Automatic Garden Watering
Anyone lucky enough to have a luscious lawn will know that a lack of water over the summer will very quickly lead to brown patches, weeds and a lack of growth. It can be a manual tedious task however to help you prevent this we’ll show you how to implement automatic garden watering – taking a specific look at one home in Bavaria which already used Loxone to do this. This is their setup…
Using rainwater for automatic garden watering
A special tank in the garden collects the rainwater, which is transported to the sprinklers using a pump. Collecting the rainwater like this allows it to be used for other things like cleaning a car, for example.
Monitoring of the rainwater tank
Continuous monitoring of the water level in the tank is particularly important to prevent the pump from running dry. In the example we’re looking at, the water level is measured using an ultrasonic sensor. The sensor provides a 0-10V signal and can be individually calibrated to suit the application.
This way, you or your customers always know how much water is in the tank.
Activating the pump
The water is transported to the sprinklers using a suction pump which is automatically activated based on the time of day. It can also be activated at any time using the Loxone App.
If there’s not enough water in the tank, the pump is automatically switched off. To achieve this, a Smart Socket was used.
Automated distribution valve
Next to the water pump, there are four water pipes that lead to the pop-up sprinklers in the garden. The flow of water through these water pipes is controlled automatically via the valves.
As there wouldn’t be enough pressure to open all four valves at the same time, valves are opened one at a time for a set period of time. Only when the first valve is closed, does the second valve open – to ensure maximum water pressure.
Pop-up sprinklers
In our example, there are a total of four pop-up sprinklers. Each sprinkler raises automatically as soon as the water is pumped out of the tank and its respective valve is opened. As soon as the valve is closed again, the sprinkler disappears back into the ground.
Loxone Explained:
Automated Irrigation Control​
In our very first episode of Loxone Explained, we show you how to implement automatic irrigation using Loxone.
Overview & control in the app
With the Loxone App, you can always see exactly what’s happening with your garden watering and let it run automatically or activate/deactivate manually it if you want to.Â
In our example, garden watering starts daily at 2:00 am. However, if rain is forecast or if it has already rained that day, the sprinklers will remain off. Loxone knows whether it’s going to rain or if it has rained recently through the use of both the Weather Station and the Weather Service.
Configuration of automatic garden watering
In Version 12.1 of Loxone Config, we released the Irrigation Function Block. This block enables quick and straightforward integration of weather data such as precipitation and weather forecasts aiding the implementation of demand-based garden watering. The Function Block has 8 outputs for controlling the valves and one output for a pump.
Also perfect for commercial premises & custom applications!
Loxone has already been used to implement automatic watering in a number of large-scale projects such as on a Christmas Tree Farm, for example.
Football clubs such as Sportunion Kollerschlag have also automated the watering of their football pitch with Loxone. As in our example above, the level of the water source is monitored. Then, via the app, watering of the main pitch and/or training field can be activated.
Want to start installing Loxone?
By becoming a Loxone installer you’ll be able to offer your customers a complete automation solution with intuitive control – suitable for smart homes, commercial premises and custom applications.
Want Loxone Installed?
Do you want automation installed? Then speak to one of our automation experts to get more information on what can be done specifically for your installation and to find an installer near you.