Introduction
The purpose of a controller is to control a set watering run time by turning the solenoids on and off at a preset schedule. Essentially, a solenoid is an electronically operated tap. I’m not going to go into too much detail here about solenoids as it is another subject for another day.
Controllers also have the functionality to be able to turn bore pumps on and off as required. The same function is able to turn a master solenoid on instead of a bore pump. Similarly, this can work for your Xmas lights or anything that requires 24V and no earth cable like most lighting circuits.
Controllers have all your standard settings like time, date, zones, programs, manual and auto run and rain sensor settings etc, etc.
The function I do want you to know about, remember and take note of is the “Seasonal Adjustment” or “Water Budget” function.
This function is designed to help save water and optimises your irrigation watering run times. It also lets you change all the station/zone run times that are set, to a certain percentage of the run time.
Eg. Your run time is set to 10 minutes at 100%. If you change the seasonal adjustment to 50%, your run time is reduced to 5 minutes. Clear as mud! Remember that this one setting adjusts ALL your station/zone run times at the same time saving you a whole lot of time and simplifying the process for most. I just want to remind you to follow your manufacturer’s instructions.
With any product there’s those functions that just should be a hidden feature or removed all together. That function is the “Program” function/button/setting. In short – Leave this one alone unless you have a commercial business or a veggie garden. Otherwise don’t touch this setting. Stick to program “A” or “1”. This WILL confuse most people and the poor controller! I’ll explain later.
What Types of controllers are there?
Controllers come in 4 main groups.
- Wifi operated controllers(most are going this way).
- 2 wire controllers not covered here – for commercial use like parks and veggie farms etc
- Standard wired controllers – being phased out.
- Wireless bluetooth controllers and tap timers
Wifi operated controllers.
Have you ever wondered how to fully automate your garden sprinkler system and run it from your phone?
You do this by using a WIFI enabled controller.
These controllers are able to link to your mobile phone and internet system as long as the controller is in range of your router which is then able to have the full automation functionality. From storing your information in the cloud to adjusting your watering run times as well as adjusting to the weather conditions in your area. The system can even detect leaks by having a flow meter installed saving you $$$ if you possibly have a leak. Touchwood!
The only drawback is that they are a few dollars more than standard controllers to install, BUT, if you want a fully automatic system, this is the way to go. At the time of writing this, these controllers are slowly getting more affordable and have more models available as the technology improves.
As these controllers store the settings and information that’s been set up in the cloud instead of on the controller, they’re able to retrieve the information if you have a power outage or forget to change your battery.
These are brilliant in other ways too. As I live in Perth, there are many FIFO workers in the state. People that want to automate their gardens often ask me how to fully automate their system. As these systems are able to detect leaks, you can “set and forget” and go on your merry way without the hassles of worrying about your garden flooding and wasting water.
These controllers have another really cool feature, (or the ones I’ve used). They are able to automatically adjust to the weather conditions in your area. They do this by connecting to weather stations in your area and adjusting the “Precipitation Rate” as required depending on a variety of conditions measured.
This is very similar to the seasonal adjustment setting that is also part of these controllers which is manually adjusted.
And this is how to fully automate your reticulation system.
Standard wired controllers
As above but are missing the wifi part. See Fig 1. Most if not all Wifi controllers are able to be used offline.
Wireless bluetooth controllers
To be perfectly honest, they’re not there yet. There’s a bit more development to be done in this area. They don’t last as long as you’d hope either.
The products they have currently work okay but can’t be wirelessly linked to solenoids yet. These are a solenoid that has a battery powered controller dumped on top of it.
Some information about controllers.
Good quality controllers, like Rain Bird and Hunter brands, have similar options to the cheaper brands. I have seen some cheap and nasty controllers last many years and many of those don’t last even a few months.
The percentage is quite high in the amount I replace compared to the Hunter and Rain Bird Brands. Their quality control is way higher but still not perfect as with any electronic device.
My recommendation is to spend your hard earned pennies on a good controller that has been proven over time.
The last controller I’d like to mention and that I’m currently testing out is from Open Sprinkler.
This controller is a wifi controller. It takes a bit to setup the wifi side. But setting all the programs are a breeze compared to other controllers. It’s all done on their app. At the moment i would recommend this controller only if you are tech savvy and have a modem that is able to do some funky techy business. So far it’s going really well. It’s turning the stations on and off as set and I have heard of one that is almost a decade old with no problems. I also have not come across anyone that’s had a problem.
If you have an Open Sprinkler system please could I ask you to provide me with some feedback here.
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