How many gallons does your sprinkler system use on a monthly basis?

[dewilson58]

How many gallons does your sprinkler system use on a monthly basis???

[mherzberg]

Mine was 2110 Gal for last month. (CYV)

[DonH57]

I'd have to look up past usage because since may we haven't had to use ours with all the rain.

[PaPaLarry]

I guess it depends what size property you have, and what needs to be watered. I used 21,000 last month. If it rains one or two days before water comes on, I turn it off. I have a large yard with 7 stations.

[philnpat]

Our yard is 6600 sf...we usually use less than 11,000 gals.

[dewilson58]

This is my first bill, it was 30,000 gallons.:cus::cus:

Could it be correct, or the wrong meter read at time of closing???

[rayschic]

This is my first bill, it was 30,000 gallons.:cus::cus:

Could it be correct, or the wrong meter read at time of closing???

30,000 gallons in one month is very high. Here's a link to the average usage based on home size.

http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/content/HowMuch1109.pdf

[laceylady]

My first bill for a cottage home on a larger than normal lot on a cul de sac was for 22,000. My house was new, we were up north and the grass was being watered seven days a week for 30 minutes a day I believe. I had them stop that. We just got back to TV today and our grass is VERY green and the bill for last month was around 9,000, I believe. The rain sensor was on so the grass should not have been watered when raining. I was very happy with low water bills all summer and my lawn and plants seem to be thriving.

[bluejaypop]

My first bill was for over 50000 gallons on a 6700 sq ft lot, Seabreeze cottage home with 4 stations. I about went through the roof and the water folks were most unhelpful. I asked what it should be and they hemmed and hawed about how that 'depends'. Well I knew that it of course 'depends' all I was looking for was an average because I am an ordinary, average guy. I talked with the builder and she is looking into it so maybe it will turn out ok but if it doesn't get straightened out i am gonna sell the place cause i wont be able to afford the water bill!

[dewilson58]

30,000 gallons in one month is very high. Here's a link to the average usage based on home size.

http://www.thevillageswaterwisdom.com/content/HowMuch1109.pdf

Good Link.............Thanks

[dewilson58]

My first bill was for over 50000 gallons on a 6700 sq ft lot, Seabreeze cottage home with 4 stations. I about went through the roof and the water folks were most unhelpful. I asked what it should be and they hemmed and hawed about how that 'depends'. Well I knew that it of course 'depends' all I was looking for was an average because I am an ordinary, average guy. I talked with the builder and she is looking into it so maybe it will turn out ok but if it doesn't get straightened out i am gonna sell the place cause i wont be able to afford the water bill!

Premier Lot, so I guess 30,000 ain't bad for a new lawn. :bowdown::bowdown:

[rayschic]

My first bill was for over 50000 gallons on a 6700 sq ft lot, Seabreeze cottage home with 4 stations. I about went through the roof and the water folks were most unhelpful. I asked what it should be and they hemmed and hawed about how that 'depends'. Well I knew that it of course 'depends' all I was looking for was an average because I am an ordinary, average guy. I talked with the builder and she is looking into it so maybe it will turn out ok but if it doesn't get straightened out i am gonna sell the place cause i wont be able to afford the water bill!

bluejaypop...check the link that I posted above. According to the link, the largest homes should average about 17,700 gallons per month.

[dewilson58]

;);)

[KathieI]

I think a rain sensor should be required by law on all sprinkler systems. We often water our lawns much more than necessary in a wet year like this one. I have had just about all of my customers systems turned off this season. Controllers also need to be made where they wont turn on in the heat of the day. Drives me nuts! lol

I have a question. Does every system here in TV have a rain sensor?? I thought they did, but I could be wrong. I agree, rain sensor's are very important and its kinda dumb not to have one, except, the other day it was raining out and as I pulled into my driveway, I found my sprinklers on? What??? So I turned off my whole system. How do we know if the rain sensors are working or how to repair them??? Hope I'm not off topic but thought I'd use the opportunity to perhaps answer my question.

[KathieI]

Thanks Buddy, good information. I'll check it out.

[PaPaLarry]

This is my first bill, it was 30,000 gallons.:cus::cus:

Could it be correct, or the wrong meter read at time of closing???
They probably had water on more often, to get the grass to take Check timer to see how long stations are set, and how many days a week your watering. More likely that then the Sensor. (But check sensor also in case)

[e-flyer]

New Designer corner lot: 16000-18,500 gal. :eek: with 5 stations and about 40 heads. Watering 2x weekly unless the sensor bypasses the set day. We have several corner lots in the neighborhood and they see similar, if not higher usage. I'm thinking of cutting back to 1x a week since the zoysia will be going dormant over the winter. If you look at the recommended length of time for each station on the inside of your control box, it's way less than what both the sprinkler installers and lawn companies set the timers to. I was a bit shocked at how much water was being used for lawns. I'm hoping when our new lawns get well established we can cut the timers back.

Potable water usage is averaging between 1800 and 2,300 gal. monthly, which seems normal for two in a household.

[e-flyer]

Also a few tips I've read or heard:

1. Check for leaks. Open your cover and look at the meter reading. Then check it in an hour or so, or the next day if it's not scheduled to run. It shouldn't change. If it does you have a leak somewhere in the system.

2. There is an outside box in the ground near the house with a lot of control valves that I've been told is there for lawn folks to control if they see watering problems or need adjusting. I'm not sure how that works, but I'm guessing it's there for folks that are part timers or rental property. The irrigation water shut off valve is located there also if you ever develop a leak.

3. SECO suggests that you check your timers after a power outage, especially if your timer doesn't have a battery backup.

[PaPaLarry]

New Designer corner lot: 16000-18,500 gal. :eek: with 5 stations and about 40 heads. Watering 2x weekly unless the sensor bypasses the set day. We have several corner lots in the neighborhood and they see similar, if not higher usage. I'm thinking of cutting back to 1x a week since the zoysia will be going dormant over the winter. If you look at the recommended length of time for each station on the inside of your control box, it's way less than what both the sprinkler installers and lawn companies set the timers to. I was a bit shocked at how much water was being used for lawns. I'm hoping when our new lawns get well established we can cut the timers back.

Potable water usage is averaging between 1800 and 2,300 gal. monthly, which seems normal for two in a household.
Yes, this is the time of year to cut back on sprinkler times!! On average I have about 35 min on each station. I'll be changing that to about 20 min now, as grass goes dormant. And if it rains two days prior to coming on, I turn off completely. You can always water just one station, if need be, because of shrubbery, flowers etc

[jimbo2012]

The hunter timer control require a 9V battery to work thu a loss of power, install inside door cover.

Timers need to be set differently for regular spray heads Vs rotators, rotators need be set about 2X as long in run time.

When the system is new it only set to use program A, there are two more B&C that can be programmed independently.

For example the lawn zones can be on A and the plants on B
Or the lawn in heavy shade in A high sun in B

These can be set to run every 2, 3 4 or any number of days apart.

Zones can be set to run odd or even days.

There are many other options, do a search on Utube for a lot step by step info.

[PaPaLarry]

The hunter timer control require a 9V battery to work thu a loss of power, install inside door cover.

Timers need to be set differently for regular spray heads Vs rotators, rotators need be set about 2X as long in run time.

When the system is new it only set to use program A, there are two more B&C that can be programmed independently.

For example the lawn zones can be on A and the plants on B
Or the lawn in heavy shade in A high sun in B

These can be set to run every 2, 3 4 or any number of days apart.

Zones can be set to run odd or even days.

There are many other options, do a search on Utube for a lot step by step info.
Good Info Jimbo!!!

[Nursebarb1]

We closed via mail on 8/16 on a new Seabreeze corner lot in Hillsborough. The first full month was 29,000 gal.! We made our first trip there last week to check things out. We had our builder walk-through and the builder said our sensor system is working correctly. Yikes! I'm with you, may not be able to afford this. On the other hand, we do have the greenest grass on the street! Oh, and the 29,000 was the irrigation useage.

[PaPaLarry]

We closed via mail on 8/16 on a new Seabreeze corner lot in Hillsborough. The first full month was 29,000 gal.! We made our first trip there last week to check things out. We had our builder walk-through and the builder said our sensor system is working correctly. Yikes! I'm with you, may not be able to afford this. On the other hand, we do have the greenest grass on the street! Oh, and the 29,000 was the irrigation useage.
Your sensor might be working correctly, but maybe it's on too long? You might want to check each station, and see how much time is set for each. Like Jimbo suggested, check the Programs and zones to see if they are set more then they should. This is the time of year to cut down on usage, as the grass goes dormant. Irrigation water is more expensive then regular water. Good Luck

[courtyard]

When people close their house VIA MAIL, they don't get an irrigation orientation until they arrive months later. In the meantime, their property is being watered excessively...30 minutes each zone, DAILY. My advice is that they have their real estate broker or a friend come in and reset the sprinkler system to two times a week immediately after closing. Also at that time, they should activate the Rain Sensor.

[mixsonci]

Oh, I need help. I recently bought my house, won't live there for another year but will rent it out starting in November. What does all this mean? What are stations? How do I check for rain shut-offs, how do I control the whole system? How do I find out how much it's "using" 30,000, 7,000 what is that?

[Gerald]

everyone gets a large first bill because the builder uses it before you moved in.