Well, you have to start somewhere! 

Planning a new landscape project can be intimidating. Just like any project, it's important to set a budget, plan properly and take it in small steps. 

1. Set a budget 
2. Plan
3. Take small steps 

First things first, set a budget. 

Next, plan. This is the most tedious, time consuming and most important step. 
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Occasionally within your irrigation system you will get a zone that runs continually and will not turn off no matter what you do. This particular zone runs simultaneously with the other zones when being operated from the controller and starves water pressure, so it appears that nothing is operating properly. Even when the controller turns off, it still runs indefinitely.

The problem is most likely located in one of the solenoid valves. These valves are usually located in an underground access box outside in the yard. Before you call your irrigation service provider, you might want to take a look inside the access box. The fix could be a very simple one. All modern automatic sprinkler systems have electric solenoid valves. These valves can be operated electrically from the controller or timer, they can also be operated manually at the valve by simply turning a lever or bleeder screw.

In some cases the bleeder screw or lever may be in the open position, and it simply needs to be closed. If this is the case, simply turning the screw or lever is very easy to do and will fix the problem immediately. Congratulations! You just saved yourself a service call from your irrigation contractor.
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If the previous description didn't fix the problem, then you may have an internal valve failure or blockage. However, this can be a fairly easy repair as well if you’re interested in taking a little time to explore it further. There are many types of valves on the market, but most operate and look similar. For example, the Hunter PGV is very easy to take apart and repair with a few general tools, if it's accessible.

Follow these steps:

1. Identify the valve that is giving you trouble by locating the valve box and manually turning on one valve at a time with the bleeder screw or lever.
2. Turn off main water supply to sprinkler system after identifying the trouble valve.
3. Take a cordless drill or screw driver and locate the four bonnet bolts on the top of the valve body. Loosen all four bolts.
4. Carefully take the top of the valve body apart and visually inspect the inside of the valve body.
5. If there is debris or something inside the valve, carefully flush it out and put it back together again.
6. Slowly turn the water supply back on and verify that the zone is now turning on and off properly both manually and electrically.

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Lawn sprinkler system maintenance isn't always as complicated as it seems. As long as you have a few general tools around the house and you're willing to spend a little time and effort, you can diagnose and even fix your own problems when they arise. This will help save time and money, and you might even enjoy the sense of accomplishment that goes along with it!

When it comes to conserving water within your lawn and landscape sprinkling system, you must know the soil conditions that you are working in. Many people do not understand how soil conditions can affect the absorbency, run off and saturation of water when irrigating. Your soil type dictates how often and how long your irrigation system should run.

If run times are too long, you may loose much of your water to runoff. If run times are too, short the water may not be reaching the root zone of your plant material or turf grass.

Three main elements

• Sand
• Clay
• Silt (loam)

The combination of these three determine how your soil absorbs water and how quickly it dries out. The ratio between the three can vary not only by region, but also within your own property. For example, it's possible that your flowerbeds were built with a different mix of soil than your lawn. This may mean that different areas of your property require different watering times or schedules. We want to avoid overwatering because it will cause puddling, runoff or even erosion. Underwatering for obvious reasons is not healthy either for your plants and grass.

In addition, the weather and the type of plant material also play a part in how much water needs to be applied. Sometimes the best way to figure things out is through trial and error. In order to use your water wisely you must find the balance between these variables and adjust your watering schedule accordingly throughout the seasons.

​Call upon a local service provider for a consultation or an assessment if you need more help to determine your soil conditions and how much water is needed to keep a healthy lawn and landscape.

The topic of water conservation continues with rain sensors. I used to not recommend the installation of a rain sensor on our new sprinkler system installations. Older rain sensors were hard to wire to your controller, which made installation tricky and usually limited the location in which the sensor could be installed. They were unreliable and unpredictable and sometimes more trouble than they were worth. Now, installing a rain sensor is not even a question.

What is a rain sensor? A rain sensor will shut your sprinkler system off when it rains. In other words, saving money and water by not irrigating unnecessarily. There's nothing worse than driving down the street in the middle of a rainstorm and seeing someone's irrigation system running! A good rain sensor will prevent this.

The most popular sensors that we use now are wireless. They are made of two components: transmitter and receiver. The wireless technology allows for better placement of the transmitter, which is placed outside where it will be exposed to all the current weather conditions.

They have developed in ways that make them adjustable in the time they dry out or soak up water, more accessible for maintenance purposes, more durable so they last longer and come with longer factory warranties, and more predictable and trustworthy. They are well worth the investment.

Other advantages of a rain sensor:

• Reduces wear on the irrigation system because the system runs only when necessary.
• Reduces disease damage by eliminating unnecessary irrigation events.
• Helps protect surface and groundwater by reducing the runoff and deep percolation that carries pollutants, such as fertilizers, into storm drains and groundwater.

How much water can we save? The amount of water that you can save using rain sensors varies, but in a year with average rainfall, savings are usually substantial.

Factors involved in determining how much a sensor can reduce water usage:

• How often it rains
• Whether or not the controller is left on for automatic operation
• The amount of water applied by the system per cycle. 

If the water costs and the amount of water applied per watering cycle by the whole system are known, it is easy to calculate how much money is being saved each time the sensor interrupts the watering cycle because of rainfall.

As an example, if a system irrigates 1/2 acre of turf and is set to run each zone so that 1/2 inch of water is applied per cycle, one can calculate that 13,576 gallons are being applied over the 1/2 acre of turf per cycle. Assuming water costs $2.00/thousand gallons, the savings will be $27.15 every time the sensor eliminates an irrigation event.

​What is even more important, 13,576 gallons that would be lost to deep percolation or runoff will be saved. If this amount is multiplied by the number of substantial rainfalls that occur in the area over one growing season, a significant amount of money and water can be saved.

Don't worry, if you don't have a rain sensor or if you would like to upgrade your current sensor it can be done! Call us anytime at (440)935-1182 or email us at irrigationincorporated@gmail.com to schedule a consultation. 

The rules and regulations for irrigation systems in the state of Ohio are not as strict as those in other states such as Florida or California. Therefore, it allows for some very loose practices in the irrigation industry.

Many times it's because the contractor doesn't have the knowledge or proper training to design or install using the best practices and techniques that are suited for the project or job site. Other times the consumer isn't informed with all of the information they need to make an educated decision when choosing which sprinkling methods see best for their property. Throw in a tight budget with the previous statements and you end up with an irrigation installation with inadequate features and design flaws. These problems will leave a consumer with years of inflated water bills, overwatered or under watered areas of their lawn and an inefficient sprinkling system.

There are a few easy ways to avoid these problems from the beginning. You'll end up saving money in the long run if you just do a little research, ask your contractor the right questions, have a quality design and a few key components installed within your irrigation system. 

Smart Controllers
The controller is the main hub or brain of your sprinkler system. This is where you control the schedule that your irrigation system will operate. Over the years irrigation controllers have evolved making them more user friendly and efficient. Recently "SMART CONTROLLERS" have emerged. These use up to date information from your job site regarding current weather and geographic conditions then automatically adjusts your watering.

Savings  
Over 9 billion gallons of water per day are used outside residentially. Most of this is used for lawn and landscape irrigation - as much as 50% of this could be wasted with bad watering practices. By simply replacing a conventional residential irrigation timer with a Water Sense labeled controller every home could save around 8000 gallons of water per year. If every home in the country did this it could add up to 120 billion gallons per year or $435 million dollars in savings.

Alternatives 
Don't worry you may be in luck. If you have a controller such as the Hunter Pro-C, you don't have to replace it to take advantage of the saving capabilities. Simply add a Solar Sync sensor and turn it into a smart controller.

Call us today for a consultation at (440)935-1182.  For other ways to improve your sprinkler system and make it more efficient, follow along with our blog posts.

Water conservation is a huge topic around the world. Here, around the Great Lakes Region, we don't usually experience water shortages or extended draughts. However, this doesn't mean that we should avoid the topic. We can still do our part to help protect our most precious resource. Additionally, when watering your yard or landscape, it is not healthy to overwater anyways.

Reasons to watch the amount of water that is consumed:

• Cost: Save money on your water bill every month.
• Treatments: Water treatment is getting more expensive, especially with the amount of toxins like fertilizes and pesticides that are used theses days.
• Energy: Consider the amount of energy it takes to get the water to your home, heat water and treat water.
• Life: Every living organism on Earth needs water to survive!

There are a lot of easy ways to conserve water. We will explore more on watering your landscape in the next few articles, but first, here are some other ways to conserve around your home and business:

• Low flow faucets, shower heads and toilets: Most new residential and commercial construction implements these fixtures. Your home and business can be easily updated also with a very small investment.
• Fix leaky faucets and toilets: It may not seem like much, but it can add up. Usually the cost of fixing a leaky faucet is much less than months worth of water dripping down the drain.
• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth: This is a common one. Just think of the dollars going right down the drain while brushing, especially if several people live in your household.
• Turn down the heat setting on your hot water tank: This may not directly save water, but it will help save energy, and you may be less likely to stand in that hot shower for as long after a long day at work!
• Wash full loads: Only wash full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine. In addition, buy energy efficient appliances that have water saving features built in.

There are hundreds of creative ways to save water. Teach your family to conserve and be conscious as well. It's not only a means to save a few bucks, but it's also very important for the future of our planet. Overwatering in your landscape is a common issue that we see all of the time. Watch out for our next few articles to learn more about it!

Imagine you’ve spent hours shopping around at the local nurseries picking out the best shrubs that are perfect for your yard, and you've spent hundreds of dollars on just the right species and colors of annuals to border your flowerbeds. Your spring cleanup finally is complete and all of the new plant material is planted and mulched. You wake the next morning only to find that the deer have decimated your entire yard by eating and trampling all of your new plants and flowers. Every gardener in Northeast Ohio has been through it. It is completely heartbreaking.

Although no plan is foolproof, there are a few things that can be done to deter the deer and other wildlife from feasting on your landscape.

1. Plant deer resistant flowers and shrubs. 
Your local landscape association or nursery should be able to make several recommendations that will do well in your zone. For example in our zone, a few things to stay away from are azalea, hosta, daylily, and tulips. Better choices include chokeberry, barberries, boxwood, dogwood, or cotoneaster.

2. Spray your plant material with products that deer do not like. 
There are several commercial sprays available that will keep wildlife away. Also, homemade remedies can be made. However, if you take this route beware; sometimes the strong odors will also prevent you from enjoying you garden! Most deer stay away from scents like rotten eggs, soapy water, human hair, coyote urine, and hot pepper spray. Remember irrigation and rainwater will wash away these scents, so they may need to be reapplied often for best results.

3. Install a fence. 
In some yards or gardens, fencing can be effective. If installing a fence is best for your situation, keep a few things in mind. First, be sure to install one tall enough that deer cannot or will not jump over. Second, keep the gaps small to ensure deer cannot crawl through or under the fence. Lastly, partially burying the fence underground will also keep other rodents or animals from tunneling underground and getting to your vegetable garden.

4. Utilize noise deterrents or motion sensors. 
For example, there are motion-sensing sprinklers that can be strategically placed throughout your yard. These devices run on battery power and a constant water supply. Motion-sensing sprinklers are effective because they make a little noise when activated and deer do not like to get directly sprayed with water.
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It is likely that these methods may only work temporarily. Therefore, do not be afraid to mix it up over time. If it becomes too much work for the deer, they will stay away and move on to the next easiest meal. Finally, you can enjoy your lawn and landscape that you have worked hard for!

Have you ever wondered how you can keep mosquitos out of your yard without those nasty bug sprays? Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy summer nights on your patio without the worry of those nasty insects?

This summer you can help control mosquitos without the use of bug repellent! Read here to learn about mosquito-repelling plants.

There are many plants that repel mosquitos, however here are ten of the most common examples:

1. Ageratum
2. Basil
3. Catnip
4. Citronella
5. Clove
6. Garlic
7. Horsemint
8. Lavender
9. Marigolds
10. Rosemary

Among many other benefits of natural mosquito repellents, these plants are all non-hazardous for children and pets.

Citronella is the most common natural ingredient in most mosquito repellants. It can come in many forms such as grass, small shrubs or trees. Grasses can grow up to 5-6 inches tall and can be used as ground covers.