Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service HLA-6445

Smart Irrigation Technology:

Controllers and Sensors

Malarie Gotcher
Extension Associate Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Fact Sheets
are also available on our website at:
Saleh Taghvaeian http://osufacts.okstate.edu
Irrigation Extension Specialist

Justin Quetone Moss These products maximize irrigation efficiency by reduc-

Turfgrass Research and Extension ing water waste, while maintaining plant health and quality.
Incorporating smart irrigation technology in the landscape
can potentially reduce outdoor water consumption. This
Introduction technology is appropriate for small, residential landscapes as
Rainfall in Oklahoma is variable across the state and fluc- well as large, managed landscapes. The following sections
tuates by year. During dry periods, irrigation may be needed describe how each product functions and the advantages
to preserve landscape quality. Over- or under-irrigating a and disadvantages of each product. Irrigation managers and
landscape can possibly increase disease incidence, waste homeowners should be aware that smart irrigation technol-
water and decrease overall landscape condition. Irrigation ogy will need to be periodically adjusted and maintained for
system efficiency is dependent upon several factors including maximum water savings.
design, installation and specific site conditions. Water applied
to a landscape can account for a significant portion of a prop-
erty’s water use. In Oklahoma, outdoor water use accounts for Smart Irrigation Technology:
approximately 30 percent to 50 percent of household water New Controllers
use. A substantial amount of water is lost to evaporation, wind
and runoff as a consequence of improper watering methods. There is a broad spectrum of smart irrigation technology
Reducing or eliminating this loss decreases utility bills and that consumers can benefit from utilizing. Choosing the correct
creates a more water efficient, healthy landscape. technology for the situation is essential to achieve potential
Outdoor water savings can be achieved using smart water savings. Watering restrictions exist in some areas of
irrigation technologies. Smart irrigation controllers and sen- Oklahoma, so the irrigation timer may be adjusted for allowed
sors have been developed to reduce outdoor water use by watering days. Irrigation controllers can be separated into two
irrigating based on plant water need compared to traditional main categories: Climate based controllers and soil moisture
automatic system timers, which irrigate on a user-determined based controllers.
fixed schedule.This technology exists as a complete controller
Climate-Based Controllers
or as a sensor that can be added to an existing irrigation timer
to create a smart controller. Smart irrigation technology uses Climate-based controllers also referred to as evapo-
weather data or soil moisture data to determine the irrigation transpiration (ET) controllers use local weather data to adjust
need of the landscape. Smart irrigation technology includes: irrigation schedules (Figure 1). Evapotranspiration is the
combination of evaporation from the soil surface and tran-
spiration by plant materials. These climate-based controllers
gather local weather information and make irrigation run-time
adjustments so the landscape only receives the appropriate
amount of water.
There are three basic types of ET controllers:
• Signal-based controllers use meteorological data from
a publicly available source and the ET value is calculated
for a grass surface at the site. The ET data is then sent
to the controller by a wireless connection.
• Historic ET controllers use a pre-programmed water use
curve, based on historic water use in different regions.
The curve can be adjusted for temperature and solar
radiation.
• On-site weather measurement controllers use weather
data collected on-site to calculate continuous ET mea-
surements and water accordingly.

Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources • Oklahoma State University

 Figure 2. Example of a soil moisture controller.

Figure 1. Evapotranspiration based controller. Photo Typically, soil moisture sensor controllers range from $280 to
courtesy of Rainbird. $1,800. Difference in pricing depends on product manufacturer
and end user, either residential or commercial customers.
Evapotranspiration controllers have been shown to reduce
outdoor water use. In Las Vegas, Nev., homes with ET based Smart Irrigation Technology:
controllers saw an average of 20 percent irrigation reduction
compared to homes with homeowner-scheduled irrigation Add-on Sensors
(Devitt et al., 2008). Additionally, a study conducted on St. In many cases, a scheduling irrigation controller is already
Augustine turfgrass showed an average irrigation savings of in use on a property and upgrading to a smart controller is
43 percent in the summer compared to homeowner-scheduled impractical. To increase efficiency of automatic irrigation
irrigation, with no reduction in turfgrass quality (Davis et al., systems a soil moisture, rain, wind or freeze sensor can be
2009). The accuracy of ET controllers depends on the equa- added to upgrade the existing system. Some manufacturers
tion parameters. Most ET controllers cost between $250 and produce devices capable of measuring multiple environmental
$900. Professional grade ET controllers range between $900 elements using one apparatus. Many sensors are compat-
and $2,500. ible with existing systems, easy to install and produce similar
results to smart irrigation controllers. The add-on sensors are
Soil Moisture Sensor Controllers generally more affordable than smart irrigation controllers,
The second type of smart irrigation controllers includes assuming a compatible irrigation timer is already installed on
soil moisture sensor controllers (Figure 2). Instead of using site.
weather data, soil moisture sensor controllers utilize a soil
moisture sensor placed belowground in the root zone of lawns Soil Moisture Sensors
to determine water need. The soil moisture sensor estimates Soil moisture sensors can be connected to an existing
the soil volumetric water content. Volumetric water content irrigation system controller. The sensor measures the soil
represents the portion of the total volume of soil occupied moisture content in the root zone before a scheduled irrigation
by water. The controllers can be adjusted to open the valves event and bypasses the cycle if the soil moisture is above a
and start irrigation once the volumetric water content reaches specific threshold. Different types of soil moisture sensors are
a user-defined threshold. The appropriate threshold value available and the consumer should ensure system compat-
depends on soil and vegetation type and usually ranges from ibility before purchasing a sensor. Some soil moisture sensors
about 10 percent to 40 percent. Soil moisture sensors must include a soil freeze sensor that will interrupt the irrigation
be installed in a representative area of the turf; far enough from cycle if temperatures fall below 32 F. Soil moisture sensors
sprinkler heads, tree roots, sidewalks and walls (Figure 3). are available as wired or wireless systems. Typical cost for a
Similar to ET controllers, soil moisture controllers have soil moisture sensor can range from $99 to $165.
been shown to reduce irrigation, while maintaining turfgrass
quality. Compared to homeowner irrigation schedules, soil Rain and Freeze Sensors
moisture controllers had an average 72 percent irrigation sav- Although these sensors are not considered smart tech-
ings and a 34 percent water savings during drought conditions nology, rain and freeze sensors interrupt the irrigation cycle
(Cardenas-Laihacer et al., 2010; Cardenas-Laihacer et al., during a rain or freeze event when irrigation is unnecessary.
2008). In some cases, studies have shown smart controllers Watering during the rain wastes water, money and causes
will increase water use at sites that typically use less than the unnecessary runoff. Three different types of rain sensors are
theoretical irrigation requirement (Mayer and Deoreo, 2010). available and each function is based on separate concepts.

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 they need to be replaced. All of the devices should be
mounted in an open area where they will receive rainfall.

Potential water savings depends on the amount of rainfall

in any given year. During years with average to above aver-
age rainfall, water savings are more significant than during
dry years. Rain sensors have shown payback periods of less
than a year, but should be monitored for optimum performance
(Cardenas-Laihacar and Dukes, 2008).
As an example, if a homeowner’s irrigation system waters
a ¼-acre yard and applies 1 inch of water each irrigation cycle,
then each cycle applies 6,789 gallons of water. If water costs
$5.00 per 1,000 gallons, the monetary savings will be $33.95
each time the irrigation cycle is interrupted during a rainfall
event. Considering each rainfall event, the homeowner could
expect substantial water and money savings. Most wireless
rain sensors are more expensive and range from $120 to $200,
while wired rain sensors cost approximately $30 to $50.
Freeze sensors interrupt an irrigation cycle when air
temperatures fall below 32 F. Eliminating irrigation during
freezing temperatures can potentially extend irrigation system
life and prevent sidewalks and streets from icing over, caus-
ing dangerous situations. Many rain sensors include a freeze
Figure 3. Ideal locations for soil moisture sensor place- sensor and homeowners should account for sensor capability
ment. when considering price.

• The original type of rain sensor still in use today works

with a small cup or basin that collects water, once a pre- Wind Sensors
determined amount is collected, the weight of the cup Oklahoma has an average wind speed of 16 miles per
interrupts the irrigation cycle (Figure 4). Debris in the hour (mph) with wind gusts from 20 mph to 30 mph. Watering
cup can also interrupt the irrigation cycle and should be during windy conditions reduces irrigation distribution uni-
checked and cleared of litter periodically.
• The second type of rain sensor uses a dish with two
electrodes that are a specific distance from the bottom of
the cup. The distance can be adjusted to allow for small
rain events and similar to the first type of rain sensor,
debris can reduce accuracy by displacing water in the
cup. When the water reaches the electrodes, the irriga-
tion cycle is interrupted.
• The third type of rain sensor does not have a rain catch
cup, which makes it low maintenance and reliable. In-
stead, the sensor uses several disks that expand as
they get wet (Figure 5). The expanded disks trigger the
switch and interrupt the cycle. The system will resume
the scheduled cycles once the disks dry out. The disks
should be checked at least once a year to determine if

Figure 5. Rain sensor attached to a gutter (top) and the

inside of an expanding disc rain sensor (bottom). Photos
Figure 4. Rain sensor with a small basin to collect rainfall. courtesy of Hunter Industries.

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formity across the landscape and decreases the amount of
water infiltrating into the soil profile (Figure 6). Wind sensors
interrupt the irrigation cycle if wind speed exceeds a specific
threshold (Figure 7).
Smart irrigation technology may help reduce water waste,
while also providing a healthy, attractive landscape. Irrigation
system owners should provide regular maintenance and en-
sure the irrigation system is only watering the landscape when
needed. Many wind sensors are around $80 to $100 dollars
or are packaged with other sensors.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created
performance criteria for irrigation technology manufacturers
under the WaterSense program. For more information go to:
www.epa.gov/watersense/. Often, it depends on consumer
preference when deciding which irrigation controller or add-on
sensor is appropriate for the end user. Many local irrigation
distributors have smart irrigation technology available for
customers.

Figure 7. Example wind sensor for use in the landscape.

Photo courtesy of Hunter Industries.

References
Cardenas-Lailhacar, B., M. D. Dukes, and G. L. Miller. 2008.
Sensor-based automation of irrigation on bermudagrass,
during wet weather conditions. Journal of Irrigation and
Drainage Engineering. 134(2): 120-128.
Cardenas-Lailhacar, B. and M. D. Dukes. 2008. Expanding disk
rain sensor performance and potential savings. Journal
of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. 134(1):67-73.
Cardenas-Lailhacar, B., M. D. Dukes, and G. L. Miller. 2010.
Sensor-based automation of irrigation on bermudagrass,
during dry weather conditions. Journal of Irrigation and
Drainage Engineering. 136(3): 184-193.
Davis, S. L., M. D. Dukes, and G. L. Miller. 2009. Landscape
irrigation by evapotranspiration-based controllers under
dry conditions in southwest Florida. Agriculture Water
Mgmt. 96(12): 1828-1836.
Devitt, D. A., K. Carstensen, and R. L. Morris. 2008. Resi-
dential water savings associated with satellite-based ET
irrigation controllers. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage
Engineering. 134(1): 74-82.
Mayer, P.W. and Deoreo, W.B. 2010. Improving urban irrigation
Figure 6. Irrigating during windy conditions wastes water efficiency by using weather-based “smart” controllers.
and reduces system efficiency. American Water Works Association. 102(2):86.

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