Expanding-Disk Rain Sensor Dry-Out and Potential Irrigation Savings

Abstract

AbstractRain sensors are devices that connect to automatic irrigation systems to interrupt scheduled irrigation events as a result of rainfall. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the dry-out time of expanding-disk rain sensors and determine potential irrigation savings under several virtual irrigation schedules. Five rain sensor model/rainfall set point combinations were evaluated at a research site in north central Florida. The five configurations that were compared were Mini-Clik rain sensors with set points of 3, 6, and 13 mm (3MC, 6MC, and 13MC), the Wireless Rain-Clik (WL) rain sensor, and Toro rain sensor at 6 mm setting (6T). The evaluation period ranged from 1,150 days to 1,182 days across the various devices. For each configuration, data for each time a rain sensor switched between allow irrigation to interrupt irrigation modes were collected and compared with how long each stayed in interrupt mode and how much irrigation water a rain sensor could save. Changing the dry-out vents from ...