Are Smart Sprinklers Worth It?

Keeping a beautiful lawn is something many American homeowners dream about. Not only do they dream about it, they spend a lot of time and money trying to make it a reality. After all, why invest tens of thousands of dollars in home improvements and renovations if your lawn is going to be an eyesore that detracts from your curb appeal, and takes away from your enjoyment of the home and its surroundings?

In the past, people would use enormous amounts of water to keep their grass lush and green. But in 2017 and beyond, environmental stewardship and conservation efforts are more important than ever. Homeowners who love to maintain a beautiful lawn must therefore find new, more intelligent ways to keep their grass looking green and healthy.

Sprinklers that run on timers were big news when they first hit the market, but even that technology has become outdated—and for one very simple reason. They’re difficult to control, time-consuming, and they don’t give you valuable information on how much water you’ve used or which areas of the grass need more water.

Fortunately, modern technology has already given us the answer. Smart sprinklers are the future of lawn care for the discerning and intelligent homeowner. To find out why, let’s take a look at what smart sprinkler systems (e.g. Rachio, which is compatible with Nest home automation systems) can offer today.

Like other home automation devices, smart sprinklers are controlled through wifi and bluetooth technology. Depending on how many sprinklers you need to control, you’ll install ultra-compact and modern controllers to your sprinkler lines. Setup is relatively easy, but may be more effective with the help of a home automation professional.

Once installed, the real fun begins. Of course you can turn any of your sprinklers on or off from anywhere in the world using your favorite mobile device. But this is only the half of it. Smart sprinkler systems also give you detailed reports on water usage, which is especially important for people who live in areas that experience periodic drought. They also offer any number of smart programs to help you manage your lawncare more effectively and consciously. Imagine having software that divide your lawn into a number of different areas and tell you which areas need to be watered in which areas have already been watered, and when. This takes the guesswork out of watering your lawn, or your gardens and flower beds. It stores all the information in one place so that you can see exactly where the water needs to go.

This system can also learn about your local environment and levels of sun exposure in different areas of your property. This allows it to calculate more accurate and efficient watering patterns.

Going on vacation? Not a problem. Simply program your sprinklers to run at predetermined times, or run them comfort of your Caribbean hammock. Smart sprinklers are truly one of the most exciting home automation developments today, especially for those homeowners who take a special pride in maintaining an immaculate, green, lush yard while being more responsible about water usage.