Irrigation controller maintenance used to mean that a contractor had to spend hours systematically working through clients\u2019 properties, fixing small problems as they came up.<\/p>\n
Now, as smart irrigation controllers are more connected than ever, that information is going straight to the contractor. But as controllers get smarter, they\u2019re also gaining new ways to gather and analyze the data they\u2019re collecting. <\/a><\/p>\n From a homeowner perspective, more clients are looking for controllers with wireless or online capabilities, says Anthony Long, product manager at Hunter Industries Inc. of San Marcos, California.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing the transition away from the dial controller I used to have on my wall that I never touched, to an automatic controller that I can talk to via my phone,\u201d Long says.<\/p>\n Having the ability to connect via smart device makes clients more prone to interact with their overall water usage, he says. They\u2019re more inclined to make small adjustments to the program because it\u2019s convenient on their phones.<\/p>\n A controller that\u2019s operated via Bluetooth or wireless capabilities makes maintenance more straightforward, says Mike Merlesena, national commercial sales manager for Dig Corp., of Vista, California.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople like it because they don\u2019t have to go into the valve box,\u201d Merlesena says. \u201cThey can have the full screen pulled up on their smart device. It makes programming a lot easier.\u201d<\/p>\n Connected devices collect more information that can be used to narrow down issues with a system, Long says. Monitoring the electrical current can point to a solenoid or broken wire, for example.<\/p>\n Wireless technology can also help in troubleshooting, says A.J. van de Ven, president of Calsense, based in Carlsbad, California. If a system\u2019s not acting correctly, a contractor can connect using a separate controller to test it without having to worry about dealing with wiring. That can give the contractor a head start in identifying if the problem is with the controller or the device itself.<\/p>\n The main thing Long sees in new trends is a drive for more automatic responses based on collected data such as weather, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cThey want to look at the local weather that they\u2019re experiencing at their house, and they want that to influence and change the program,\u201d he says. \u201cThey want to have the ability to do it manually, but what they really want is for the controller to handle itself.\u201d<\/p>\n Weather data analysis is most helpful when it\u2019s predictive, says Richard Restuccia, vice president of water management solutions at Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., in Fresno, California.<\/p>\n \u201cI can water today based on what\u2019s happened yesterday and the day before and the week before, but what is equally important is what\u2019s going to happen tomorrow. Why would I irrigate today if it\u2019s going to rain tomorrow?\u201d Restuccia says.<\/p>\n Predictive analysis will be a feature that more controller manufacturers will be focusing on, he says.<\/p>\n Besides customers being too busy to worry about the day-to-day changes of the irrigation system, data from water districts show that homeowners aren\u2019t usually very efficient at it, Long says. Being able to manage irrigation both remotely and automatically makes most properties much more water-efficient.<\/p>\n The development of data analytics has also opened the door for irrigation professionals to do work that\u2019s more personalized to individual customers and to use data trends to diagnose problems more quickly for clients, says van de Ven.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that we\u2019re seeing more of is using that data and extrapolating, for example, your property\u2019s data with 100 properties around you in a couple-mile radius,\u201d van de Ven says. \u201cAnd seeing that information presented to the user or contractor in a way they can actually use.\u201d<\/p>\n Increased connectivity and improved data analytics provide an opportunity to develop real-time evapotranspiration scheduling programs rather than just using past data, says Restuccia.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a big difference in the accuracy of the water that you\u2019ll apply and the water savings between historical and real-time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Price is a good starting point for consideration, says Merlesena, but the most important thing to consider is how easy the system is to use and teach to a client.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to look at how user-friendly the controller is from a logic standpoint,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Another point that comes into play is how well a controller allows a contractor to manage irrigation without having to be directly on-site, says van de Ven. It should also have the capability to add more functionality later if necessary.<\/p>\n Beyond that, the company\u2019s support behind the product will make a huge difference throughout the life of the product, Merlesena says. Talk to your distributor and discuss which controller might be the best fit for the application you have in mind. Doing your own research through trusted professional connections and online resources can help as well.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s helpful for monitors to gather information remotely, consider what would be most useful to you and your client, says Long. Once the data is determined, make certain that it can be gathered in a way that is actually understandable and useful. As you incorporate smart controllers into your offerings, make sure you have team members on staff that are trained to use them correctly.<\/p>\n \u201cAll this information that\u2019s being managed should be easily accessible by people in your office,\u201d he says. \u201cMake sure you\u2019ve got the tools to use them in the office.\u201d<\/p>\n That information should then be able to be packaged in a way that shows a client the benefits of working with an irrigation professional or the need for system upgrades, says Restuccia.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re using a push notification, a weekly email out to users that says, this is the amount of water you use, this is how your system is working,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to raise the level of the conversation and bring the meaningful information so they can discuss this in an intelligent way.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s connected controllers make irrigation easier and more efficient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3404,"parent":0,"template":"","main-categories":[27],"class_list":["post-3403","features","type-features","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","main-categories-irrigation"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u2028<\/p>\nGetting connected<\/h2>\n
Digging into data<\/h2>\n
Choosing controllers<\/h2>\n
\n\u2028<\/p>\nThis article originally appeared in Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.<\/em><\/h6>\n
Kyle Brown<\/strong><\/a> is editor-in-chief of Irrigation & Green Industry magazine and can be reached at kylebrown@irrigation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"