Rain and Freeze Sensors on Plano Sprinkler Systems in the Winter Season

Regarding your sprinkler system, what do you feel is the worst thing that could happen in the winter season?  A burst pipe, a broken sprinkler head, a frozen line?  Now picture your drive to work on one of those below-freezing mornings.  It hasn’t rained but parts of the roads and sidewalks are wet, and icy!  You realize that the house at the end of the street near the stop sign has left their sprinkler system on overnight.  We at Pearson Sprinkler Company believe that the worst thing that could happen to a Plano sprinkler system in the winter season is to cause an icy, dangerous and life-threatening situation.

The solution?  Ensure that your Plano sprinkler system is equipped with a Rain and Freeze Sensor (R&F Sensor).  An R&F Sensor is a wireless sensor that is mounted to your house and communicates with your sprinkler system’s controller.  When the sensor becomes too wet (raining), it will not allow the sprinkler system to water, saving water and subsequently, saving you money.  When the sensor becomes too cold (freezing temperatures), it will not allow the sprinkler system to water, saving possible injuries and eliminating dangerous situations on roads and sidewalks.

Numerous cities have requirements regarding R&F Sensor listed on their websites and also have the requirements outlined in their respective City Ordinance documents.  Most cities in the Pearson Sprinkler Company service area require that an R&F Sensor is installed on all new sprinkler system installations.  In addition, several cities require that an R&F Sensor is installed when a sprinkler system controller is replaced on an existing system, if the system was not already equipped with a sensor.  Some cities even offer a rebate program when a qualified R&F Sensor is installed on an existing system that does not already have a sensor installed.  Please check with your respective City to determine their specific requirements and possible rebates.

More specifically, the City of Plano recently posted the following on the City’s website homepage regarding Plano sprinkler systems:

“Effective immediately, the City of Plano will allow irrigation between the hours of 10am and 6pm through March 1st [2013] to reduce icing of streets and sidewalks during winter months.  All other Stage 2 watering restrictions remain in place including restriction to two days per week.  Water restrictions are expected to continue through 2013 due to low lake levels.  Everyone is encouraged to operate irrigation systems manually in order to provide efficient and cost-effective watering.”

If your Plano sprinkler system is already equipped with an R&F Sensor, check to make sure that it is still working.  It is easy for your sensor to become clogged with cobwebs and debris, which you should remove.  To check to see if your sensor is functioning, spray it with water and then look at the sprinkler system controller.  If the controller indicates that it will not water (usually a red light), then the sensor is functioning.