If you’re a homeowner, you probably use a lot of water in the summer trying to keep your luscious grass and garden thriving.
So often the weather reports change drastically in a short period of time creating a daily impact on how much water is needed for any lawn or landscape.
A company named Skydrop has developed a solution for this—a Wi-Fi sprinkler that automatically adjusts watering schedules to reduce wasteful watering which will save you water and money.
The Skydrop unit would replace any other sprinkler system you’re currently using. The installation process would include pushing your existing sprinkler valve wires into the new board similar to the process of installing a new thermostat in your home.
The device itself contains a 4.3-inch LCD screen and a jog dial that lights up with color-changing LEDs. The main unit supports up to eight watering zones (if needed, an expansion unit can increase that limit to 16).
Skydrop then connects through the cloud via your home Wi-Fi network to access hyper-local weather information. Then it uses algorithms about precipitation, humidity, temperature, wind, solar radiation, and soil condition to determine when to turn on the sprinklers for you.
You’re not completely helpless when it comes to watering though. Skydrop has an accompanying iOS and Android app that offers you control, too. You can tell it what kind of plants you’re watering and when you prefer to water. You can also gather reports about how much water you’re using month to month.
According to Skydrop’s website, “up to 50% of landscape water usage in the U.S. is wasted by over-watering. That's more than two and a half billion gallons a year.”
Now imagine not having to pay for the excess water.
Skydrop is expected to ship in mid-August of this year at a cost of $299. There’s currently a waiting list for orders so head to the company’s website and check it out.
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