Irrigation Water Bill

[mixsonci]

OK, Hoping one of you can help me figure this out or where to go for help.
I got my Utilities bill and it jumped to over $400 this month. $200 is for the Irrigation base which is usually only about $20. I called the utilities customer service and they told me it is a true reading. I had Massey come out and inspect my system and there are no leaks and all my sprinklers are working fine. The system is set on 2 days a week, 25 minutes each zone (4 zones) and only set on Program A, Program B is off. Massey could not figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions? I called Jim Baumgartner who is coming out on Wednesday, but if Massey couldn't find anything and they checked really carefully, I doubt Jim will have any better luck.

[outlaw]

How many gallons did your bill indicate was used? A zone will have up to 6 rotator heads with about 3 gallons per minute nozzles, 75 gallons per rotator per 25 minutes cycle, 150 gallons per week per rotator, 600 gallons per month times 24 rotators equals 14,400 gallons of water.

[tuccillo]

I am just guessing here. Your $200 for water would equate to about 50,000 gallons of water. That is a lot of water. Go outside and check your irrigation water meter to see if it is moving. Assuming you don't have a leak, you could have a bad meter. Mine was taken out by lightning last year. Call the utilities and ask them to come out and check your meter.

OK, Hoping one of you can help me figure this out or where to go for help.
I got my Utilities bill and it jumped to over $400 this month. $200 is for the Irrigation base which is usually only about $20. I called the utilities customer service and they told me it is a true reading. I had Massey come out and inspect my system and there are no leaks and all my sprinklers are working fine. The system is set on 2 days a week, 25 minutes each zone (4 zones) and only set on Program A, Program B is off. Massey could not figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions? I called Jim Baumgartner who is coming out on Wednesday, but if Massey couldn't find anything and they checked really carefully, I doubt Jim will have any better luck.

[Walter123]

OK, Hoping one of you can help me figure this out or where to go for help.
I got my Utilities bill and it jumped to over $400 this month. $200 is for the Irrigation base which is usually only about $20. I called the utilities customer service and they told me it is a true reading. I had Massey come out and inspect my system and there are no leaks and all my sprinklers are working fine. The system is set on 2 days a week, 25 minutes each zone (4 zones) and only set on Program A, Program B is off. Massey could not figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions? I called Jim Baumgartner who is coming out on Wednesday, but if Massey couldn't find anything and they checked really carefully, I doubt Jim will have any better luck.

Sounds like you have covered all of the bases. You mentioned program A and B, I also have a program C. One other thing, when the magnetic pick ups (so the meter readers don't have to open the cover to read the meter) were installed at my place they had to manually enter the last reading which they did incorrectly. You might want to see if this coincides with the large bill.
Please let us know how this turns out.

[rjm1cc]

Just guesses.
Turn off sprinkler system. Then turn on when you want to water. I would check the meter for gallons used for each zone.
With the sprinkler system off check your meter each hour and see how much water you are using. You can relate this to usage.
The meter might be able to measure in 1/10 gallon increments. If it can you should be able to tell if you have a leak in a few minutes. If you do have a leak turn off the hot water feed to the house and that will tell you if the problem is on the hot or cold (toilets) side of the plumbing.
I would guess the problem has to be in the meter. I would start a log of meter reading. Each hour log your usage. Add some comments on use - did dishes, took shower etc.
Some meters require light to activate the meter dial. Shine a flashlight on the dial even during the day.

You should also be able to turn off the water to the house and leave the sprinkler on. If the meter is moving you have a leak in the sprinkler.

Please let us know what you learn.

[tuccillo]

I am guessing he is in a new section with separate meters for the house and irrigation.

Just guesses.
Turn off sprinkler system. Then turn on when you want to water. I would check the meter for gallons used for each zone.
With the sprinkler system off check your meter each hour and see how much water you are using. You can relate this to usage.
The meter might be able to measure in 1/10 gallon increments. If it can you should be able to tell if you have a leak in a few minutes. If you do have a leak turn off the hot water feed to the house and that will tell you if the problem is on the hot or cold (toilets) side of the plumbing.
I would guess the problem has to be in the meter. I would start a log of meter reading. Each hour log your usage. Add some comments on use - did dishes, took shower etc.
Some meters require light to activate the meter dial. Shine a flashlight on the dial even during the day.

You should also be able to turn off the water to the house and leave the sprinkler on. If the meter is moving you have a leak in the sprinkler.

Please let us know what you learn.

[mixsonci]

I am in the new section with separate irrigation and house water. Only the irrigation bill is high. I'll have them come out and check the meter and then see if Jim B can figure it out. I don't know how to read/check the meter. Massey checked the Program and there was only A and B

[PennBF]

We had a problem this month with the water charge. It was higher than normal for the month and when I inquired they said they would send someone out to check and the only change was they did install a new meter this month. They
did send someone out who said it was OK and so we had the irrigation watering schedule checked today and will see if there is still a problem. It is questionable they installed a new meter and we had an out of normal charge. :shrug:

[Abby10]

Our place is in one of the newer sections and our irrigation water bill was higher than normal this month also. Massey was just out last month to do their regular check on our irrigation system and said there were no problems. I was planning to wait another month to see what happens with the next bill until I saw this thread. Now not sure what to do. We are currently not down there.

[billethkid]

You can talk to the customer service people at the water company and with a little information like size of house, how many people, bath rooms, etc......and how many zones for irrigation, how many times per week they can give you a rough idea what water useage can be.

It all varies depending on residential set up.

Look for leaks. You will be surprised how a small leak can have major impact on useage....house or irrigation.

I have found the water company to be most helpful in verifying the meter and supply are sound and functioning properly. They will also advise how to determine if there is a leak...not where but if there is. The tecjh who comes to check the meter is most knowledgeable and helpful.

[Phanatic Luvr]

I am in the new section with separate irrigation and house water. Only the irrigation bill is high. I'll have them come out and check the meter and then see if Jim B can figure it out. I don't know how to read/check the meter. Massey checked the Program and there was only A and B

Your meter is outside, on the front lawn somewhere, in the black box. Lift it up after turning your irrigation to off and see if the meter is turning.

[mulligan]

Your meter is outside, on the front lawn somewhere, in the black box. Lift it up after turning your irrigation to off and see if the meter is turning.

Your irrigation meter is in a purple box on the opposite side of your lot from the domestic water meter. There should be 2 meters in the box. 1 for your system, and 1 for your next door neighbor.

[Newbeginnings]

Jim B. will figure it out, I have had Massey, the utility department all out a year ago and they scratched there heads and couldn't find anything. Jim came out and replaced some heads that were leaking, checked everything, made adjustments and bill went back down. You did the right thing in calling him.

[gjbl8114]

Something to consider. Remember those of us who live south of 466A have very different irrigation controls. These new systems water outside of your programmed periods as detected by this new system. I too had an irrigation/excessive water use issue shortly after moving to this new area . KB services came out to check the system and couldn't find an issues so I ended up calling the company in California who make the irrigation system. I was told that these systems were not designed for tropical areas such as Florida, but rather for places like Arizona. I was told how to disconnect wiring within the box to prevent the auto watering system from engaging. Once this was done, I was able to set my programming for specific days and times without any additional watering being automatically done. So this may be something you might want to check out.

[Villager Joyce]

Has Jim been rhere yet? Interested in what he found.

[rubicon]

OP do you have a Program C? If you have no leaks, then your system is running more than what you originally programmed it to do 2 days a week

[Walter123]

OP do you have a Program C? If you have no leaks, then your system is running more than what you originally programmed it to do 2 days a week

No, the OP already stated that he didn't have a program C, that's what I thought too.

I just purchased a Rachio wi-fi sprinkler controller. It's doesn't have any controls and you program it with your phone. You can control it from anywhere as long as you have internet. It also monitors the actual weather forecast and adjusts accordingly. I'm installing it tomorrow. Looks like a piece of cake.

[Abby10]

OK, Hoping one of you can help me figure this out or where to go for help.
I got my Utilities bill and it jumped to over $400 this month. $200 is for the Irrigation base which is usually only about $20. I called the utilities customer service and they told me it is a true reading. I had Massey come out and inspect my system and there are no leaks and all my sprinklers are working fine. The system is set on 2 days a week, 25 minutes each zone (4 zones) and only set on Program A, Program B is off. Massey could not figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions? I called Jim Baumgartner who is coming out on Wednesday, but if Massey couldn't find anything and they checked really carefully, I doubt Jim will have any better luck.

Please do respond back with what you find out as I may want to give Jim a call myself, and maybe others will as well. Thanks for raising this issue. So many great responses to your post too. Lots of "on the ball" people in TV and such a great forum to share these ideas and thoughts!

[mixsonci]

So far I have no news to report. Jim comes on Wednesday, I'll let you know what happens after that. I found out I do have a Program C, but I checked and it is OFF also. Only A is On. My system has been working fine for 3 years now, this is the first month I have had this problem and as I said, Massey couldn't find anything wrong. Hopefully, Jim can figure it out. My bill says "14,001 Gals & Up @ $5.03/Thousand" and the charge was $180.32. All the other bills have nothing over 7,000 Gals

[TV MAN]

No, the OP already stated that he didn't have a program C, that's what I thought too.

I just purchased a Rachio wi-fi sprinkler controller. It's doesn't have any controls and you program it with your phone. You can control it from anywhere as long as you have internet. It also monitors the actual weather forecast and adjusts accordingly. I'm installing it tomorrow. Looks like a piece of cake.

Yes I did the same thing about a year ago. Since I thought my water billing for irrigation system was higher than norm.
Installed the unit myself and noticed immediate savings. I'm guessing 10yr old hunter was starting to fail.
Nice now to be able to look at usage in real time and have a log to.:BigApplause:

[Walter123]

Yes I did the same thing about a year ago. Since I thought my water billing for irrigation system was higher than norm.
Installed the unit myself and noticed immediate savings. I'm guessing 10yr old hunter was starting to fail.
Nice now to be able to look at usage in real time and have a log to.:BigApplause:

I installed my Rachio wi-fi controller yesterday. Got it from Amazon for $129. Very easy to install and it performed well last night. It can handle 8 zones and none of that program A, B and C nonsense. The controller even sent me an email to inform me that it watered last night. pretty cool!

[outlaw]

I installed my Rachio wi-fi controller yesterday. Got it from Amazon for $129. Very easy to install and it performed well last night. It can handle 8 zones and none of that program A, B and C nonsense. The controller even sent me an email to inform me that it watered last night. pretty cool!

The cheapest I saw was $175.

[Walter123]

The cheapest I saw was $175.

It was offered for $129 as a "Deal Of The Day" item a couple of days ago. Knowing what I know now about the unit, I would pay the $175.

[Walter123]

I just connected my Rachio controller to my Amazon Echo (Alexa), now I can control my sprinklers with voice commands. For instance I can say "Alexa tell Rachio to start zone 1 for XX minutes". To stop it I say "Alexa, tell Rachio to stop watering".

Next is a wi-fi thermostat. I already have most lights and fans connected.

[graciegirl]

I just connected my Rachio controller to my Amazon Echo (Alexa), now I can control my sprinklers with voice commands. For instance I can say "Alexa tell Rachio to start zone 1 for XX minutes". To stop it I say "Alexa, tell Rachio to stop watering".

Next is a wi-fi thermostat. I already have most lights and fans connected.





Pretty soon folks won't need a wife.

[Phanatic Luvr]

Your irrigation meter is in a purple box on the opposite side of your lot from the domestic water meter. There should be 2 meters in the box. 1 for your system, and 1 for your next door neighbor.

Mulligan - I beg to differ with you. Your irrigation controls are in the purple box, on the side of your home, each home has their own individual ones. Depending on how many zones you have, there could be two purple boxes. The meter however, is in a black box with two small purple round disc on top in the front lawn area. That is on the opposite side than your potable water meter and is shared with your neighbor.

[rjm1cc]

Check the start times of your zones. If you have the cycle set to start at 1:00am and then have the same cycle set to start at 1:30am some controllers will run through the first cycle, lets say it ends at 3:00am and then run the second cycle for another 2 hours. Thus you might be watering twice when you think it is only once.

[Jima64]

Pretty soon folks won't need a wife.

Sorry but I like my hello and goodbye smoothches.

[dirtbanker]

Pretty soon folks won't need a wife.

There is always the emotional needs...and for us youngins there is the physical needs...But, the word "Wife" might become a thing of the past as the 1% prefer "partner".

Thank you to the other posters for the sharing the info about the wifi sprinkler controller - I guess not everything new or different is bad!

To the OP - I had a couple months of high water bill, turned out my Hunter controller had somehow been programed to water twice a day twice a week (nobody touched it!). Look for dollar weed in your lawn as that is often a result of over watering.

[TV MAN]

I just connected my Rachio controller to my Amazon Echo (Alexa), now I can control my sprinklers with voice commands. For instance I can say "Alexa tell Rachio to start zone 1 for XX minutes". To stop it I say "Alexa, tell Rachio to stop watering".

Next is a wi-fi thermostat. I already have most lights and fans connected.

Hi Walter , I will need to try that with my echo as well. But I do have a suggestion on thermostat. I had just installed an ecobee and it works great and that I do have integrated with my echo. You should check it out. It gives a lot of flexibility and has nice logging features.

TV Man :wave:

[photo1902]

I just connected my Rachio controller to my Amazon Echo (Alexa), now I can control my sprinklers with voice commands. For instance I can say "Alexa tell Rachio to start zone 1 for XX minutes". To stop it I say "Alexa, tell Rachio to stop watering".

Next is a wi-fi thermostat. I already have most lights and fans connected.

Why not just turn the Hunter off, and then use manual mode when you want to run a sprinkler cycle. Much less expensive rather than replacing it.

[Walter123]

Hi Walter , I will need to try that with my echo as well. But I do have a suggestion on thermostat. I had just installed an ecobee and it works great and that I do have integrated with my echo. You should check it out. It gives a lot of flexibility and has nice logging features.

TV Man :wave:

Thanks, I'll check that out.

[Walter123]

Why not just turn the Hunter off, and then use manual mode when you want to run a sprinkler cycle. Much less expensive rather than replacing it.

Because it's COOL! :cool:

[dbussone]

Because it's COOL! :cool:



It sure sounds it. Was it a difficult process to install it? I'm not what you would call a skilled handy man![emoji106]

[Barefoot]

Why not just turn the Hunter off, and then use manual mode when you want to run a sprinkler cycle. Much less expensive rather than replacing it.

Because it's COOL! :cool:

Good reply.:thumbup:
Also, many of us travel in the summer and need a programmable system.

Thanks for the great information on Rachio. Not sure what to buy though.
2nd Generation Rachio advertised for $245 on Amazon. 1st generation seems to run around $175.

[photo1902]

Good reply.:thumbup:
Also, many of us travel in the summer and need a programmable system.
Thanks for the great information on Rachio.
2nd Generation Rachio advertised for $245 on Amazon, or is it OK to buy 1st generation?

The Hunter is a programmable system. And, depending on where you live, the newer control is much more capable and doesn't have the old cork float rain gauge. No doubt though, the system Walter has is way cool!!!

[Walter123]

It sure sounds it. Was it a difficult process to install it? I'm not what you would call a skilled handy man![emoji106]

Very easy to install. search you tube for Rachio 1st generation.

[Walter123]

Good reply.:thumbup:
Also, many of us travel in the summer and need a programmable system.

Thanks for the great information on Rachio. Not sure what to buy though.
2nd Generation Rachio advertised for $245 on Amazon. 1st generation seems to run around $175.

I'm pretty sure that the major difference between 1st and 2nd generation is the number of zones.......8 vs 16. I think the same app is used for both.

[Walter123]

The Hunter is a programmable system. And, depending on where you live, the newer control is much more capable and doesn't have the old cork float rain gauge. No doubt though, the system Walter has is way cool!!!

What you say is true but the Rachio controller does a whole, whole lot more. I'm a techie so I love to (try) and keep up with technology.

[CFrance]

Pretty soon folks won't need a wife.
Let's see Alexa put out Thanksgiving dinner!

[photo1902]

What you say is true but the Rachio controller does a whole, whole lot more. I'm a techie so I love to (try) and keep up with technology.

Me too, and I'd not heard of that system until you mentioned it. I am currently checking it out!

[WhoDat]

Mulligan - I beg to differ with you. Your irrigation controls are in the purple box, on the side of your home, each home has their own individual ones. Depending on how many zones you have, there could be two purple boxes. The meter however, is in a black box with two small purple round disc on top in the front lawn area. That is on the opposite side than your potable water meter and is shared with your neighbor.

The meter is in a separate box from the controls, on the front lawn with a purple cover.

[sarlosc]

The same exact thing happened to me last month. Insist that they send someone to physically check the reading. Turns out there was a problem with the water reading equipment. Saved me $241!!!

[willbush]

If you have the water sensor on, put it on bypass (bypass the sensor). I have done this with several neighbors when their sprinklers started running for 50 mins instead of 20 mins. The sensors often fails (most are faulty). Most on our street have it on bypass due to the many problems. I disconnected mine because it was tied to zone 5 and it want bad and if it fails then that zone won't work. Good luck.

[mistamick]

If you live south of 466a, the newest irrigation systems are equipped with a feature called "seasonable adjustment." It adjusts your watering times for each zone every day at midnight. Depending on the weather conditions, it will increase or decrease the watering times, regardless of how you had set it. This is distinct from the rain sensor. If this feature isn't set up properly it can increase watering times significantly. Check your box to see if you have this feature. If so, call the water district and have them come out to adjust it and explain it to you.
My niece owns a home in Collier and her water usage jumped to 18000 gallons from 4000 last month. Neighbors on her block were also affected.

[OhioBuckeye]

OK, Hoping one of you can help me figure this out or where to go for help.
I got my Utilities bill and it jumped to over $400 this month. $200 is for the Irrigation base which is usually only about $20. I called the utilities customer service and they told me it is a true reading. I had Massey come out and inspect my system and there are no leaks and all my sprinklers are working fine. The system is set on 2 days a week, 25 minutes each zone (4 zones) and only set on Program A, Program B is off. Massey could not figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions? I called Jim Baumgartner who is coming out on Wednesday, but if Massey couldn't find anything and they checked really carefully, I doubt Jim will have any better luck.
Oh my gosh, that's basicly junk water. I really feel for you, that's an asinine response from the utilities company & you would think since Massey said it was alright the utiility company would be sending their best inspector out to check this out for you pronto. Well I can tell you one thing if it were me there's no way I would be paying anywhere near that much, I would be MOVING OUT OF THE VILLAGES! Really, water is very expensive the way it is. For one thing I don't understand why & I know everyone in The Villages has this problem. I bet everyone that lives here has to waste over a gal. of water everytime they want to get hot water. MIXSONCI, if this is going to be a ongoing bill because the Utility company doesnt' think it's their problem. I would tell the warranty dept. "I'm out of here". Or you can bite the bullet & see if it's going to be an ongoing issue. Good luck MIXSONCI & I do feel for you!:rant-rave:

[cfhelz45]

How many gallons did your bill indicate was used? A zone will have up to 6 rotator heads with about 3 gallons per minute nozzles, 75 gallons per rotator per 25 minutes cycle, 150 gallons per week per rotator, 600 gallons per month times 24 rotators equals 14,400 gallons of water.
I arrived here 10/22/15. My water was off. I received a bill for 10,000 gallons. After 6 weeks they determined the meter was misread. I received a refund. This was water in my home not irrigation.

[atmcgov]

Dear Villager,
We are new to the Villages this past year. We too have had an enormous bill without any warning. Most utility companies will post a note at your door or contact you if they see a dramatic increase. After we CONTACTED THEM...We met them and they read the meter again. The reading was off but not to explain the issue. We have spoken with our neighbors and this has happened to them as well periodically. It seems to be a repetitive theme. We had our irrigation checked, the pipes...nothing explains why we received such a bill. The previous owners had to have the front yard dug up. It appears this is more than an isolated incident.

[Walter123]

If you have the water sensor on, put it on bypass (bypass the sensor). I have done this with several neighbors when their sprinklers started running for 50 mins instead of 20 mins. The sensors often fails (most are faulty). Most on our street have it on bypass due to the many problems. I disconnected mine because it was tied to zone 5 and it want bad and if it fails then that zone won't work. Good luck.

That doesn't really make sense to me. When the sensor is working correctly it completes the circuit. When it fails or, it detects rain, the circuit opens thereby shutting down the system. If it fails and the circuit stays closed, the system will run the same as you programmed it. When you run in bypass mode, the circuit is closed regardless of what the sensor thinks so the system will run as it is programmed.

[Peddler3500]

I received a call from water dept regarding an unusual amt of water being used. Turns out there was a puncture in the line caused by a tree I cant remove. Meter showed more than 40,000 gallons used and my bill was less than yours. Truly makes no sense.

[raynitsche]

With all this I have a question. I had my system to water one day at 4AM for 30 minutes at each of six zones. Just had Jim B here this weekend and he set for three times at 30 minutes each due to dry season. What do you set at? Plus I thought all my heads were good. Jim showed me how wrong I was. Great guy and a pleasure to deal with but walks and works at 20 MPH. HE'll find your problem.

[THUNDERCHIEF]

how many gallons did your bill indicate was used? A zone will have up to 6 rotator heads with about 3 gallons per minute nozzles, 75 gallons per rotator per 25 minutes cycle, 150 gallons per week per rotator, 600 gallons per month times 24 rotators equals 14,400 gallons of water.

my system is set for 12 minutes/ twice per week now, when it gets real warm i go to 12 minutes 3 times per week. Our lawn is beautiful. You are watering way too much at 25 minutes. Also i disconnected the wire that automatically increases your watering time settings. I control how long to water. My rain sensor is still connected. Cut back your minutes to 12 or 15 at the most. We also water at 2 oclock in the morning.
Good luck

[Phanatic Luvr]

With all this I have a question. I had my system to water one day at 4AM for 30 minutes at each of six zones. Just had Jim B here this weekend and he set for three times at 30 minutes each due to dry season. What do you set at? Plus I thought all my heads were good. Jim showed me how wrong I was. Great guy and a pleasure to deal with but walks and works at 20 MPH. HE'll find your problem.

Not sure what type of home you have and how many zones but general rule of thumb is ... plants 15 minutes, lawn sprays 30 minutes and rotors 50 minutes, 2 times per week. If there are dry conditions, I usually set mine at 3 times per week but reduce the times a bit. With that said, some homes which are very close may not need their sides and backs on for 30 minutes if their neighbors water reaches their yards as well. Every homesite is different.

[photo1902]

my system is set for 12 minutes/ twice per week now, when it gets real warm i go to 12 minutes 3 times per week. Our lawn is beautiful. You are watering way too much at 25 minutes. Also i disconnected the wire that automatically increases your watering time settings. I control how long to water. My rain sensor is still connected. Cut back your minutes to 12 or 15 at the most. We also water at 2 oclock in the morning.
Good luck

It all depends on the size of your lot. Bigger lots require a rotor setting of 40 minutes, twice a week during the dry hot spells.

[Chasam75]

OK, Hoping one of you can help me figure this out or where to go for help.
I got my Utilities bill and it jumped to over $400 this month. $200 is for the Irrigation base which is usually only about $20. I called the utilities customer service and they told me it is a true reading. I had Massey come out and inspect my system and there are no leaks and all my sprinklers are working fine. The system is set on 2 days a week, 25 minutes each zone (4 zones) and only set on Program A, Program B is off. Massey could not figure out what the problem is. Any suggestions? I called Jim Baumgartner who is coming out on Wednesday, but if Massey couldn't find anything and they checked really carefully, I doubt Jim will have any better luck.

I would recommend that you check with your Irrigation System Manufacturer to determine how much water you should be using based on your number of zones and heads per zone, plus your run time per day and week. I know that I can calculate what our water consumption should be by making some calculations so that when we are back up north, I know approximately how many gallons of water we should be using - i.e., 3 zones x 20 mins. per zone x 2 times per week x 9 gals. per minute and 4.33 weeks in a month. For us, that equates to approximately 4,680 gals. per month just for our Irrigation System. But talk to your Manufacturer or go on-line to do so, and make sure you don't have any water leaks too!

[mixsonci]

OK, I think I found the problem, but don't know how to fix it, hopefully Jim can on Wednesday. RJM and Dirtbanker you are closest to the problem.
I set my sprinklers Zone 1 to go on at 6:30 for 40 min, I set zone 2 to go on at 7:00 for 25 minutes, however Zone 2 wowuldn't start until Zone 1 finished its 40 min run. Zone 2 then came on and went through its full 25 min cycle. The other 2 zones followed suit and all 4 zones finished their cycles with no problem. I watch each cycle and everything was working with no problem, However, when Zone 4 finished, Zone 1 started the cycle all over again. At that point, I turned the system off. BTW, only Program A is set to on, B and C are off.

[rjm1cc]

I think you only need a start time for zone 1. The other start times should be removed. When zone one comes on the others will follow as long as they are in program A.

Thanks for letting us know. I think your problem is very common so this should help a lot of new owners.

[Steve & Deanna]

We had the same problem last year and to top it off, we were up north at the time. The person that does our lawn mentioned nothing and the person that watches our house said nothing and attempted to reset the irrigation system (Hunter). Also, the person I contacted at VCDD could have cared less but someone was sent out to check the meter....twice. Our back yard, according to a neighbor, was flooded at times. We ended up having five sprinkler heads replaced and the system re programmed. That ended our problem.

[linda125]

Hi,
Just my two cents!
Living in the old section we had a similar problem with high water usage while we were away for the winter that was not discovered for two months.
Turns out it was the result of 3 foot piece of grey pipe that was overlooked and not replaced.
Just a small leak but you can probably guess the result.

From this thread it sounds like it could be a bum water meter thing or even a missing head damaged by grass cutting.
I hope that's all.
Good luck.

[mixsonci]

The problem was I had each Zone set for a different time, when I should have only had Zone 1 set for a start time. So basically, my sprinklers were making 4 complete cycles every time, probably running somewhere around 6 hours both days. Since I had them set for 1:00 a.m. I never noticed it.

[Gordon82]

The problem was I had each Zone set for a different time, when I should have only had Zone 1 set for a start time. So basically, my sprinklers were making 4 complete cycles every time, probably running somewhere around 6 hours both days. Since I had them set for 1:00 a.m. I never noticed it.

The start times aren't for zones, they are for an entire cycle. When a cycle is started, you go through each zone that has time for that day sequentially. You can have up to 4 start times in a given program (A, B, or C). The purpose of multiple start times is to allow you to give the lawn time to soak in the water and reduce runoff. If you determine you need 30 minutes to get the amount of water you need on a particular zone, set the run time to 15 minutes and have two start times (or 10 minutes and 3 start times). Space the start times so that the ground can absorb the water.

What I do is set program A for my lawn (zones 2, 3, 4, and 5) and have 2 start times (3am and 5am), 2 days a week. I set program B for my shrubs (zone 1) and have 2 start times (6:15am and 6:45am) three times a week.

[CWGUY]

The start times aren't for zones, they are for an entire cycle. When a cycle is started, you go through each zone that has time for that day sequentially. You can have up to 4 start times in a given program (A, B, or C). The purpose of multiple start times is to allow you to give the lawn time to soak in the water and reduce runoff. If you determine you need 30 minutes to get the amount of water you need on a particular zone, set the run time to 15 minutes and have two start times (or 10 minutes and 3 start times). Space the start times so that the ground can absorb the water.

What I do is set program A for my lawn (zones 2, 3, 4, and 5) and have 2 start times (3am and 5am), 2 days a week. I set program B for my shrubs (zone 1) and have 2 start times (6:15am and 6:45am) three times a week.


:read: CDD 1-11 Irrigation Schedule | Water Wisdom (http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/cdd-1-10-irrigation-schedule/)

No one is allowed to water more than twice a week. Several people have said they water 3 times a week. :confused:

[mulligan]

:read: CDD 1-11 Irrigation Schedule | Water Wisdom (http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/cdd-1-10-irrigation-schedule/)

No one is allowed to water more than twice a week. Several people have said they water 3 times a week. :confused:

And who is it that will tell me I'm watering too often ??

[CFrance]

And who is it that will tell me I'm watering too often ??
You will get a notice on your water bill based upon your usage. We did when we had to water more frequently after installing landscaping.

[mulligan]

It appears if you are willing to pay higher rates for more usage, you can use all you want. SWFWMD can have a serious conversation about usage when they stop selling half a million gallons a day out from under us . Until that day, ...........

[Warren Kiefer]

I am in the new section with separate irrigation and house water. Only the irrigation bill is high. I'll have them come out and check the meter and then see if Jim B can figure it out. I don't know how to read/check the meter. Massey checked the Program and there was only A and B

LET ME SHARE MY SITUATION WITH ALL READERS. I live where there is no reclaimed water available. 60% of the water I use goes to irrigation of my lawn and shrubs. It distresses me that my sewer bill also increases by that 60% when in fact NONE of that 60% flows into the sewer system.

[mulligan]

Have you ever asked about putting in another meter ??

[JerryLBell]

In the last two months, my water (and amenities) bill jumped to $300 and then to $350. Ouch. My yard is pretty bloody small. It's 6,000 square feet, but when you take out the house (1,900 square feet), the lanai, the garage and the driveway, I figure it has to drop to less than half that. So divide the 30,000 gallons the water bill claims the house used for irrigation by the 3,000 or so square feet of actual watered yard and that's about 10 gallons per square foot for just last month. That works out to 16 inches of water. Somehow I think that's a bit much. Since I'm not yet retired and don't live in that house, I've got our property management company checking to see if the irrigation has been set to something crazy by the renters (which I kind of doubt as they're a great couple from south Florida and probably know a LOT more about irrigation systems than I do). I also call the water company to come check the meter, which they didn't seem all that interested in doing. They pointed out that the water use was the same a year ago. Well, a year ago the house had just been finished and they were putting in sod and probably watering like crazy. That shouldn't be the case anymore. Hopefully the water usage (real or otherwise) will come down for the next bill. Ideally, it's a meter error and I'll get a refund. And in a perfect world, I'll also win the lottery. Hey, shoot for the stars!

[applesoffh]

I am in the new section with separate irrigation and house water. Only the irrigation bill is high. I'll have them come out and check the meter and then see if Jim B can figure it out. I don't know how to read/check the meter. Massey checked the Program and there was only A and B

I'm also south of 466A and the irrigation bill makes me sick every month. I only water once per week now, and it still bothers the heck out of me that we pay so much for non-potable water used to water the lawn and garden. We re-did our landscaping last fall for more drought tolerant plantings, but the lawn is insatiable, even though it's Zyosia. You are not alone!

[dbussone]

In the last two months, my water (and amenities) bill jumped to $300 and then to $350. Ouch. My yard is pretty bloody small. It's 6,000 square feet, but when you take out the house (1,900 square feet), the lanai, the garage and the driveway, I figure it has to drop to less than half that. So divide the 30,000 gallons the water bill claims the house used for irrigation by the 3,000 or so square feet of actual watered yard and that's about 10 gallons per square foot for just last month. That works out to 16 inches of water. Somehow I think that's a bit much. Since I'm not yet retired and don't live in that house, I've got our property management company checking to see if the irrigation has been set to something crazy by the renters (which I kind of doubt as they're a great couple from south Florida and probably know a LOT more about irrigation systems than I do). I also call the water company to come check the meter, which they didn't seem all that interested in doing. They pointed out that the water use was the same a year ago. Well, a year ago the house had just been finished and they were putting in sod and probably watering like crazy. That shouldn't be the case anymore. Hopefully the water usage (real or otherwise) will come down for the next bill. Ideally, it's a meter error and I'll get a refund. And in a perfect world, I'll also win the lottery. Hey, shoot for the stars!



We had a significant bill for the first year we moved in. When we added landscaping we found out that a 3/4 inch diameter feed line had been buried but not capped. Our bill was more than cut in half when that was corrected. We live in a corner lot and now use about 19,000 gallons per month - and the water department still complains about that.

[Gordon82]

:read: CDD 1-11 Irrigation Schedule | Water Wisdom (http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/cdd-1-10-irrigation-schedule/)

No one is allowed to water more than twice a week. Several people have said they water 3 times a week. :confused:

I water my shrubs 3 different days a week for a total of 6 minutes each time. Relax.