Soil Moisture Sensing
The Acclima SCX & TDT Soil Moisture Sensor
The SCX works with your existing irrigation timer, incorporating cutting edge moisture sensing technology to prevent over watering. A timer or clock has traditionally governed automated irrigation control systems. Day in and day out, rain or shine, these clocks faithfully water our landscapes. If your system was installed by Irrigation Tech, your rain sensor was at least preventing irrigation after a rain event. However, because they water according to time, and not according to level of moisture in the soil, they waste a tremendous amount of water.
The SCX comes with one Acclima Digital TDT Soil Moisture Sensor and supports most existing timers. The SCX has the ability to set, maintain and monitor any desired moisture level. It also includes a Sensor Bypass mode allowing the traditional timed controller to run as if the SCX were not present. In this mode the SCX will continue to take moisture readings, but will not inhibit the timer from watering.
The SCX overcomes the problem of chronic over watering through the use of the soil moisture sensor. The sensor measures soil moisture content every 10 minutes and will only allow a water cycle when the moisture drops below the “turn on” threshold that you have set, suspending water cycles until your turf needs it. During the hottest part of the year, soil moisture is depleted more rapidly and the system will water more frequently. Then when the temperature cools, or if you get a big rainstorm, the system will inhibit watering until the moisture level in the ground falls below the “turn on” threshold. The SCX provides a history of the last seven irrigation attempts. Installation of this system will typically result in water savings of 30-45%.
Recently published article about Soil Moisture Sensors
