Jul - 2006 Moisture monitoring
Water is one of our most precious resources, yet across most of Australia we are currently experiencing significant shortages. Melbourne's storage is sitting at only 47% of capacity and Sydney is down at about 41%, but these seem plentiful compared to many regional centres that are under 25% and locked into stage 2, 3, 4 or even 5 restrictions. Installation of automatic shutoff devices, usually rain or soil moisture sensors, on domestic, commercial & agricultural irrigation systems is becoming more and more common as people start to better appreciate the value of water and its scarcity.
Ten years ago the idea of including a rain or soil moisture sensor in a domestic application would have been considered by only a "techno-buff" who had to have all the latest gadgets or "greenie" who was extremely environmentally-focused. The technology was expensive and the supply of water wasn't an issue. Today things have changed to such and extent that some Governments (eg - Victoria) have actually made it law that sensor devices must be installed on all new automatic irrigation systems.
Rain Sensors are the most popular choice for domestic systems, largely because of their affordability and the ease of installation. Starting off at around $40 including GST, they operate by detecting moisture levels in the atmosphere and sending a shutoff signal to the irrigation controller if moisture is detected above a certain level (this usually occurs immediately before, during or after rainfall).
There are two types of rain sensors - those that wire directly to the controller and wireless versions. Although less expensive, "wired" rain sensors are usually harder to install and come with a limited length of wire. Wireless rain sensors, on the other hand, avoid the hassles of running a cable and are much easier to mount in a domestic system, for example on house guttering.
There are two types of rain sensors - those that wire directly to the controller and wireless versions. Although less expensive, "wired" rain sensors are usually harder to install and come with a limited length of wire. Wireless rain sensors, on the other hand, avoid the hassles of running a cable and are much easier to mount in a domestic system, for example on house guttering.
Soil Moisture Sensors use corrosion-resistant probes to measure soil hydration directly at the most relevant level of soil. If moisture content is high, the sensor will communicate with the controller to automatically bypass the watering cycle, essentially the same way that a rain sensor does. Soil sensors are generally regarded as the more accurate type of sensor because they are measuring moisture content right at the source of where plants and turf draw their water from, instead of atmospheric content which can, at times, be a little bit inaccurate. In the past high costs have meant soil moisture sensors have been restricted to commercial and agricultural applications; however pricing has dropped significantly since the major irrigation manufacturers have released their domestic models.
Agricultural Sensors employ similar technology to domestic soil moisture sensors but at a much higher level. These sensors can provide critical information to growers, such as how much control they have over watering on their property, whether they know if their crops are being over or under-watered, and the effects that inefficient watering can have on yield and quality. Effective agricultural water management can provide substantial savings in power, water and most importantly, time.
An example of an agricultural monitoring system is the new iNTELLiTROL® from Mait Industries. The system is fully integrated and is totally upgradeable with the ability to add moisture sensors, weather sensors and various other devices where and when they are required. iNTELLiTROL® features sophisticated data collection and controlling functions, and is able to measure and record soil moisture levels in dozens of locations every hour of the day. This system is available with a combination of cable and radio or totally wireless communication setup.
Check out the domestic controllers section of the Reece Irrigation tech specs for information on various rain sensors and soil moisture sensors that are available. Otherwise, please contact your local Reece Irrigation store with any questions you may have regarding domestic, commercial or agricultural moisture monitoring.