A Simple Audit That Can Save You Money
This article explains how to perform a lawn care water audit as well as its importance. An important part of keeping your sprinkler system running in top condition is inspecting it regularly. Your irrigation system benefits from regular checkups to ensure that all the parts are functioning correctly.
Referring to these checkups as “audits” is a relatively new development. However, professionals and homeowners alike have been performing the essential functions of an audit for years. Auditing means inspecting a sprinkler system after it has been installed and cycled a few times. This allows it time to verify that all the components are functioning correctly. It is also checking if the system is delivering uniform water coverage. This determines if it is on a water-efficient schedule that also meets the needs of your plants.
The main parts of a basic water audit for homes and small commercial landscapes are:
- Visually inspect your system while it is running to check for any obvious problem areas. For instance, some of these problems include checking how much water is being delivered. It also checks if sprinkler heads are spraying in the wrong direction or sprinklers or if they won’t pop up.
- Monitoring precipitation rates (the amount of water used) in each zone, and
- Estimating how many gallons per minute (GPM) the entire system is using.
- These inspections will help you monitor efficiency and maintain proper coverage.
Performing a lawn care water audit is simple. After visually evaluating your system, check the precipitation rate to make sure the proper amount of water is being delivered.
Learn more about: How To Determine Zone Run Time Using Evapotranspiration Data & How To Calculate Precipitation Rate
An alternative to performing an audit yourself is hiring an irrigation professional or a licensed auditor.
