It’s finally here, you can control your irrigation system from a phone or PC!
Much like your home’s thermostat or security system can be operated from a phone or PC – we offer a controller for your irrigation system that will provide that same level of convenience. There are several manufacturers that offer this type of system, and we have carefully reviewed each of them before ultimately deciding on Hunter Hydrawise.
In addition to the convenience that these systems provide, they can also offer water saving by automatically adjusting the watering schedule based on anticipated weather events. For example, we can setup an automatic adjustment that will decrease the watering schedule by 50% if the forecasted high for that day does not reach 75°.
Also, if you add a flow meter to this system, you can track the water usage and receive alerts in the event of a leak. The installation of a flow meter can be a little tricky on existing systems, as we typically must install wiring from the flow meter (usually installed near the backflow prevention device) all the way back to the irrigation controller. However, we expect that soon the manufacturers will offer a wireless flow meter.
- For new system installations, we strongly encourage customers to install Hunter Hydrawise along with the flow meter during the initial install – as we will have the ability to install the wiring along with the piping during the installation of your new system. For all new system installations that we provide an estimate for we offer the option to upgrade from a standard controller to Hunter Hydrawise.
- For upgrading existing systems to Hunter Hydrawise, we only recommend installing the flow meter if its location does not require trenching (to install the wiring) through existing lawn/landscaped areas. For example, if your backflow prevention device is located close to the street it would be difficult to install wiring for flow meter. However, for customers with backflow prevention devices near the home’s foundation or even in the crawlspace, it would be relatively easy to get the wiring back to the controller.
Other benefits include not having to leave access to your garage or utility room in order for Richmond Irrigation to adjust your irrigation system’s controller – as the service tech will be able to remote access your system from his/her mobile device (provided you grant Richmond Irrigation permission through the app!)