It's Something Like a Traffic Accident

We had gotten off to a later start than intended so, when I saw the emergency lights ahead of us on I35, I groaned inside.  We were doing some work for a WalMart in Austin and we’re always conscious of the time because it takes a while to get there and get back. 

As it turned out, there was an accident but it was on the other side of the interstate.  A truck had completely blocked traffic and cars were backed up as far as we could see.  I was ashamed of myself for thinking I was glad it was “them” and not “us.”  We headed along our merry way for several minutes when I realized the traffic was still stopped.  It had been MILES.  Finally, we came to the end of the pack with new cars just now having to break to a halt.  

Because of my vantage point, I could see something they couldn’t.   Something inside me wanted to jump out of the car and yell, “Stop!  Get off the road!  Go eat, shop, ANYTHING!  You are going to be stopped here for HOURS if you don’t do something now!”

I didn’t, of course.

We continued down the road thinking about those poor travelers and how fortunate we were to not have been involved.  

It may seem to be an obtuse shift, but can we talk about water?  I believe we are in the same place as those unfortunate travelers.  By that, I mean there are already conditions in place that mask themselves now but will become imminently clear later.  

Think about it.  We have no less water now than we did on the day of Creation.  The issue is location, timing and purity.   This blog isn’t the forum to inform you on details, but I would hope you will be enlightened enough to start paying attention to how you use and waste water.  

We know a substantial portion of the water you use is outside (some say 70%).  So, if you are going to have a real impact on your water use, it probably isn’t going to be with a low-flow shower head--although that helps, too.  

That’s why we have a mission her at Rainstat Irrigation.  We want you to use all the water you need, and not a drop more.

We want to help you become a conservation hero while saving you money on your water bill.  Our Smart Controller for your sprinkler system saves anywhere from 20% to 50% on your water bill.  

Please call me.  My cell number is 254/744-1724.  You may be surprised at what you can do.  And if we all do our little part . . . 

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

Autopilot vs. Throttle Lock

I'm no pilot. I know a few and they love Autopilot--especially on long trips. These sophisticated devices keep the plane on a strait and level path at a constant speed. The pilot can sit back and literally read a book with the confidence that the Autopilot is taking care of the plane at least as well as s/he could.

Now consider a simple throttle lock. All it does is keep the engine's speed constant. Sit back and read a book with a throttle lock and it will likely be your last. It will keep your engine speed (not necessarily your plane's speed) constant as it flies you right into the ground. That's precisely the difference between your present sprinkler controller and a Rainstat Controller.

So, in the parlance of Generation Twenty-Something, your *ancient* controller is dead on with the throttle lock. You set it and it repeats your last instruction from now until you intervene. It changeth not. It can't. And it wastes a lot of water because it cannot react to weather conditions. In the process, it "flies" your wallet right into the ground.

Not so with your Rainstat Controller. Like the Autopilot, it reacts to every subtle weather change and corrects itself so your landscape gets just enough to thrive. This used to cost tens of thousands of dollars. You can get one installed for $995.

A Rainstat Controller and Weather Station is the best way to put your sprinkler system on Autopilot.(sm) Please call 829.3800 now to scedule a free on-site analysis of your sprinkler system.

Thanks for reading.








Doug

September, The Foothills of Winter

September is when the weather breaks. Usually. It's a "transitional period" sprinkler-wise. And, it's one of the most water-wasting times for sprinkler system owners and managers because it is still summer and summer schedules seem to be sticky.

Here's the averages you need to start with: The average rainfall for Waco in September is 3". The need for water as expressed in the evapotranspiration (ET) rate is 5.7". So you need to replace 2.7 inches for the month. The reality of it though is the 2.7" needs to be weighted toward the first half of the month when, like today, Labor Day, it is supposed to be in the upper 90s.

So, if you don't yet have a Rainstat Controller (it makes your adjustments for exact water savings every day), please pay attention to your sprinkler's schedule and make the transitional adjustments.

Specifically, I'd stay with my August need of 5.7" until we start seeing some high temperatures in the mid 80s with cool nights. Then I'd drop the schedule to 25% of the August run-times.

Is all this Greek? Call me at 254.829.3800. It all has to do with conserving water (and saving you money) while keeping your landscape vibrant and healthy. The Rainstat Controller is a "Green" or "Smart" controller. It's like a thermostat for your yard.(sm)

Thanks for reading,
Doug

More help on our web site

The Rainstat Controller and Weather Station solves the problem of scheduling your sprinkler system for water savings and a beautiful landscape. But what if you don't want to spend $1k to avail yourself of this new device?

Answer: Program your controller to cooperate with the weather. You may have discovered that your weather man talks about "inches of rain" while your controller talks about "minutes of run-time." What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Please stay tuned. We are in the process of writing a free white paper on programing your controller correctly and continuously in conjunction with a redesign of our web site.

More later . . .

If you don't want to jump through these hoops, get a Rainstat Controller. It's like a thermostat for your yard.

Links To Other Water Management Sites

This University of Florida site talks about the best use of a traditional controller and rain sensor to corral your sprinkler system and your water bill. The problem is a rain sensor is only an interrupter. It still depends on you programming your controller to react to changing weather.

This North Carolina site touts a program that attempts to inform you so you can do a better job of programming your controller.

"Through a cooperative effort between the NC State University Department of Crop Science and the State Climate Office of North Carolina, an internet-based decision-aide called the Turf Irrigation Management System (TIMS) has been developed and is now available to the citizens of North Carolina."

Again, it still counts on you being the reactor to weather changes.

Populare Mechanics has an excellent article that surveys the different methods of using weather stations to program your controller. The systems that are controlled by a computer have been around for a while and are still quite expensive. This article also discusses the remote weather station that hooks up to your controller via satellite with a subscription service. The last option is the one that makes the most sense to us--an on-site weather station that programs your controller every day. They talk about one that we could recommend if it weren't so expensive. The weather station alone consists of two modules--each costing $450! You would still have to buy the controller, install it and program it's initial settings.

The more I read, the more excited I get about the Rainstat Controller and Weather Station. If you have questions, please call us at 254.829.3800.