Smart Sprinklers Lower Water Bills and Make It Rain With Your Phone
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While smart sprinklers have been on the market for a while, they’ve only recently become a mainstream product. These affordable, money-saving devices (save up to 30-50% on your monthly water bill) can care for your lawn better and more efficiently than you ever could, while also giving you back the free time to enjoy a yard that looks professionally landscaped — all while saving you cash.
If you’re looking to spend less time caring for your lawn this year and more time enjoying it, it’s a good time to consider upgrading to a smart sprinkler system. Invest in one on sale now to save you money, water, and time all summer.
Great Deals on Smart Sprinklers Mean They Pay for Themselves
There are plenty of great smart sprinkler controllers on the market, but these offer the best balance between affordability, availability and performance. Mine the power of the Slickdeals community of 12 million deal hunters to read reviews, tips and comments on these devices before making a purchase — ensuring you’ll be comfortable with the install process and that it’s compatible with your system — but it’s hard to go wrong with any of the following products:
Amazon Deals:
Orbit B-hyve (12 Zone) – Sale Price: $88.99 | Reg. Price: $129.99 | You Save: $30.00 (25%)
Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler (8 Zone) – Sale Price: $173.79 | Reg. Price: $229.99 | You Save: $56.00 (24%)
Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler (16 Zone) – Sale Price: $210.99 | Reg. Price: $279.99 | You Save: $69.00 (25%)
RainMachine Touch HD (16 Zone) Alexa-enabled – Reg. Price: $294.09
Lowe’s Deals:
Lowe’s is currently running a regional promotion (spotted and shared by one of our Slickdeals deal hunters) that has the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler (8 Zone) at just $101.46, over 55% off. Other Slickdealers commented on the shared deal post that they found the same unit as low as $80 in their local Lowe’s. It’s not a widely available discount, but it’s certainly worth a call to your local store.
Related: 11 Ways to Save Money at Lowe’s
The Lowe’s website also will show utility company rebates you qualify for in your area for buying one of these smart systems. For example, if you are in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will give you $200 in rebates on the same Rachio Gen 3 Smart Irrigation Timer. That means your cost drops to just $29.
Smart Sprinklers are Not Sprinklers — So What Are They?
Surprisingly, smart sprinklers aren’t actually sprinklers. Instead, they’re commonly referred to as “smart sprinkler controllers.” These devices replace the current timers used by old sprinkler systems, meaning you won’t need to install new in-ground sprinklers throughout your entire yard to use them. Just pop out the old-timer, plug in the new smart sprinkler controller, and your upgraded system is ready for the heat of summer.
Once installed, you’ll want to answer a few questions and set a few parameters to optimize the system’s performance. After that, however, you can simply sit back and let the smart sprinkler system do all the work picking the best times and durations for watering your outdoor green spaces.
How Do Smart Sprinklers Save You Money?
These futuristic sprinkler controllers aren’t just convenient — automating the entire watering process and taking it out of your hands and giving you back that time to do other things — but they can also save you a ton of money on your monthly water bill.
Smart sprinklers offer a surprising number of customization options to help reduce water usage. These include the ability to set up different watering zones, monitor weather patterns or even track the slope of your yard to improve watering performance.
Stop Watering the Lawn During a Rainstorm When You’re Not Home
The weather tracking is by far one of the best features, ensuring you never water your yard before, after or during a rainstorm ever again.
In fact, according to the EPA, sprinkler controllers that are part of the WaterSense program can save you nearly 7,600 gallons of water per year. Extrapolate that cost over the course of a few summers, and you’re looking at real savings on your water bill.
Slick Tip: Many smart sprinklers are also eligible for rebates as part of the WaterSense program. These vary based on location, although there are hundreds of local municipalities that are passing out savings for installing eco-friendly smart sprinkler controllers. We spotted ebates in Southern California starting at $80/timer.
Packed With Time-Saving Features To Get Your Weekends Back
Smart sprinklers aren’t just a great investment because they save you money, but they also save you time, with many controllable through voice commands or smartphone apps for ease of use. Some even offer advanced watering tips, turning them into full-fledged gardening and landscaping assistants. Others might include a built-in flow meter to detect leaks in your system, saving you the headache of trying to determine if something is wrong with your piping before calling in for repairs. Plus, with your yard better maintained using these smart controllers, you’ll spend less time solving for burned grass or dead landscaping.
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How to Save No Matter Where You Shop or What You Buy
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Our editors strive to ensure that the information in this article is accurate as of the date published, but please keep in mind that offers can change. We encourage you to verify all terms and conditions of any product before you apply.