Sprinkler Settings

[alanmcdonald]

My landscape company reset my sprinkler settings and my water bill skyrocketed.

Does anyone know the recommended time intervals for the grassy areas and the plant areas?

I know how to reset the unit, just need the timings.

Thanks!!

[Bogie Shooter]

Info here.
Water Wisdom | (http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/)

[villagetinker]

When you are working on your unit, make sure that only one (1) program is running. The Hunter units can have 3 programs (a, b, and c). I know of a case where a friend had all three programs running, and was watering the lawn multiple times per week. It appears the prior owner or landscapers had reprogrammed the until using an new program instead of the original, and did not turn off the old one.
Jim Baumgartner is excellent 352-504-2317, he found the above problem at the friends house. he has also worked at my house twice, the last time to look for a leak, found a bad sprinkler head and tuned the system.

[alanmcdonald]

Thanks!

The site is helpful (gallons/month) but I did not see the time settings for various zones.

I have checked and I have only ne program running, I just think the program has each zone on for too long.

[champion6]

My landscape company reset my sprinkler settings and my water bill skyrocketed.

Does anyone know the recommended time intervals for the grassy areas and the plant areas?

I know how to reset the unit, just need the timings.

Thanks!!The answer varies for each zone. Nozzles, rotators and rotors each dispense water at different rates. You can learn more at Irrigation Product Line | Hunter Industries (http://www.hunterindustries.com/products)

[redwitch]

A lot depends on the type of sprinkler heads. The new, water conserving rotary heads recommendation is 90 minutes, at least twice a week. Regular sprinklers is 30-40, depending on the soil. Drip systems for plants, 10 minutes. Regular sprinklers for plants, 15 minutes. Older style rotaries, 40 minutes.

Sadly, with the heat and not enough rain, many are now watering three times a week, which is frowned upon by the water company. Even so, an extremely high water bill for a month or two is much cheaper than new sod.

[peddieace]

Call Hunter who makes the control box. Be at the controller and they will walk you through the appropriate settings while you were there.

[Bogie Shooter]

Thanks!

The site is helpful (gallons/month) but I did not see the time settings for various zones.

I have checked and I have only ne program running, I just think the program has each zone on for too long.

another way to check...........


Water application measurement | UNL Water | University of Nebraska–Lincoln (http://water.unl.edu/landscapewater/measurement)

[Penguin]

I personally would like to install artificial turf. It would look great all the time and save a ton of money over the long run. No water bill and no mowing fees but I know that would never happen. Just me daydreaming again. :icon_bored:

[jimbo2012]

Just go to Utube, search Hunter anyone can program their own it is super simple.


DRF Hunter Pro-C Controller Series Programming Part 1 of 4 - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR6ec8OU1n4)


I use all their options with the 3 programs, the rule of thumb is 15-20 min for regular heads.

30-40 with rotatory.

best way is place flat tray like a jar lid and measure the amount of water 3/8" - 1/2" is plenty.

2x a week is hard to maintain a great lawn in summer heat 3x works

also 4-5 AM to keep evaporation to a min, also keeps many problems from developing.

Also the sprinklers installed in new homes have their pre=filters removed so the installers don't get call backs.

So what happens is the heads get clogged, they are next to impossible to clean out.

you have to buy new ones which come with prefilters

http://cdn3.volusion.com/7j5ob.q34uw/v/vspfiles/photos/MP3000210HT-2T.jpg?1456986476


.

[mgcsooner]

If you live below 466A you probably have a Solar Sync also. When you open your sprinkler panel, swing the hunter Pro Series out (pivots from left side) if there is a Solar Sync Module behind it--then that is further adjusting your settings.

[jimbo2012]

Also a seasonal adjustment, mine is at 120% till Sept

[Bosoxfan]

I've found something that works great for me.I water 7 times a week.Here's what I'm doing. Let'ssay I have a zone that normally would run 35 minutes twice a week. I run that zone 7 days a week for 10 minutes. I also make sure the whole cycle is done by 5:30 a.m. This gives the water time to reach the roots before evaporating in the summer sun. Before we started doing this last year my lawn looked burnt & dry .Now we're very pleased with the healthy green look . Seems like our lawn appreciates it's daily drink.

[tommy steam]

If you look inside of your electrical box you should see recommended setting for all of the seasons . If you spray head gets clogged and you can't clear it ,you can by a replacement spray at Home Depot , they should be hunter but rain bird will fit also.

[msfooter]

I've found something that works great for me.I water 7 times a week.Here's what I'm doing. Let'ssay I have a zone that normally would run 35 minutes twice a week. I run that zone 7 days a week for 10 minutes. I also make sure the whole cycle is done by 5:30 a.m. This gives the water time to reach the roots before evaporating in the summer sun. Before we started doing this last year my lawn looked burnt & dry .Now we're very pleased with the healthy green look . Seems like our lawn appreciates it's daily drink.

This would seem to be encourage shallow root development instead of the deeper development most experts advocate. Your thoughts?

[Bogie Shooter]

I've found something that works great for me.I water 7 times a week.Here's what I'm doing. Let'ssay I have a zone that normally would run 35 minutes twice a week. I run that zone 7 days a week for 10 minutes. I also make sure the whole cycle is done by 5:30 a.m. This gives the water time to reach the roots before evaporating in the summer sun. Before we started doing this last year my lawn looked burnt & dry .Now we're very pleased with the healthy green look . Seems like our lawn appreciates it's daily drink.

Any signs of fungus yet?

[buzzy]

This would seem to be encourage shallow root development instead of the deeper development most experts advocate. Your thoughts?

Maybe somewhere else in the country. But, here the roots can't even penetrate the hard-packed sand.

[Bosoxfan]

Any signs of fungus yet?

Nope

[photo1902]

Also a seasonal adjustment, mine is at 120% till Sept

And make sure you keep frequent check of your Seasonal Adjustment. It can change daily (after midnight). Many people think they're watering at 100%, only to learn it can possibly drop to 40 or 50%. To avoid the Seasonal Adjustment ever changing from what you want it to be set at, take the panel off, and disconnect the blue wire.

[kilowatt]

I turn my system off during the summer months and rely on the rain. My lawn is always green and I save a lot of money. On rare occasions I might have to turn it on manually if it hasn`t rained for a week or more. If I go away for any lenght of time, I`ll put it back on auto.

[photo1902]

I turn my system off during the summer months and rely on the rain. My lawn is always green and I save a lot of money. On rare occasions I might have to turn it on manually if it hasn`t rained for a week or more. If I go away for any lenght of time, I`ll put it back on auto.

Up until a couple of days ago, what rain? Also, what type of magic grass do you have that stays green despite the heat and lack of rain?

[RickeyD]

I turn my system off during the summer months and rely on the rain. My lawn is always green and I save a lot of money. On rare occasions I might have to turn it on manually if it hasn`t rained for a week or more. If I go away for any lenght of time, I`ll put it back on auto.



Send pics !

[jimbo2012]

yes pics

hard to believe without sprinklers

I had one sprinkler head clog up, that area was brown quick

[kilowatt]

I have St. Augustine grass, I`ll post a pic

[kilowatt]

This is it, I`ve watered once in the last month61434

[Larrykins]

My landscape company reset my sprinkler settings and my water bill skyrocketed.

Does anyone know the recommended time intervals for the grassy areas and the plant areas?

I know how to reset the unit, just need the timings.

Thanks!!
No one setting is good for everyone. My own experience has revealed that about 30 minutes per section seems reasonable about two times per week (less or even none at all during the rainy season)

[retiredguy123]

Home Depot and Lowes do not sell Hunter heads, but ACE Hardware does.

[jeriteri]

My landscape company reset my sprinkler settings and my water bill skyrocketed.

Does anyone know the recommended time intervals for the grassy areas and the plant areas?

I know how to reset the unit, just need the timings.

Thanks!!

Just asking, why wouldn't you have your landscape co. come back and do it right?

[TheMoyers]

One reponse was correct, it depends on the head types. It also depends on what soil is under the sod; each lot is a bit different. I went to clemson Univ's ag site and read zoysia grass here needs 1 and 1/2 inches of water a week. Take the time to set out a plastic container and run your sprinklers to see how much depth you get in the time you run. Then buy a $4 rain gauge and check what Mother nature gives us, and add more if needed. Since I did this I have cut my irrigation water tremendously. It's definitely worth the time.

[jimbo2012]

agree that is the best way

[Chatbrat]

Joe Tucker set up our sprinklers and removed the blue wire ,too--best grass in the neighborhood

[2BNTV]

Jim Baumgartner is excellent 352-504-2317. I would call and get an expert opinion on what is best for you and your lawn.

I have the best lawn in my neighborhood since Jim has been taking care of my sprinkler system!!!

It's worth the low fee he charges. He is reasonable and honest!

[OhioBuckeye]

My landscape company reset my sprinkler settings and my water bill skyrocketed.

Does anyone know the recommended time intervals for the grassy areas and the plant areas?

I know how to reset the unit, just need the timings.

Thanks!!

Glad the Villages put this subject out here for us to learn a little bit about our irrigation issues so we could see what kind of problems that are out there. As far as the company setting you control box & costing you money, well, that's not very good advertisement for them. My timings are all set on 20 mins. & I have 4 different ones. It would be interesting to see what they did to your control box to have you using more water. Water is expensive enough down here & they keep telling me fresh water is a sacred source of resource. Sorry, I really didn't answer your question exactly like you wanted, but glad you spoke up, thanks! :$::$:

[OhioBuckeye]

My landscape company reset my sprinkler settings and my water bill skyrocketed.

Does anyone know the recommended time intervals for the grassy areas and the plant areas?

I know how to reset the unit, just need the timings.

Thanks!!

ALANMCDONALD, I forgot you can call the Hunter company & they'll walk you through it on the phone. (no charge) I've had a couple of issues & Hunter explains everything very easy to follow. They also told me to do something that I didn't really need, it saved me a little money & I did notice the less money on my utility bill. :$:

[dewilson58]

This is it, I`ve watered once in the last month61434

WAIT.................that's my yard.


Hmmmm

[OhioBuckeye]

Joe Tucker set up our sprinklers and removed the blue wire ,too--best grass in the neighborhood

Sorry Chatbrat, what about the blue wire, what does it do? I'm interested in anything I can learn about my irrigation system.

[Larrygreen1948]

Changed all my settings to just 10 min. 4 or 5 am . Anything more just seems to be a waste. Les water more times a week and it is the same use. New plants should be done with your hose.

[jimbo2012]

New plants should be done with your hose.

You may want to be mindful that if you don't have a water filter like a whole house filter that hose water has chlorine :mad:

?

[laryb]

Sorry Chatbrat, what about the blue wire, what does it do? I'm interested in anything I can learn about my irrigation system.
The blue wire disables the seasonal adjustment. You set the percentage and it stays there. I just removed my Hunter and replaced it with a Rachio controller. It's controlled by wi-fi with your smart phone or computer. Links up to an official weather station or personnel one, and adjusts watering by past, present or future forecasts, or lets you decide manually. Sends me text alerts when ever it waters, the time and amounts. Also, you can run 1 zone at a time thru your phone to test your nozzles.
And, Pooh and Mike.........it works with Alexa!

[jimbo2012]

adjusts watering by past, present or future forecasts,

your outdoor sensor does the similar thing, no?

[laryb]

your outdoor sensor does the similar thing, no?
No. If the forecast calls for rain after you water, your sensor will still water (waters at 3am, and rains at 6am, while Rachio won't water, and send you a notification. If the forecast is wrong, you can still water manually. It's capable of setting multiple schedules, with or without weather intelligence or other features, and you can use compatible rain sensors. A couple of nights ago, it notified me that it skipped a scheduled watering because of soil conditions, but I wanted to water anyway, so I just added a watering the next night. You can download a demo app for your smartphone and see how the app works.

[Grill Meister]

I have zoysa grass and I want to lay down 1 1/2" and I do this only once a week. To determine how long to run the system to put down 1 1/2 inches, I placed several glass jars around the area and determined how many minutes are needed to give the lawn 1 1/2 inches. Mine came to 90 minutes. It's important that the water gets down to the roots of the grass, so I run my system in 2 passes. I allow the first pass to soak down to the roots rather than have run-off.

On channel A is run the timer for 45 minutes....I have several zones of grass so each zone will get the 45 minutes. Then I repeat the same amount of time on channel B.

For my landscaping and flower beds, I will run those zones a total of 30 minutes......15 minutes on channel A and 15 minutes on channel B.

[jimbo2012]

And the cost?

return on that investment?

[laryb]

$199 on Amazon for the 8 zones, 16 zones will be higher. As far as return on investment goes, won't know until I get my next water bill, but at $199, I wasn't worrying about return on investment, it was purely a matter of convenience (or laziness, you choose), but I think I'm going to see less usage. I also like the remote feature so I can adjust the heads without running back and forth to the garage, and when I had a new sensor installed a few months ago, it was going to be around $130 to install a remote, so for an extra $70, I got the remote that not only works by smart phone, I can actuate it by voice with Amazon Echo. So, I when I think about it, I guess I'm happy with my return on investment, but I'm not saying it's for everyone. You probably have to be some what computer literate to use it. By the way, I bought your filter and love it, but I bought it 'cause I wanted it, and thought it would work, but never considered the investment factor.

[dewilson58]

$199 on Amazon for the 8 zones, 16 zones will be higher. As far as return on investment goes, won't know until I get my next water bill, but at $199, I wasn't worrying about return on investment, it was purely a matter of convenience (or laziness, you choose), but I think I'm going to see less usage. I also like the remote feature so I can adjust the heads without running back and forth to the garage, and when I had a new sensor installed a few months ago, it was going to be around $130 to install a remote, so for an extra $70, I got the remote that not only works by smart phone, I can actuate it by voice with Amazon Echo. So, I when I think about it, I guess I'm happy with my return on investment, but I'm not saying it's for everyone. You probably have to be some what computer literate to use it. By the way, I bought your filter and love it, but I bought it 'cause I wanted it, and thought it would work, but never considered the investment factor.


Can you turn on a zone remotely to get someone out of your yard???

:loco:

[laryb]

Can you turn on a zone remotely to get someone out of your yard???

:loco:Yup....Did it to my friend

[jimbo2012]

that' funny:wave:

[CindyNah1]

I had the same issue. my water bill increased $75 and I have a small lot

I am now setting 2 x a week for 20 min in the front where I have a large shade tree. ( I keep an eye on it and so far so good)
my back is west sun and no trees. I do 40 min there 2 x a week
my sides i do 15 min 2 x a week. i turn it off if we have lots of rain. but water if only sprinkles between waterings. I agree better to use the water than resod the lawn

[lesser160@aol.com]

The general rule of thumb is 1 inch of water on each zone 2 times a week. The easiest way to check for 1 inch of water is to take a tuna fish can (opened and empty) and place in each zone. The can is 1 inch high.

[dewilson58]

The general rule of thumb is 1 inch of water on each zone 2 times a week. The easiest way to check for 1 inch of water is to take a tuna fish can (opened and empty) and place in each zone. The can is 1 inch high.

Love your tuna can concept. Just in case..........."Open side up."


:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Gordon82]

I have zoysa grass and I want to lay down 1 1/2" and I do this only once a week. To determine how long to run the system to put down 1 1/2 inches, I placed several glass jars around the area and determined how many minutes are needed to give the lawn 1 1/2 inches. Mine came to 90 minutes. It's important that the water gets down to the roots of the grass, so I run my system in 2 passes. I allow the first pass to soak down to the roots rather than have run-off.

On channel A is run the timer for 45 minutes....I have several zones of grass so each zone will get the 45 minutes. Then I repeat the same amount of time on channel B.

For my landscaping and flower beds, I will run those zones a total of 30 minutes......15 minutes on channel A and 15 minutes on channel B.

What you are doing will work, but you can accomplish the same thing by just setting a second start time on the same program (or "channel" as you call them). As long as you are running the same stations the same amount of time, using a second program is not necessary. Additional programs are only needed if you want to water some stations more often than others (e.g. shrubs twice a week and lawn 3 times a week), or if you want to deep water twice a week and syringe (running a station just a couple of minutes to cool the plant material down - not water it) twice a week on different days.

[SoHumble]

This whole issue of how much to water in Central Florida can be a bit confusing. I saw one watering regiment from the University of Florida (Lawn Care and Irrigation- Living Green - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - Extension- University of Florida (http://livinggreen.ifas.ufl.edu/water/lawn_care_and_irrigation.html)) that recommended a different watering time for each month of the year. Another University of Florida publication (ENH9/LH025: Watering Your Florida Lawn (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh025)) recommends watering to a depth of 8" and watering less often as the temperatures moderate (I like this suggestion). It is very important that both St Augustine and Zoysia grasses get watered less often in the fall to prevent fungal disease problems.

[JoMar]

Lot location is also important. Corner lots require more, ifyou are along a major road, even more since moving traffic causes wind which dries out the grass. I used to water based on cost, now I water based on how I want the yard to look (it took almost a year of different ladscapers and irrigation guys telling me I wasn't watering enough....can you say stubborn?). The plants and palm trees have been in over a year and we water them for 10 minutes in the cycle. You need to know how the plants you have handle water....you can over water plants. June, July, August and September get watered 3 times a week. Net 45 minutes for the grass, net 10 minutes for the plants.

[ajbrown]

The general rule of thumb is 1 inch of water on each zone 2 times a week. The easiest way to check for 1 inch of water is to take a tuna fish can (opened and empty) and place in each zone. The can is 1 inch high.

I have 8 tuna cans in the garage that I use to test if I have any areas that do not get coverage :thumbup:

FL is different than places I have lived before. The sun is so hot that the plant dries in a matter of days. I think this is why BoSoxFan see better results.

I am not even close to an expert. My main goal is to balance the color of the grass and how much I have to pay 'the man' for the stinky water (south of 466). Last summer I barely had to water with the summer rains

[RickeyD]

And make sure you keep frequent check of your Seasonal Adjustment. It can change daily (after midnight). Many people think they're watering at 100%, only to learn it can possibly drop to 40 or 50%. To avoid the Seasonal Adjustment ever changing from what you want it to be set at, take the panel off, and disconnect the blue wire.



Which terminal is the "blue" wire ? Not every tech follows a local color code.

[Gordon82]

Which terminal is the "blue" wire ? Not every tech follows a local color code.

I think it said "REM" on mine. Once I disconnected that, the seasonal percentage stopped being adjusted, but the sensor would still keep the system from running in the event of rain.

[RickeyD]

I think it said "REM" on mine. Once I disconnected that, the seasonal percentage stopped being adjusted, but the sensor would still keep the system from running in the event of rain.



Yep, blue on REM. Thanks !

[RickeyD]

Found this...note "green" button controllers


PRO-C - UNINSTALLING A SOLAR SYNC SENSOR

If a Solar Sync sensor has been installed on the Pro-C controller then the seasonal adjust value used by the controller will be calculated from the weather data supplied by the Solar Sync sensor. If it is decided that the Solar Sync sensor will no longer be used with the Pro-C controller, it must be uninstalled.

If the Solar Sync sensor is not uninstalled, the controller will not allow the seasonal adjust value to be manually changed. For example, if the seasonal adjust value shown on the controller was 50% when the Solar Sync sensor was removed, it will remain 50% until the Solar Sync sensor is uninstalled.

To uninstall the Solar Sync sensor, simply disconnect the green and black wires from the controller terminal and then turn the dial to the SOLAR SYNC position. The display should show dashes, indicating that the controller no longer recognizes the Solar Sync sensor for calculation of seasonal adjustment. Now the seasonal adjust value can be changed manually by turning the knob to the “Seasonal Adjust” position and using the or button to adjust the value. After uninstalling the Solar Sync sensor, reinstall a jumper plate (or wire) on the sensor terminals or move the sensor switch on the controller up to the Bypass Position.

On the older model Pro-C controller (green buttons) remove the blue wire from the REM terminal to disable the seasonal adjustment feature of the Solar Sync. The Rain and Freeze sensor will still be active.