Waco Changes Code–Lemons or Lemonade?

Most people don't know about it yet, but the City of Waco made a change that affects just about everyone who owns a sprinkler system. Any way you look at it, it's going to add additional cost to the citizens. Bummer. This cloud, however, may have a silver lining. (The good news is at the bottom of this post.)

First, what changed?

Your yard is now classified as a "high hazard" from the folks that sell you your water. You have always had to have a backflow device as a part of your sprinkler system (to protect other folks that use water from the city), but now you must have a Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) backflow device. Because it is engineered so that it cannot fail without obvious signs, it is considered the most full-proof device--except for air-gap, and we won't get into that here.

But, I'm "grandfathered in," aren't I?

Well, sort of. You don't have to go out right now and update your system to code, but you will eventually have to. By "eventually," I mean, we cannot bring your system back into service without bringing it up to code if we do a "major repair." A "major repair" is defined by the state as any repair that opens your system's main line to the atmosphere. Obviously, that means we can't repair your existing backflow device without bringing it up to code. But, it also means we can't even repair a valve without this update.

How much, you might ask, does this cost?

I'm not quoting prices here because we need information specific to your system. We need to know what you have now and what size RPZ you need. Brace yourself, though, 'cause it's not cheap. The RPZ itself is a fairly large bronze apparatus. And, the upgrade of the backflow device isn't the only thing that is required. Your system now requires a valve that isolates the sprinkler system from the rest of your domestic water supply. You may already have this, and, if you don't, you should. A filter must be installed, too.

So, this new rule means you will eventually upgrade your sprinkler system to include a Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) backflow device, a filter and an isolation valve.

Does this sound like it's all Lemons and no Lemonade?

Now for the good part:

By upgrading to an RPZ, you can do some fun stuff with your sprinkler system you have probably wondered why it's not done all the time. Like fertilizing or getting rid of mosquitos. Injecting stuff into your sprinkler system is the perfect way to distribute anything that goes on your lawn. It couldn't be done before because your old backflow device would not adequately protect the water supply. Well, now it does!

Fertilize

Now, fertilizing is as easy as adding a water soluble fertilizer (a lot of choices--including organic) to a tank. It dispenses a very small amount of fertilizer to your system every time you water. Is that too much fertilizer? No. Our most popular system, when set at its highest output is 400 parts water to 1 part fertilizer. At it lowest setting, it is 37 times less fertilizer than that. And, because of the way it is applied, it is much, much more beneficial to the plants than throwing fertilizer granules on the ground and watering them in.

Mosquitos

Once you have a system for distributing a solution through your sprinkler system, a lot of possibilities open up. Want to cook out, but he mosquitos are carrying you away? Add some organic insect repellant, run through a short cycle and viola! you have re-occupied your back yard.

So, the painful part is updating your sprinkler system to meet the city's new code. That's the lemon. The lemonade is what you can do now that you have complied with the new code. Hello to no-work-fertilization and hello to no-mosquitoes.

We would love to give you a no-obligation Promise. (A Promise is our guaranteed, up-front price. It's not an estimate.)

You can call Drew at 254.829.3800 or email us at info@rainstat.com.

The Art of Hootness

I want to tell you about a Waco shopkeeper that is an inspiration to me and should be to all shopkeepers everywhere. Her name is Karyn and she owns a remarkable cooking shop called the Gourmet Gallery.

Now, I'm only slightly acquainted with my friend's office manager, but she and her husband have just had their first child. I asked Karyn to make up a gift basket for her. "What do you want?" A very logical question, I'll admit, but one I was completely unequipped to answer. As I said, we were only slightly acquainted. "I'll work something up."

I traveled to Gourmet Gallery to pick up the basket and deliver it to Hewitt Chiropractic, the lair for Drs. Michael and David Moore, and Rene, their now-on-maternity-leave office manager.

To me, it was a nice basket.

"Rene's been in here before," Karyn said. "I think she'll really like this. I called her office and found she's a hot chocolate connoisseur. And, I know she likes nice things."

Is this obvious to you? This Waco shopkeeper gave enough of a hoot to call my recipient's office. I think that's laudable, but, let's face it--that kind of effort could be a written requirement in some This-Is-The-Way-We-Do-It-Here manual. But she *remembered* her coming in and *remembered* the kind of stuff she likes. That's not in any manual. That's hootness.

Hootness is rare, but it's not totally absent in this town. We want and hope Rainstat's customers see hootness in us, too.

Okay, I realize blogs are largely soliloquies but, if no one but me reads this, I want to encourage myself to start looking for hootness and shouting it from the mountain tops when I find it.

And, I'd bet that basket knocks her socks off. Thanks Karyn.

What a hoot!

It's That Transition Time of Year

This is the hardest time of year to keep your sprinkler's controller up-to-date because the weather is changing. It's that time of year when a Rainstat Smart Controller does the most good and saves you the most money. Here's why:

During July and August it is HOT. Everyone knows it's going to be hot and your landscape is going to require a lot of water. Your water bill weighs a little more in your mail box during the summer and there's not a lot you can do about it. If it is 105º outside, there is going to be tremendous evaporation and your plants are going to be growing their fastest.

Likewise, when winter hits and we are dipping below the freeze mark every night, you don't need much water at all.

So, the time to install a Smart Controller in right now, during the transition time.

What is a Smart Controller, you say?

A Smart Controller replaces your present controller. The new controller "talks" to your on-site weather station so you water just enough each day. Never too little or too much. And you never have to touch it. It changes and "programs" itself daily.

We would be glad to show you one and give you an idea of what to expect. The new controller pays for itself in reducing the amount you are already spending on your water bill. And, your landscape will actually do better while saving you money.

Interested? Call me. My cell number is 254.744.1724.

Home Owners' Associations Wasting Water?

Home Owners' Associations may be wasting a lot of money on their water bill. Why? Because they are set up to be the perfect water wasting machine. Everyone in the Association pays into the the fund that pays the water bill.

The one that pays the water bill has nothing to compare to, so the bill gets paid as a "normal" expense. So the sprinkler system runs during the rain, (very bad for PR, but not that big an impact on the bill), waters the same amount whether it needs it or not, and has been shown to be watering up to 100% too much.

The HOA scenario is exactly the same as just about every sprinkler system around with one huge difference. Some Home Owners' Associations are paying tens of thousands of dollars in water bills.

A Rainstat Controller could be saving that Association from 20% to 50% of that expense. We're talking about some real money here that could be spent on other areas or used to reduce fees or offset future increases . . .

We are in the process of preparing proposals for some Waco HOAs with very aggressive pricing. We want to make a point that the old, dumb controllers need to go away. They require you to make decisions you aren't equipped to make.

Dumb controllers require you to convert your "inches of rain" thoughts into "days and minutes" actions. You have all the weather information you need--probably on your cell phone. But how on earth do you translate that into the language your dumb controller speaks?

If you do get it figured out, it goes out of date the next time the weather changes.

A Rainstat Smart Controller replaces just the water your plants use and reprograms itself every day! So it becomes impossible to waste water through over-watering or runoff.

Are you a member of a Home Owners' Association? Do you know of a Home Owners' Association that waters large areas of common area grass? Tell them to call us for a Value Proposal that reflects an actual Return on Investment. It's free.

Call Drew at 254.829.3800 or Doug at 254.744.1724 to schedule a site visit.

Is It Time to Update Your Technology?

Picture a chisel and a rock vs. a pencil.

Or, how about a more up-to-date comparison of a ledger book and a computer with accounting software. The old way still works but the new way is better (faster, cheaper . . . ).

That's the way the Rainstat controller is. Your old sprinkler controller still works, but it is obsolete. Throw it away. Quickly.

The new controller is the same forward step you took when you got a controller in the first place (instead of turning on manual valves).

Maybe I'm wrong. Let Rainstat Irrigation look at your sprinkler system. We will both know within 10 minutes if it is a good move for you.

Call now to talk to a real person (most of the time). 254.829.3800

The Inertia of "No"

This is a topic that's on my mind even though it has absolutely nothing to do with irrigation. Here goes!

"No" is almost always the right answer if the criteria for judgment of rightness is the provability of wrongness.

What?

Consider this conversation:
"Should we do this?"
"No."
"Right answer."
"How do you know "no" is the right answer?"
"If I say "yes" and you do it and it fails, you know I approved the wrong thing to do. But if I tell you not to do it, you will likely not know anything good or bad so you can't prove that not doing it was wrong." It's the inertia of "No."

Inertia is a noun. According to Apple's dictionary, it means:
1) a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged : the bureaucratic inertia of government.
2) Physics• a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.

Jesus, from the Bible, told a story about a boss giving three employees some money to manage while he was on an extended trip. Two of the men risked his money in profit-potential projects and doubled their money. One, because he was afraid of losing his boss' money, locked it in a safe place and simply returned the money that was given him. Jesus, through his storied employer, praised the two that risked his money and doubled it and condemned the man that hid it out of fear. The boss said the employee could have at least put the money in the bank and gained the interest.

Have you ever considered an alternative to this story?

The alternative story begins the same but the outcome is changed. When the boss returns, the two that risked the money in profit potential projects, lost it and the one that kept it in a safe place out of fear, returned all that the boss left to his keeping.

Would the boss condemn the two that lost it and praise the one that returned all that was entrusted to him?

Hmm.

Would you take just a minute and tell us what you think? My next post will be my thoughts on it.

Self-Serving Change In Tag Line

"The best way to repair or upgrade your sprinkler system without getting soaked." It's self-serving chest-thumping, I know. But in thinking about how we go about the relatively simple task of replacing a sprinkler head, we do it so you should NEVER have to address that head again!

Does it cost more? That depends on whether your looking at cost from the initial expense to get the job done or the cost over the life of your system. The answer is probably "yes" and "no." Yes, it probably will cost you more to have it done right as apposed to just unscrewing one head and screwing another in its place. No, when you consider that you should never ever have to address that head again.

It's the old "pay me now or pay me later" reply, but if that head has to be repaired again (because your riding lawn mower broke the riser again), you shot yourself in the foot by paying too little.

Here's the new tag line, "The best way to permanently repair or upgrade your sprinkler system without getting soaked."

Okay. I feel better now. What do you think?

Doug Saylor
Rainstat Irrigation
254.829.3800

The New Cost of a Sprinkler System-Count Your Zones

Perhaps you have just moved into a home that does not have a sprinkler system, or you're building a new home. Maybe you've read that the addition of a sprinkler system is smart, both from a resale standpoint and as a necessary convenience. So you call around to get some prices from a few companies. (In case you didn't know, Rainstat rarely installs a sprinkler system. We just repair and upgrade them.) Do you go with the lowest? How about the highest? How do you know?

The cost of a sprinkler system is normally thought of as the initial cost--the cost to get it installed. But, how much does it cost to operate? We believe you need to consider operating costs because it is inevitable that costs are going to go up. Maybe a lot.

What factors do you consider when you are trying to determine how much it costs to operate your new or existing system? The process of calculating your system's precipitation rate, a water audit, (some cities that are running out of water are requiring it. Not here, thankfully.) is more complicated than we want to go into here. It can be calculated if you know each head's flow and distance or by literally placing tuna cans all over your yard and measuring the water in the cans over a set amount of time. Call this the Left Brain approach.

Your sprinkler controller, aka "clock" or "the box on the wall," turns your sprinkler system on and turns it off. That's it. Simple. But the decision of how long it stays on for each zone is the critical factor in your operating costs. How is your system broken up into separate, distinct zones? Do you water the shady part of your yard on the same zone you water the sunny part? The shady part needs less water. Is there any way for you to let that part run less than the sunny part? If not, you have a decision to make, "Do I water log the shady part or starve the sunny part?"

These areas are called "hydrozones." And the more accurately you group similar plant materials, shade and slopes, the more efficient you can be--which normally means more is better. But here's the rub.

Your irrigation contractor wants you to have the absolute best system money can buy, but he knows you don't know how to judge that. He also wants you to choose him and knows that his competitor is also bidding this system. So he compromises. He designs your system by covering the area with as few zones as your water supply will allow. Lower price now, higher price every month after that, forever.

What's the difference in price? Easily double--or more! Will you recoup that? Yes, but it can take some time--or maybe not. That's your call.

The bottom line is this: Every new sprinkler system MUST have a scale drawing that shows each head and each zone's area. Under the new rules that went into effect in 2009 it MUST also show every major tree (shade) and hardscape (sun exposure). Look at the plans. Did the irrigator divide your zones by hydrozones? If s/he did, it is probably more expensive initially and cheaper to run.

Now you can get that calculator out and engage your left brain again. Happy calculating!

P.S. If you want to really save water, let us install our smart controller and weather station. It programs itself every day so no water is wasted. Ever.

Thanks for reading!

A Practical Epiphany

The word "epiphany" might be a bit strong.

I've always looked for that special something that would incite our customers to love us. But I realize that our job is "get your head in the game, get this sprinkler system fixed as quickly and as inexpensively as possible, and get out of these people's lives."

As it is, we repair whatever the problem is, we do it for the price that was quoted in our Promise before the work started and we place our little sticker on the controller in the hope that you will call us again. Magic huh?


My realization, my epiphany, is that we are not in the Magic Business, Disney is. Anything we "do" is ultimately just what is expected.

And that creates a subtle but profound change here at Rainstat Irrigation. We will continue to give Promises before we obligate you to pay for any work we do. We will still fix the problem if you honor us with permission to do so. We will even continue to keep our trucks clean and our employees well identified.

But I see a need to tweak something–maybe just an attitude. In an attempt to look at ourselves from your perspective, I see that we are nothing more or less than a supplier that can potentially ease your pain. If we can do that in the most pain-free way possible, we've done our job.

As I said at the beginning, our attitude needs to be "get your head in the game, get this thing fixed as quickly and as inexpensively as possible, and get out of these people's lives." We'll keep leaving our little stickers on your controller in the hope that you will call us again but the magic will be that you are able to get on with your life without worrying about dead plants, shocking water bills or whether or not we will do what we Promised.

No magic. Just an attitude. And a commitment.

Rainstat at Waco Home Show - Feb 7-8, 2009

Rainstat Irrigation will be at this year's Waco Home Show, Saturday and Sunday, February 7-8. I hope you will come by.

If you have a sprinkler system, this is an opportunity to explore the new, smart controller. Statistics show that these smart controllers save anywhere from 20% to 50% on your water bill.

Home owner's associations, hospitals, factories, and other large properties stand to gain the most from these smart controllers because the more you water, the more you will save.

The controllers are less than $1,000 installed (in most cases).

We will have two licensed irrigators there to answer your questions.

We will be drawing for four free inspection/reviews to be given away each day. Whether you win one of these smaller prizes or not, you will be placed in the big drawing at the end of the show for a free upgrade to the Rainstat controller. (Obviously, you must own an automatic sprinker system that uses the older controller. Limit of 16 zones.)

I'm looking forward to seeing you in February at Waco's Home Show!