amount of time is to use a time delay relay (Amazon Link). After activation, this counts down a user-defined time countdown from a few seconds to several days and then switches off. This is referred to as a switch-off delay.

Der Beitrag Ways to monitor and secure an irrigation system erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Overview of spray bodies available on the market

Johann Kodnar — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 20:50:21 +0000

A distinction is made between two parts in spray sprinklers: the nozzle and the associated body. Nozzle and body can be combined as desired and are also sold separately in stores. The body is practically the sprinkler house from which the nozzle moves up. It essentially consists of a cylindrical casing and a riser housed in the casing, which ensures that the nozzle mounted on it rises a few inches above the earth’s surface from the casing buried in the ground. In addition, a thread is attached to the body with which it is connected to the water pipeline.

Cross reference: In a separate blog post you will find an overview of the nozzles available on the market

The bodies from Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro, i.e. the three major suppliers on the irrigation market, are presented below. All three offer several different bodies. Rain Bird and Hunter nozzles not only fit into all bodies of their own brand, but can also be used across manufacturers, i.e. Hunter nozzles in Rain Bird bodies and vice versa. This is also common practice in the world of irrigation. You should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations whenever possible, as certain bodies are particularly suitable for certain nozzles, e.g. pressure-regulated bodies for rotating nozzles. Care must be taken when using non-Toro nozzles in Toro bodies or Toro nozzles in non-Toro bodies, as Toro nozzles can have both female and male thread connections, but only female nozzles can be used in the Rain Bird and Hunter bodies.

Some of the bodies are offered in a large number of different risers, i.e. with risers of different heights or as a shrub version (body without riser that cannot be lowered and remains on the surface). The type designations reflect the measurement of the riser: 02 stands 2 inches, 03 for 3 inches, 04 for 4 inches, 06 for 6 inches and 12 for 12 inches. All bodies presented here have a 1/2 inch internal thread connection.

Hunter PS Ultra, Rain Bird Uni-Spray and Toro LPS are marketed as entry-level models for private users. From my point of view, there is little reason to reach for them even as a private person: The models located above them are at least a touch better and much more varied and also cost practically the same. The only reasonable reason to use them is optical considerations, due to the slightly smaller outlet in the garden soil (see below under “Diameter visible from above”).

Hunter Bodies

Hunter offers 4 different bodies: PS Ultra, Pro-Spray, PRS-30 and PRS-40.

Hunter PS Ultra	Hunter Pro-Spray	Hunter PRS-30	Hunter PRS-40
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.

PS Ultra is the entry-level body aimed at private users. It doesn’t have a quite as strong return spring as the other three models and only has a 2-year warranty instead of 5 years. Above all, it has – like the entry-level models of the two competitors – a smaller head diameter. So if you want to have the smallest possible outlet in the floor for optical reasons, you can achieve that with the PS Ultra.

On the other hand, there are significantly fewer riser variants for the PS Ultra than for the other models. The Pro-Spray and the PRS bodies are also more stable and therefore also well suited for places that are frequented by many people. According to Hunter, the PS Ultra is also not suitable for use with graywater, so it should not be used with water that comes from your own well. Some of the PS Ultra entry-level models are available on the market with already pre-installed nozzles (Hunter Pro nozzles with variable sector 8A, 10A, 12A, 15A, 17A or an SS-530 side strip nozzle). The main difference between the PRS bodies and the Pro-Spray is the built-in pressure regulation to 30 psi (PRS-30) or 40 psi (PRS-40).

Model comparison

Model	Diameter visible from above	Guarantee	Pressure regulation	Drain check valve	Price
Hunter PS Ultra	1.18 inches	2 years	No	No	Appr. 4 USD
Hunter Pro-Spray	2.24 inches	5 years	No	No/Yes (depending on the model)	Appr. 4 USD
Hunter PRS-30	2.24 inches	5 years	Yes (30 psi)	No/Yes (depending on the model)	Appr. 10 USD
Hunter PRS-40	2.24 inches	5 years	Yes (40 psi)	Yes	Appr. 10 USD

Notes: Models with an integrated check valve have a “CV” in the type designation. The Hunter Eco-Rotator sprinkler available on the market is not a separate type of sprinkler, but a PS Ultra body with a 4 inches riser and pre-installed MP-Rotator nozzle.

Riser variants

The 4 models are available with the following different risers:

Modell	2 inches	3 inches	4 inches	6 inches	12 inches	Shrub
PS Ultra	Yes		Yes	Yes
Pro-Spray	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
PRS-30			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
PRS-40			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Rain Bird Bodies

Rain Bird also has 4 bodies that are quite similar to the Hunter bodies: Uni-Spray, 1800 Series, RD1800 Series P30, RD1800 Series P45.

Rain Bird Uni-Spray	Rain Bird 1800 Series	Rain Bird RD1800 Series P30	Rain Bird RD1800 Series P45
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.

Uni-Spray is the entry-level model and therefore the counterpart to Hunter’s PS Ultra. Compared to the other three models, it has a significantly smaller head diameter and is only offered in a 4 inch riser version. It is often offered on the market in a ready-to-use combination with Rain Bird HE-VAN nozzles (8, 10, 12 or 15). The 1800 series is according to Rain Bird the best-selling spray body in the world. In addition to many other variants, it is also available in a pressure-regulated variant (recognizable by the type abbreviation “PRS” in the model name). The RD1800 is an even newer generation of models, which is specially designed for pressure regulation and also always contains a check valve. In the P30 variant, the pressure is regulated to 30 psi and in the P45 variant to 45 psi.

Model comparison

Model	Diameter visible from above	Guarantee	Pressure regulation	Drain check valve	Price
Rain Bird Uni-Spray	1.26 inches	2 years	No	No	Appr. 4 USD
Rain Bird 1800	2.24 inches	5 years	No/Yes (depending on the model)	No/Yes (depending on the model)	Appr. 4 USD
Rain Bird RD1800 P30	2.24 inches	5 years	Yes (30 psi)	Yes	Appr. 10 USD
Rain Bird RD1800 P45	2.24 inches	5 years	Yes (40 psi)	Yes	Appr. 10 USD

The RD1800 P30 and RD1800 P45 bodies can be purchased with an additional flow protection device as an option. With this, the sprinkler automatically registers when the nozzle has been removed from a pressurized sprinkler, e.g. due to vandalism or damage. Instead of allowing the water to spray out of the sprinkler in a fountain, the anti-flow device automatically ensures that the water flow is greatly reduced. As a result, less water is lost. This is probably not an issue for the typical private user, but is interesting for irrigated areas that are only inspected from time to time.

Riser variants

The 4 models are available with the following different risers:

Modell	2 inches	4 inches	6 inches	12 inches
Uni-Spray		Yes
1800	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RD1800 P30		Yes	Yes	Yes
RD1800 P45		Yes	Yes	Yes

Toro Bodies

Toro also offers roughly the same body models: Toro LPS, Toro 570Z, Toro 570ZPR.

Toro LPS	Toro 570Z/Toro 570	Toro 570ZPR
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.

At Toro, the entry-level body is called Toro LPS. It is often sold with the nozzles already installed (TVAN 8, 10, 12, 15 or 17). The Toro 570Z is the better body aimed at corporate customers. It is also sold to private customers in an identical form as Toro 570. The 570ZPR also has integrated pressure regulation. The 570 models are also optionally available with an additional flow protection device, which Toro calls “X-Flow”.

Model comparison

Model	Diameter visible from above	Guarantee	Pressure regulation	Drain check valve	Price
Toro LPS	1.6 inches	2 years	No	No/Yes (depending on the model)	Appr. 3 USD
Toro 570Z	2.0 inches	2 years	No	No/Yes (depending on the model)	Appr. 4 USD
Toro 570ZPR	2.0 inches	5 years	Yes (30 psi)	No/Yes (depending on the model)	Appr. 14 USD

Riser variants

The 4 models are available with the following different risers:

Model	2 inches	3 inches	4 inches	6 inches	12 inches	Shrub
Toro LPS	Yes		Yes
Toro 570Z/Toro 570	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Toro 570ZPR			Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Cover image: Hunter

Der Beitrag Overview of spray bodies available on the market erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Overview of the spray nozzles available on the market

Johann Kodnar — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 19:45:15 +0000

This blog post gives an overview of the sprinkler nozzels available on the market, also known as spray nozzles or sprayers. Sprayers release the water like a shower head in a torrent in all directions to be sprinkled. Unlike the geared sprinklers, which rotate and only eject the water in a specific direction in a concentrated jet. These are covered in a separate blog post on rotating sprinkler performance data.

Spray nozzles are used for irrigating rather small areas and release a relatively large amount of water to the irrigated area in a short time, so they have a high precipitation rate. Accordingly, they must not be mixed in a sector with geared sprinklers, which have a significantly lower precipitation rate, and they can only irrigate a smaller area in a sector than would be the case with geared sprinklers. An exception here are the rotating nozzle sprinklers, which are a cross between spray sprinklers and rotating sprinklers. These do not emit the water in torrents, but rather in fine jets due to their rotating nozzle and therefore also have a significantly lower precipitation rate than standard sprayers.

Spray sprinklers use less water pressure than geared sprinklers. They are best used for irrigating small areas up to a maximum length of 13 to 16 feet with a floor plan with many curves or corners. The targeted sprinkling of individual trees or bushes that have a very high water requirement is also a possible using scenario.

Separation of nozzle and body

Unlike geared sprinklers, spray sprinklers have a separate nozzle and body. So you don’t buy the complete spray sprinkler, but a spray nozzle and a body and then combine these two to form the sprinkler. This has the advantage that, depending on the application scenario, you can combine a specific nozzle with a specific body that is best suited for the scenario. It is also practical to use, since if a nozzle is defective or if you are experimenting with different nozzle types or sizes, you only have to unscrew the nozzle from the body and screw in a new one instead of digging out the entire sprinkler and installing the new one.

The nozzle of the spray sprinkler differs significantly from the nozzle on the geared sprinkler: With geared sprinklers, most sprinklers come with entire nozzle sets, sometimes with up to 8 or more different nozzles. These are small nozzles measuring maybe 0.5 x 0.5 inches, of which you insert the desired one into the sprinkler riser. The nozzles of the nozzle sprinkler, on the other hand, are much larger and combined with a filter. You screw it on top of the riser of the body. You don’t buy a set of nozzles here either, but rather the exact nozzle you want, i.e. the type of nozzle you want with the desired throw range. The nozzle also makes up a larger part of the total sprinkler price for spray sprinklers compared to geared sprinklers. This is especially true for rotating nozzle sprinklers, where the nozzle, filter and rotating mechanism make up the actual sprinkler and the body accounts for the smaller part of the cost.

In the following, I will present the nozzles available on the market across all brands, together with their specific performance data. The matching bodies can be found in a separate blog post.

Overview of the nozzles available on the market

As a beginner, you can easily be overwhelmed when it comes to the nozzles, as there are a large number of different nozzles on offer, the difference between which is not immediately apparent at first glance and which also have different designations depending on the manufacturer.

Fixed arc nozzles

These nozzles spray a fixed part of a circle, 90 degrees, 180 degrees or 360 degrees, depending on the nozzle selected. A sector deviating from this cannot be irrigated. The advantage is that they reliably irrigate the predefined sector, you don’t have to set it up and it can’t be adjusted. In addition, the precipitation rates of the different sector sizes are coordinated within the same nozzle size, so that a uniform precipitation rate (MPR) can be achieved if only one nozzle size is used within an irrigation sector.

	Hunter Pro with fixed arc	Rain Bird U
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	Fixed arc	Fixed arc
Sector setting	Fix, different nozzles for 90, 120, 180, 240, 270 and 360 degrees	Fix, different nozzles for 90 and 360 degrees
Radius	5 to 17 feet (6 different nozzle models)	5 to 15 feet (4 different nozzle models)
Water flow per hour	5 to 160 gallons	8 to 220 gallons
Precipitation rate per hour	From 1.53 to 2.08 inches (square) or 1.63 to 2.08 inches (triangle)	From 1.58 to 2.14 inches (square) or 1.83 to 2.47 inches (triangle)
Pressure range	15 to 40 psi	15 to 30 psi
MPR	No/Yes (when using the same nozzle size consistently)	No/Yes (when using the same nozzle size consistently)
Special feature		Second orifice for close-in watering

Variable arc nozzles

With these nozzles, the sector to be irrigated can be variably adjusted. You don’t need a nozzle that is tailored to the section of a circle, but you can flexibly define the section to be sprinkled on the nozzle, which gives you greater flexibility.

	Rain Bird VAN	Rain Bird HE-VAN	Hunter Pro with variable arc
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	Variable arc	Variable arc	Variable arc
Sector setting	0 to 360 degrees or 0 to 330 degrees (depending on the model)	0 to 360 degrees	0 to 360 degrees
Radius	3 to 18 feet (7 different nozzle models)	6 to 15 feet (4 different nozzle models)	4 to 17 feet (7 different nozzle models)
Water flow per hour	13 to 320 gallons	13 to 220 gallons	5 to 340 gallons
Precipitation rate per hour	From 1.58 to 10.27 inches (square) or 1.82 to 11.86 inches (triangle)	From 1.58 to 3.19 inches (square) or 1.83 to 3.68 inches (triangle)	From 1.46 to 7.93 inches (square) or 1.68 to 9.15 inches (triangle)
Pressure range	15 to 30 psi	15 to 30 psi	20 to 40 psi
MPR	No/Yes (when using the same nozzle size consistently)	No/Yes (when using the same nozzle size consistently)	No/Yes (when using the same nozzle size consistently)
Special feature		Further development of the VAN nozzles with more even sprinkling and improved close-range irrigation	Variable arc nozzle models are denoted with “A” after them: 4A, 6A, 8A, …

	Toro T-VAN
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	Variable arc
Sector setting	0 to 360 degrees
Radius	8 to 17 feet (5 different nozzle models)
Water flow per hour	42 to 336 gallons
Precipitation rate per hour	From 1.02 to 4.56 inches (square) or 1.17 to 5.26 inches (triangle)
Pressure range	20 to 50 psi
MPR	No
Special feature

MPR nozzles

The precipitation rates of these nozzles are matched to one another, so that you always have the same precipitation rate (MPR) even when using different nozzle sizes. The Rain Bird and Toro nozzles work like the typical spray nozzles, so they have a comparatively high precipitation rate. The MPR nozzles are fixed sector nozzles. Depending on the sector size to be irrigated, you have to use the desired sector model, e.g. full circle, semicircle or quadrant. At Rain Bird, the MPR nozzles also have the same precipitation rate across sectors. At Toro, the same precipitation rate only applies to the different nozzle sizes with the same radius – and again only approximately.

	Rain Bird MPR	Toro MPR Plus
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	MPR, fixed arc	MPR, fixed arc
Sector setting	Fix, different nozzles for 90, 120, 180, 240, 270 and 360 degrees	Fix, different nozzles for 90, 120, 180, 240, 270 and 360 degrees
Radius	3 to 15 feet (5 different nozzle models)	5 to 15 feet (5 different nozzle models)
Water flow per hour	3 to 220 gallons	3 to 275 gallons
Precipitation rate per hour	From 1.52 to 3.10 inches (square) or 1.75 to 3.58 inches (triangle)	From 1.21 to 1.86 inches (square) or 1.40 to 2.15 inches (triangle)
Pressure range	15 to 30 psi	20 to 75 psi
MPR	Yes	No/Yes (when using the same nozzle size consistently)
Special feature		YES (limited, only across nozzle sizes)

Rotating nozzles (rotating nozzle sprinklers)

This is actually a separate sprinkler category that no longer has much in common with the original nozzler sprinkler (sprayer), but is more of a cross between a sprayer and a geared sprinkler. The nozzle head includes a rotation mechanism that ensures that the water is not released in a gush, but divided into jets and that the jets are released at different points parallel to the rotation of the nozzle head. As a result, the precipitation rate is significantly lower than with a conventional sprayer. With the amount of water available, you can irrigate a much larger area at the same time. In return, however, it has to be watered longer than with conventional nozzles.

The radius of the rotating nozzle sprinklers is also greater than that of conventional nozzle sprinklers and reaches up to 35 feet. All three rotating nozzle sprinklers presented automatically also provide MPR, i.e. they are also MPR nozzles at the same time. The nozzles are a cross between nozzles with a fixed arc and nozzles with a variable arc: Different nozzles are required to cover all sector sizes, these can be adjusted within a specified range, e.g. 90 to 210 degrees or 210 to 270 degrees. Only the nozzle to cover a full circle (360 degrees) is not adjustable. The Hunter MP Rotator is my top pick for a sprinkler.

	Hunter MP-Rotator	Rain Bird R-VAN	Toro Precision
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found. No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	Rotating nozzle, fixed sector (adjustable within certain limits)	Rotating nozzle, fixed sector (adjustable within certain limits)	Rotating nozzle, fixed sector (adjustable within certain limits)
Sector setting	Depending on the model (3 different sector models)	Depending on the model (2 different sector models)	Depending on the model (9 different sector models)
Radius	8 to 35 feet (4 different nozzle models: MP1000, MP2000, MP3000, MP3500)	13 to 24 feet (3 different nozzle models: R-VAN14, R-VAN18, R-VAN24)	5 to 15 feet (5 different nozzle models)
Water flow per hour	11 to 218 gallons	16 to 224 gallons	3.6 to 144 gallons
Precipitation rate per hour	Approx. 0.40 inches (square) or 0.46 inches (triangle)	Approx. 0.63 inches (square) or 0.73 inches (triangle)	Approx. 1.0 inches (square) or 1.2 inches (triangle)
Pressure range	25 to 55 psi	30 to 55 psi	20 to 70 psi
MPR	Yes	Yes	Yes
Special feature

Bubblers

Deliver water directly to the root area of the plant. This comes out with minimal pressure and hardly any throw distance directly at the nozzle or in the immediate vicinity of the nozzle and is released at close range to the ground surface. Depending on the model, this can be done either in surges in the form of an umbrella or divided into jets. Bubbler nozzles are used for watering individual trees or shrubs that require more water than the surrounding vegetation, or for watering very small areas.

	Rain Bird Bubbler 1400	Toro pressure compensating Bubbler	Hunter PCN Bubbler
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	Bubbler	Bubbler	Bubbler
Sector setting	Full circle (360 degrees)	Depending on the model 90, 180 or 360 degrees	Full circle (360 degrees)
Radius	1 to 3 feet	No information	1 to 3 feet
Water flow per hour	15 to 120 gallons (4 models 1401, 1402, 1404 and 1408 with different flow rates)	15 to 120 gallons (3 models FB-25-PC, FB-50-PC and FB-100-PC with different flow rates and 1 model FB-200-ADJ with adjustable flow)	15 to 120 gallons (4 models PCN-25, PCN-50, PCN-10 and PCN-20 with different flow rates)
Pressure range	20 to 90 psi	20 to 75 psi	15 to 70 psi
Special feature		With the FB-200-ADJ model, the flow can be adjusted manually

In addition to the above, there are the following types of nozzles for special tasks:

Strip nozzles

Used for watering narrow, rectangular areas (lawn strips). Three different nozzles are always required to water a rectangle (nozzle in the left corner, nozzle in the right corner, nozzle in the middle).

	Hunter Strip Pattern Nozzle	Hunter MP-Strips	Rain Bird 15 MPR Strip Series Nozzle
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Nozzle type	Strip pattern	Strip pattern	Strip pattern
Sector setting	Rectangle (3 nozzles required: LCS-515, RCS-515, SS-530)	Rectangle (3 nozzles required: MPLCS-515, MPRCS-515, MPSS-530)	Rectangle (3 nozzles required: 15RCS, 15LCS, 15SST)
Radius	From 5 x 15 feet to 5 x 30 feet	From 5 x 15 feet to 5 x 30 feet	From 3 x 11 feet to 4 x 30 feet
Water flow per hour	26 to 87 gallons	10 to 32 gallons	21 to 71 gallons
Pressure range	20 to 40 psi	30 to 55 psi	15 to 30 psi
Special feature		Rotating nozzle

Short radius and stream spray nozzles

Short-radius nozzles are nozzles with a short throw distance that is always the same, regardless of the water pressure, for watering in very small spaces. Stream spray nozzles divide the water jet into individual jets and have a lower precipitation rate compared to conventional spray nozzles.

You can find the right bodies to turn the nozzle into a nozzle sprinkler in a separate blog post.

Der Beitrag Overview of the spray nozzles available on the market erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Rain, soil moisture and other sensors

Johann Kodnar — Sat, 29 Oct 2022 19:09:44 +0000

Sensors give you the ability to dynamically adjust irrigation to local conditions. On the one hand, this allows irrigation to be perfectly tailored to the requirements of the lawn and plants, and on the other hand, it helps to save water and you don’t have to worry about manually adjusting the irrigation to the seasons and weather conditions. This blog post gives you an overview of the different types of sensors, how they work and which products are available on the market.

Rain sensors

Models with and without Quick Stop

Soil moisture sensors

Wireless or wired

Water flow sensors

Stand-alone devices or together with an irrigation computer

Multiple sensors

Multiple sensors in one device

Various other sensors

Wind and frost sensors and weather stations

Rain Sensors

There are two types of rain sensors:

Rain sensors that use a lens to optically register when it rains and as a result prevent the planned irrigation from starting or stop an irrigation run that has already started
Rain sensors that measure the amount of rain that has fallen and, if this exceeds a certain value, ensure that the irrigation is suspended. This is done by the sensor sending an off pulse to the irrigation computer as soon as the limit value is exceeded. With most sensors, the limit value can be set individually, with the Rain Bird RSD, for example, between 0.12 and 0.75 inches of rain. The setting you make depends on the planned frequency of watering and the water requirements of the area to be watered. With modern sensors, the amount of rain is no longer measured directly by measuring the amount of rain collected, but with the help of a cork-like material built into the sensor, which collects the liquid and expands the wetter it gets. When the rain stops, it dries up again and gradually shrinks back to its original size. Only when it falls below a specified value is the suspension of the irrigation ended again by the sensor no longer sending the off impulse to the irrigation computer. The programmed irrigation program is then continued. It is important to mount the sensor on an open, unprotected area so that the rainfall is the same as the rainfall that arrives on the area to be irrigated. The solar radiation should also correspond to that of the irrigated area: If the irrigated area is in the sun most of the time, for example, then the sensor should also be installed in a similar place so that the evaporation also corresponds as closely as possible to the actual conditions.

The first type described, which works with optical means, is now outdated and is hardly offered anymore. In this category I would only know the electronic rain sensor from Gardena. The second type includes the Rain Bird RSD, the Hunter Mini-Clik and the Hunter Rain-Clik. The Rain-Clik differs from the other two rain sensors in the built-in “Quick Response” function. This causes the sensor to stop irrigation almost immediately in the event of rain. Depending on the weather, irrigation is interrupted in such a case for 3 minutes to 4 hours. The Rain Bird Sensor and the Hunter Mini-Clik, on the other hand, only do this at the moment when the set limit has been exceeded. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether this is an advantage or not. The main argument for the Hunter Rain-Clik’s Quick Response function is that the neighbors don’t look funny when you water when it’s raining. On the other hand, even a short drizzle causes irrigation to stop. In the case of weekly watering, this can mean that the lawn remains practically without water for a week. The lawn may then not receive the necessary minimum amount of water and be damaged. The Rain Bird RSD and Hunter Mini-Clik, on the other hand, only stop when the limit value is reached, so it can also happen that there is parallel irrigation during a heavy downpour. The sensors only interrupt when the limit value is reached.

Can the rain sensors be used across manufacturers?

Most rain sensors work on the same “normally closed” principle. As long as the sensor is dry and the threshold value has not been reached, the sensor circuit is closed. Only when the threshold value is exceeded, i.e. the rain sensor is triggered, is the circuit opened and the connection to the solenoid valves interrupted -> the signal for sprinkling is not received. Only when the wetness in the sensor is so low that the circuit is closed again is the connection to the solenoid valves restored and irrigation can be carried out again. The three previously presented Rain Bird RSD, Hunter Mini-Clik and Hunter Rain-Clik, for example, work according to this principle and can therefore also be used with irrigation computers from the other brand. Hunter also states that its Rain-Clik sensor can be used with most irrigation computers.

Of course, this compatibility does not apply to manufacturers whose rain sensors work according to a completely different principle, such as Gardena.

Wireless rain sensors

The sensors listed above are sensors that are connected to the water computer via a cable connection. Alternatively, models that work wirelessly are also available. The impulse from the rain sensor is sent wirelessly to an additional wireless receiving station that is installed near the water computer and then forwards the signal to the computer via a cable connection.

Rain sensors at Amazon

Following are Amazon links to some of the wired and wireless rain sensors presented.

Wired rain sensors

	Hunter Mini-Clik	Hunter Rain-Clik	Rain Bird RSD
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor
Setting option	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1 inch of precipitation.	If it rains up to 1/8 inch, the quick response blocking is automatically triggered, and from 1 inch the long-term blocking (until the cork dries). The drying time can be influenced by adjusting ventilation slots.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 3/4 inches of precipitation. The drying time can be influenced by adjusting a ventilation ring.
Working principle of the sensor	Available in a normally closed or normally opened version	Available in a normally closed or normally opened version	Normally closed and normally opened

	Toro 53769 Wired Rain Sensor	Orbit 57069 Hard Wired Rain and Freeze Sensor	Irritrol RS500 Wired Rain Sensor
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor	Rain Sensor
Setting option	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1 inch of precipitation.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1 inch of precipitation.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 3/4 inch of precipitation.
Working principle of the sensor	Normally closed and normally opened	Normally closed and normally opened	Normally closed and normally opened

Wireless rain sensors

	Hunter Wireless Rain Clik	Rain Bird WR2	Irritrol RS1000 Wireless Rain Sensor
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain Sensor (Wireless)	Rain Sensor (Wireless)	Rain Sensor (Wireless)
Setting option	If it rains up to 1/8 inch, the quick response blocking is automatically triggered, and from 1 inch the long-term blocking (until the cork dries). The drying time can be influenced by adjusting ventilation slots.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 1/2 inch of precipitation. Quick Shutdown suspends the active watering cycle within two minutes. There are three working modes to choose from.	Threshold can be set between 1/8 and 3/4 inch of precipitation.
Working principle of the sensor	Available in a normally closed or normally opened version	Normally closed	Normally closed and normally opened

Soil Moisture Sensors

Soil moisture sensors go one step further than rain sensors. While rain sensors only measure how much moisture comes into the soil through rain, soil sensors work directly with the plants and measure how much moisture is actually available to them at the current time. For this purpose, the amount of moisture in the soil is usually measured every 10 minutes in the root area of the plants. For lawns, the area of concern is approximately 6 inches below the surface of the ground.

The basic functionality of the soil moisture sensor is very similar to that of the rain sensor: As soon as a specific event occurs, a signal is sent to the irrigation computer and irrigation is suspended. In the case of the soil moisture sensor, the event is exceeding a certain minimum moisture level specified by the user.

How do you find the right humidity level?

Exact instructions can be found in the product descriptions of the individual manufacturers. In principle, it works like this: you water the lawn or other plantings with the ideal amount of water and then – after a few hours – measure the moisture level in the root area. So, for example, in the evening you water your lawn with the required amount of water, 0.6 gallons per square foot, and then measure the moisture level in the root zone at a depth of 6 inches the next day in the morning. This measurement can be performed with the corresponding function of the soil moisture sensor.

You now know the moisture level with which the lawn is ideally supplied with water. If this level prevails, there would be no point in irrigating. Starting from this level, you now determine at which value irrigation should be carried out again, e.g. if the humidity is only 80% of this level.

Tight watering rhythm

Accordingly, the sensor would stop watering at any value above that. In order for this to work sensibly, the watering rhythm should be defined as closely as possible, i.e. so that watering is programmed in at daily intervals or even several times a day. Of course, this does not take place every day because the high humidity level prevents it. But this guarantees that if the moisture level falls below the required level, the waiting time until the next watering is as short as possible.

Correct positioning

The sensor shall be placed in a location of an irrigation sector that is typical of the sectors to be irrigated. In this way, the humidity level prevailing there is correctly reflected. If control via the soil moisture sensor does not make sense for all sectors, sectors can be explicitly excluded from control via the sensor. When positioning the sensor, care should also be taken not to place it in an area where water collects, e.g. next to sidewalks. And also not in places that are more shady than is the case on average.

Manufacturer-dependent differences

There are important differences in how the sensors work, depending on the manufacturer:

Rainbird

The Rain Bird Sensor SMRT-Y reports at the beginning of a watering program whether the moisture level requires watering. If this is the case, then the watering program will be completed in any case, even if the moisture level during watering exceeds the threshold. It is therefore irrelevant in which of the sectors the soil moisture sensor is placed, since an increase in the moisture level due to the watering that has just been carried out does not lead to a premature stop of the watering. In any case, all sectors are always watered.

According to Rain Bird, it can also be used together with the Rain Bird RSD rain sensor. The two sensors would then have an additional effect, i.e. only if both the rain sensor does not report that the rain limit value has been exceeded and the soil moisture sensor does not report that the minimum moisture level has been exceeded, watering takes place.

Hunter

The Hunter Soil-Clik works differently. Here, an increase in the moisture level during the already started irrigation is taken into account. If, for example, it starts to pour during irrigation and the soil is soaked much earlier, then the irrigation will be stopped early if the minimum moisture level is exceeded. The disadvantage of this variant is that you are limited in the placement of the sensor. This must be installed in the sector that is the last to be run through by the watering program. Otherwise, the watering of one sector would stop the watering of the following sectors due to the resulting increase in moisture. A special feature of the Hunter Soil-Clik is that the measuring probe is separated from the display. With the other manufacturers, this is always a unit. This has the advantage that the probe can be positioned more flexibly, as it is completely hidden underground and there is no display on the surface. The display can be installed in a completely different place and is connected to the measuring probe with a cable. It is therefore not in the way when mowing.

Hunter also recommends the Hunter Soil-Clik in combination with the Hunter Solar Sync (see description below). The Solar Sync would then ensure that watering does not take place when it is raining or freezing and that the irrigation runtimes are adapted to the current weather situation. In addition to the Solar Sync, the Soil Click prevents watering when the soil moisture is still sufficient.

Gardena

With the Gardena smart sensor, exceeding the minimum moisture level leads to a stop, as with the Hunter model, even if watering has already started.

In addition to soil moisture, the smart sensor also measures the temperature and works without a cable connection. In order to be able to use it, the purchase of two further Gardena smart products is necessary: A Gardena gateway, which is connected to the W-LAN or LAN and communicates with all Gardena Smart products. And a Gardena smart Irrigation Control or Gardena smart Water Control sprinkler computer, which receives the impulses from the smart sensor and incorporates them into the sprinkling. Exceeding the set minimum moisture level stops watering, as with the sensors described above. The measured temperature has no influence on the irrigation and is only displayed to the user in the app for information purposes.

Toro

Toro also offers a wireless soil moisture sensor with the Toro Precision Soil Sensor. Practical: the compact sensor probe is pressed flat into the ground so that it can simply be driven over when mowing the lawn. Toro enables the secure irrigation of all sectors by the sensor observing a 4-hour waiting period after the start of irrigation, during which – even if the limit value should be exceeded – a stop is not reported under any circumstances.

Soil Moisture Sensors on Amazon

Following are Amazon links to the presented soil moisture sensors.

	Hunter Soil-Clik	Rain Bird SMRT-Y	Toro Precision Soil Sensor
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Soil Moisture Sensor	Soil Moisture Sensor	Soil Moisture Sensor (Wireless)
Working principle of the sensor	Normally closed	Normally closed	Normally closed and normally opened

Water Flow Sensors

These are also called water flow meters and are used to measure how much water is going through the irrigation pipeline. On the one hand, this serves to make irrigation more economical and environmentally friendly by analyzing the consumption of a single irrigation run or, for example, an entire irrigation season and consequently optimizing water consumption. On the other hand, water flow sensors are used for safety reasons to monitor the correct functioning of the irrigation system and to rule out possible damage caused by valves that do not close or open.

In conjunction with an irrigation computer, the sensor detects when a noticeably large amount or noticeably little amount of water is being used during an irrigation cycle, or when water is being used even though no irrigation is running at all, and the operator of the irrigation system is then automatically notified or an additional master valve is closed .

There are three different types of water flow sensors on the market:

Stand-alone devices

These are sensors to be used independently of an irrigation computer, which show the water consumption directly on the sensor with a display or a built-in meter. Such a sensor is simply installed at the point in the pipeline where measurements are to be taken. Depending on the product, the functionality is limited to measuring only, or additional functions such as determining seasonal consumption, daily consumption or consumption per irrigation run are also included. This group of devices includes, for example, the Gardena AquaCount, the Rainpoint water meter or the Orbit 56854 water flow meter.

Fixed devices installed in an irrigation computer or devices that only fit a specific computer

The Orbit B-hyve smart hose faucet timer, for example, is sold with an already integrated water flow sensor. For a surcharge of approx. 50 USD, the LinkTap G2 can be expanded with the appropriate water flow sensor. Both computers have the appropriate software with which the measurement results of the sensor can be processed or functions can be made dependent on them.

Both computers are watering computers with a magnetic valve through which the water flows built into the computer. The range of water flow meters for this type of irrigation computer is very small, and I am not aware of any sensors that can be used across manufacturers in this area.

Manufacturer-independent usable water flow sensors

Such sensors are currently only offered for irrigation computers for external solenoid valve control. In order to use them, the computer must either have a dedicated water flow sensor input or the ability to configure the sensor input as a water flow meter input, such as is the case with the Hunter Hydrawise system.

Similar to a rain sensor or soil moisture sensor, the water flow meter does not send any specific values, but only electrical impulses. Each of these impulses stands for a certain number of gallons of water that has flowed through, and based on the number of reported impulses, the irrigation computer extrapolates the amount of water that has flowed through. For example, if an impulse means 1 gallon and the sensor reported 10 impulses, then the water computer calculates a consumption of 10 gallons.

This type of sensor is also used in the professional sector and starts at around 150 USD. This type includes the Hunter HC flow sensor and the Rain Bird MJ flow sensor.

Multiple Sensors

This means sensors that cover not just one, but several areas. These include the Rain Bird WR2, previously presented under the rain sensors, and the Hunter WRF-Clik. In addition to the rain sensor, both also contain a frost sensor. They not only suspend irrigation when a certain amount of rain is exceeded, but also when the ground freezes. The same applies to the Toro Precision Soil, which combines a soil moisture sensor with a frost sensor.

The Hunter Solar Sync goes even further: It includes a rain sensor and a frost sensor, so the irrigation is suspended in frost and when a certain threshold of rain is reached. In addition, it measures the temperature and the intensity of the solar radiation and uses this to calculate the water evaporation (evapotranspiration). Based on this, the sensor reports an adjustment value to the irrigation computer once a day, based on which the irrigation computer dynamically adjusts the irrigation runs by changing the seasonal adjustment value. This means that the watering runs are shorter when it is less warm than at the hottest time of the year (= reference value). If, for example, 3 watering runs of 30 minutes each are stored, they may only be run for 25 minutes each. The sprinkling computer thus reacts automatically to the climatic conditions prevailing at different times of the year.

As an ideal scenario, Hunter recommends using the sensor together with its Hunter Soil-Clik soil moisture sensor, which, in addition to the above, would also mean that watering would be omitted completely if the soil moisture was sufficiently high.

	Hunter Solar Sync
	Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Type	Rain, Freeze and Evapotranspiration Sensor
Working principle of the sensor	Sensor sends adjustment factor to the watering computer

Various other sensors

A few other types of sensors are available on the market, which are usually not that interesting for private users in most cases:

Wind sensors
Frost sensors
Small weather stations

Wind sensors measure the wind speed and stop sprinkling if the wind speed is too high. This avoids watering areas that should not be watered due to the throwing distances, which are greatly changed by the wind.

Frost sensors have already been presented above in combination sensors. They are also sold individually and prevent watering when there is a risk of frost.

In agriculture and other professional areas, small weather stations are sometimes used in order to be able to precisely adjust the irrigation. The costs here start at a few thousand USD.

Cover image: Hunter

Der Beitrag Rain, soil moisture and other sensors erschien zuerst auf Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer.

Hunter Archive - Irrigation Blog for Do-it-yourselfer

How do you deactivate a sprinkler that is no longer needed?

Turning off sprinklers

Removing the sprinkler and closing the connector

Special case: When the sprinkler is the last one in the line

Caps/Blank Plugs

Why do you need a solenoid valve box, and what are the alternatives?

Advantages of Using a Solenoid Valve Box

Protection from Accidental Damage

Protection from Wind and Weather

Easy Access for Maintenance

Neat, visually appealing housing

What does a solenoid valve box consist of?

Pipe Connections and Connection Fittings

Solenoid Valves

Filters

Compressed air connection

Ball valve

Waterproof junction box for wiring (cable box)

How do you install a solenoid valve box?

Selecting a suitable location for the box

Dig a Hole

Fill with Gravel

Insert the box

Connect the pipeline

Test the connections for leaks

Connecting Solenoid Valves to the Irrigation Computer

Fill the hole again

What alternatives are there to the solenoid valve box?

Wall Mounting

Automatic Water Distributor

Irrigation Computers with Multiple Outputs

Should you buy a ready-made solenoid valve box or assemble it yourself?

What should you look for when buying?

Brand or no-name?

Number of Zones

Direct or alternating current

Size of the inlets and outlets

Included extras

In the test: Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinkler as a solution for watering narrow lawn strips

Introducing the Hunter MP-Rotator side strip sprinkler

Water pressure

Precipitation rate

Hunter MP-Rotator strip sprinkler in the test

To what extent are the throw distance and width accurate?

Water Flow and Precipitation Rate

Other alternatives for watering a lawn strip

Rotating strip nozzles from Rain Bird

Watering with MP800 sprinklers with a very short throw

Irrigation with a square sprinkler

Spray nozzles from Hunter and Rain Bird

In the test: Hunter Pro HC Hydrawise vs. Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with LNK WiFi module

Which models are available?

Hunter Hydrawise

Rain Bird Smart Watering

Comparison of Hunter Pro-HC with Rain Bird ESP-TM2 including WiFi module

Package contents Hunter Pro-HC

Package contents Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Putting into operation

Putting into operation of Hunter Pro-HC

Connect to the web

Download the app and connect it to the device

Putting into operation of Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Download the app and connect it to the device

Comparison hardware

Comparison software: Hunter Hydrawise vs Rain Bird Smart Watering System

Conclusion and recommendation

This is how the Hunter Hydrawise system works

Watering Triggers

Applicability of irrigation rules

Selection of programming mode

Programming the irrigation schedule

Programming the irrigation schedule in advanced mode

Add zone

Step 1: Enter basic data

Smart (ET) type

Virtual Solar Sync

Step 2 – Option 1: Define time-based irrigation schedule

Monthly adjustment

Cycle and soak phases

Comparison software:
Hunter Hydrawise vs Rain Bird Smart Watering System