Is it Time to Update Your Irrigation System?
Not even your irrigation system can last forever, over time you’ll need to eventually replace it. For example, if your watering system was installed a number of years ago or have changed your lawn’s layout, your system may not be functioning at full capacity, like it should. Your system could also be wasting water which could put a serious dent in your water bills. To help avoid these kinds of problems, follow our guide below to learn when you should upgrade irrigation system.
How To Decide When to Upgrade
Most watering systems that are at least five years old should be upgraded or at least inspected by a reputable landscape company in Monterey or Santa Cruz County. With new technologies on the rise, you may want to take advantage of new upgrades that are available to you. Below, are the most common signs that you should upgrade your system:
- You increased your lawn area
- You added a new lawn feature that can cause drainage
- You recently added a new garden
- You have noticed dead spots in your lawn
- You recently replaced old plants with new ones that require different watering restrictions
- Your lawn has become infested with fungi or insects
- Your water bill is too high
- You added a new lawn feature that can cause drainage
- You recently added a new garden
- You have noticed dead spots in your lawn
- You recently replaced old plants with new ones that require different watering restrictions
- Your lawn has become infested with fungi or insects
- Your water bill is too high
What Upgrades Should You Make?
There are plenty of upgrades at your disposal to outfit your system with, such as soil monitor sensors, rain shut-off devices, and smart controllers. Soil monitor sensors can help prevent you from over watering your lawn by measuring the current moisture level in your yard. Rain shutoff devices can help turn off your system when it’s raining outside to prevent over watering. Smart controllers help decide when and how much to water your yard with weather sensors planted in your lawn. The sensors also measure humidity, precipitation, wind, and UV radiation to determine how much water to give your lawn as well.
Upgrading your system does not need to be a long or costly process. You may be able to see huge benefits from smaller upgrades like:
- Optimizing spray head location for water efficiency
- Replacing old and worn out heads and nozzles
- Finding and fixing small leaks
- Installation of new heads or nozzles that provide something different like a height, spray pattern, or style
- Replacing old and worn out heads and nozzles
- Finding and fixing small leaks
- Installation of new heads or nozzles that provide something different like a height, spray pattern, or style
- Section off different zones with unique watering needs
Contact a landscape company in Santa Cruz County to determine what fixes are best for your project. Learn more on why you should be investing in your landscape - click here to learn more.
What are the Benefits of an Upgrade?
Upgrading your current watering system can make your lawn more sustainable and cut down on major water costs. Plus, having a smart controller can help your yard think for itself. For example, the controller can easily be programmed for different watering days or the different soil types your lawn may have. It can even save up to 70 percent of water usage. In addition, soil monitor sensors can save you an additional 40 percent off your water bill, according to recent studies. Even though the upgrade may be expensive, it can pay back for itself in less than a year.
How Much Does it Cost to Upgrade Your Watering System?
Maybe your current irrigation system works alright? Do you really want to spend the hundreds of dollars to upgrade it?
Even though an upgrade may be costly, ranging up to $700, the amount you get back is priceless for the years to come. However, pricing wise, you have to take into account that labor costs can range up to $500. Plus, soil monitor sensors can cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000. Before purchasing an upgrade, make sure that you can make the financial commitment to your sprinkler system.
How Can You Save Money?
Upgrading your sprinklers can save you quite a bit of money on your bills, but there are also ways you can save on installation. Fortunately, you can save yourself quite a lot from water rebates from your local utility company. Another way to save money is to have it set up on its own water meter. This way, a landscape company in Santa Cruz County can give you a more precise quote for your commercial landscape design and installation.
Currently, you can get rebates when purchasing qualifying devices when there is funding available. Even though it may not cover the entire price, it can leave you saving hundreds of dollars overall. Below is a list of a few qualifying devices you can use a rebate for:
- Sprinkler Controller
- Lawn Replacement
- Greywater
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Drip Irrigation
- Submeter
- Downspout Redirect
- Hot Water Recirculation System
- Pressure Reducing Valve
- Impervious Hardscape Replacement
- Greywater
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Drip Irrigation
- Submeter
- Downspout Redirect
- Hot Water Recirculation System
- Pressure Reducing Valve
- Impervious Hardscape Replacement
Maintaining Your Irrigation System
To upgrade irrigation system is only the first step. You must also perform regular maintenance to keep your system working correctly and efficiently. Here are a few tips to help you out.
Installation and Upgrades:
Installation and Upgrades:
- Contact a professional landscape company in Santa Cruz County to take care of all your commercial landscape design Santa Cruz, corporate landscaping, and sprinkler system installation needs. This trustworthy landscaper can ensure that your system works properly.
- Set watering timers to go off in the early morning. This will reduce wastewater, fungus growth, and water evaporation rates. Be sure to adjust your settings when conditions like landscaping or seasons change.
Spring Maintenance:
- Audit your watering system. Hire a landscape company in Monterey County to perform a watering audit and run tests to figure out if your lawn is being watered evenly and efficiently. This can help you to find potential problems before they turn into bigger problems.
- Check for signs of wear and tear. Before the summer hits, perform a spring tune-up and check for leaks, broken pieces, and other issues.
- Double check the water pressure. The pressure can change over time and have a negative impact on your sprinkler system. Your water pressure should be somewhere between 40 and 65 PSI.
Growing Season Maintenance:
- During the growing season, you should run another inspection of your system. Check for leaks, clogs, or broken parts. Clean out your clogged screens and filters. Get rid of any obstructions. Adjust the positioning of sprinkler heads. Replace broken parts. Consider hiring a landscape company in Monterey or Santa Cruz County who specializes in corporate landscaping or residential landscaping to run these checks for you.
Giving Back
It is an honor to give back to our community any chance we get! This week we are getting together with Emerging Leaders Circle in their quarterly "SERVE" outreach in Santa Cruz. Mulch and native plants are helping in the efforts of beautifying Branciforte Middle School for their volunteer event this quarter. What this team is doing for our next generation is truly inspiring! Check their website out and see what you can do to lend a helping hand in our community!
https://www.unitedwaysc.org/elc
The Emerging Leaders Circle is the next generation of great civic and business leaders in Santa Cruz County who want to improve opportunities for youth success, family financial stability and health in our community. This leadership platform allows all participants to create projects and events specific to their interest or skill set with the ultimate goal of creating a positive impact in our community.
Connect. Serve. Lead.
Vote for Us!
We are encouraging all of our customers, vendors, and friends to vote for K&D Landscaping in the Santa Cruz Co. 'Best Of' 2016 Ballot! It would mean the world to our team and supporters if we took home first place! It is easy to do, vote for your favorite local business, stop on number 142, type in K&D Landscaping and your done. Thanks to everyone who help us out!
Water Conservation
Water Conservation
November 8 2016
We all want to conserve our most precious natural resource, WATER. As a Landscape Maintenance provider, we consider ourselves in a unique position to make a change and create a positive effect on our local water supply. Our landscape maintenance clients depend on us to manage their irrigation systems in the most responsible way possible. This is why we invest in our team; we regularly attend water conservation symposiums, attend training events and we are a member of the Irrigation Association. With a team of irrigation technicians there is no problem we can't solve. From Scott's Valley down to Marina and up into the Carmel Valley we are saving water by using a range of techniques. We want to help you save water at your home or business so here are 10 ways you can lower your monthly water bill:
1. Inspect you irrigation controller to make sure it is operating properly, like anything else it has a shelf life and it might be time for a new one.
2. Connect a rain sensor to your irrigation controller. This will shut the controller down for 2-3 days (this is adjustable) after a rain event. This ensures you aren't that person who has their sprinkles running the day after a big rain (we've all seen it)
3. Utilize soil moisture sensors to monitor your soil moisture and adjust you controller accordingly
4. The next level up from a rain sensor is a weather station with a smart controller. We use these on our large commercial maintenance sites to provide the landscaping with the exact amount of water it needs. The on site weather station adjusts the controller daily based on real time weather data. At one time these were very expensive but thanks to technology they are be coming more and more affordable.
5. Controller programming techniques; By watering in early morning and spreading your 20 minute cycle into (3) 5 minute cycles you can use less water and do more.
6. Keeping your plants in good health. By making sure your plants are free from pests and diseases you can ensure they will use the water you provide in the most efficient way possible.
7. Changing your overhead sprinkler irrigation to a drip irrigation system
8. Remove your high water use plants and install native drought tolerant plants
9. Mulch bare landscaping areas to help improve the soils moisture content
10. Fix those leaky sprinkler heads! We all got a couple and all it takes is replacing one or two heads to save you 10-20% on your monthly bill.
By utilizing these and other techniques K&D Landscaping ranked #1 in Santa Cruz County for water management in the month of September by Waterfluence. Link to ranking sheet: CA Ranking
Call today to discuss how our Professional Landscape Maintenance program can improve your business or HOA. We work in all areas along the Central Coast including; Scotts Valley , Santa Cruz , Capitola , Soquel , Aptos , Watsonville , Marina , Seaside , Monterey , Carmel, Carmel valley , Salinas , Gilroy , and Morgan Hill.
Award Winning for 30 Years!
Award Winning for 30 Years!
June 2016
”The California Landscape Contractors Association sponsors the Trophy Awards to encourage interest in landscaping, recognize crafts people who produce outstanding landscapes, create pride in superior workmanship and to bestow public recognition on companies, institutions, municipalities and residents for their interest in a beautiful California.”
Every year our team submits a chosen few projects to be judged in the California Landscape Contractors Association awards celebration. These projects have stood out among the rest for a number of reasons and are entered to be judged. This year we registered three different properties in different areas of our expertise; Small Commercial Installation, Large Commercial Installation, and Public Works Installation. We won first place in all three, and it was such a proud moment for our whole team! Our clients are the backbone of our company and to get awarded with First Place trophies is an extreme honor and truly gratifying.
El Nino is here!
We have been experiencing above average rainfall and at times very heavy downpours. Now is the time to be catching this water and storing it for the warm summer ahead. With 2015 being the warmest year on record we are sure to see another scorching summer.
A water catchment system for irrigation use is a great way to lower your monthly water bill and help contribute to protecting our most precious natural recourse. Water catchment systems can be designed for all needs and demands. We have installed the basic 50 gallon drum under a downspout to a more complex underground storage tank that is completely automated.
Building up an extra supply of water is always a good idea. Whether it will be used to water plants and lawns during the summer, washing your car, or come in handy during a natural disaster we are sure it won't go to waste. Call us today for a free consultation and quote to fit your needs. Don't let El Nino rains go to waste."