RAIN BIRD SRT-Y User Guide

SMRT-Y

Soil Moisture Sensor

User Manual

Manual del usuario

Guide de l’utilisateur

Benutzerhandbuch

Manuale dell’utente

Gebruikershandleiding

Manual do Utilizador

Εγχειρίδιο χρήσης

Kullanıcı Kılavuzu

ENGLISH

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ESPAÑOL

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DEUTSCH

ITALIANO

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(Latin America)

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SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor

Contents

Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .3

Items Needed . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

Panel Description. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

How it Works .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

Preparation. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .4

SMRT-SMS Soil Moisture Sensor Installation. . .. 5

SMRT-Y User Interface Installation:.. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8

Overview .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . . .. .8

Detailed Procedure. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. . . .. .. .. .. .8

SMRT-Y Operation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . . .. .. .. .. ..10

Take a Moisture Reading . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .10

Set the Moisture Threshold . . .. .. .. .. .. .. ..10

View Soil Temperature.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..11

Change Temperature Format. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..11

View Soil EC . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . . ..11

Manual Watering/Bypass. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..11

Watering History .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .12

Suspending Watering . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .12

Watering Allowed . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..12

Setting the Watering Schedule .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .12

Calculating Field Capacity / Moisture

Threshold. .. .. . .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..13

Field Capacity Method .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .13

Automatic Moisture Threshold Method . . . .13

System Setup .. . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..14

Recommended Follow-up. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .14

Optional wiring for Xeriscape or ower beds ..14

How to connect them:.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..14

Special Notes . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .15

Troubleshooting. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..16

Introduction

Congratulations on your purchase of the Rain Bird SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor kit, utilizing the the most advanced technology available on the market. You have joined those interested in conserving water, Earth’s most important resource, while optimizing the root health of your turf and trees.

Items Needed

for Sensor Installation (SMRT-SMS) for User Interface Installation (SMRT-Y)

•

Use 18 AWG wire or equivalent for splicing and burial

•

Grease caps or equivalent waterproof connectors (3)

•

7” valve box (optional)

•

Flat blade shovel

•

Wire strippers/pliers

Panel Description

Before you start installing your new Rain Bird Soil Moisture Sensor:

•

Medium Philips screw driver

•

Drill

•

Wire strippers/Pliers

•

Connect to a UL listed irrigation controller or equivalent

LCD Display Displays soil moisture, soil temperature, electrical conductivity. It also

displays Watering history (see page 12).

Read Sensor Read sensor displays and sets the moisture threshold. This threshold is the

Read

Sensor

Soil Temp Displays soil temperature. Increments up when “Read Sensor” is depressed.

Soil

Temp

volumetric soil moisture level at which the SMRT-Y disrupts irrigation.

Press and toggle “Soil EC” to display Fahrenheit or Celsius

Soil EC Displays soil electrical conductivity, increments down when “read Sensor”

Soil

is depressed. Changes between Fahrenheit and Celsius when “Soil Temp” is depressed.

Bypass Sets the SMRT-Y user interface to Bypass mode, disabling the sensor.

Bypass Sensor

How it Works

The SMRT-Y uses a Digital Time Domain Transmissometry Soil Moisture Sensor buried in your lawn to accurately monitor the Volumetric Water Content of your soil. The SMRT-Y user interface connects to your existing irrigation controller. Your controller is programmed to water on a regular basis. The SMRT-Y takes soil moisture readings every 10 minutes. If the water content of the soil is above the set threshold for your soil, then the SMRT-Y will suspend the irrigation cycle by interrupting the power to your solenoid valves. This power is restored after 30 minutes of controller inactivity.

NOTE: Taking a manual reading during a controller cycle or within 30 minutes after the end of a cycle will not aect the Water Suspended/Allowed mode of the user interface. If you push “Read

Sensor” during this period, the user interface may show a moisture reading above the moisture threshold. The interface will not change state or suspend irrigation until a reading is made outside of this time period. This assures that all programmed zones receive water during an allowed controller cycle.

If the water content in the soil is below the threshold when your controller begins its cycle, the SMRT-Y allows the controller and its irrigation programs to operate normally. The connection will be maintained for the entire watering cycle and for 30 minutes thereafter. The SMRT-Y has provisions to water two zones independent of the sensor to accommodate drought-tolerant planting, cacti, trees, potted plants, drip zones, etc (see page 14).

SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor

Preparation

1. Ensure that the property has been irrigated within the past 12 hours. This will make digging easier and lessen the likelihood of turf root damage.

2. Review each irrigation zone and identify the primary plantings (turf, shrubs, owers, etc.). Record zone type (drip, vs. sprinkler) and where it is located on the property. For the turf zones, record whether the zone is full sun, partial sun or shade. Finally, record each zone’s current controller settings.

3. Ensure each zone operates properly.

4. Choose a full sun turf zone for the sensor installation (see Figure 1 & 2).

5. From the homeowner or maintenance contractor, determine and record the most frequent watering

intervals and run times that have been used in past peak season settings.

Low pointToo shady

Too shady (trees, house, etc...)

SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor

Too shady

Figure1

Sensor Location Selection

Heavy foot traﬃc

Too shady

Separated by walkway

Too close to walkway.

Susceptable to over-

spray from car wash and

potential foot traﬃc

SMRT-SMS Soil Moisture Sensor Installation

1. Manually turn on the zone where the sensor is to be installed and the adjacent zones. Observe the water distribution patterns and select the sensor installation spot.

NOTE: Avoid placing the sensor where water will accumulate from runo such as near driveways, sidewalks, depressions and at the base of berms or hills.

2. Pick a spot where the turf is healthy and the subsoil allows drainage. Place the sensor at least 4 feet away from sprinkler heads and in an area that is irrigated by only the one selected zone.

3. Locate the nearest valve box to the chosen sensor installation spot. Identify and mark both ends of a zone wire in the valve box and at the controller. You can do this by manually bleeding a valve in the valve box to nd out what zone it controls. Place a piece of electrical tape on the zone wire connected to that valve. Then place a piece of electrical tape on the other end of that wire in the controller box. Make sure that the selected wire is the zone wire and not the ‘common’ wire.

NOTE: Avoid selecting a zone which powers more than one solenoid. The green wire from the SMRT-Y user interface must be connected to a zone which activates a single valve solenoid.

Figure2

Unacceptable Sensor Locations

Too close to tree

SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor

4. Using a at bladed shovel, dene three sides of a square 18” wide by 18” in length and 6” deep. This slit should be U shaped (see gure 3). Work the shovel under the sod at a depth of about 4 inches and roll back the sod leaving exposed soil 3 to 4 inches deep. About 6 inches from one side of this opening, dig a similar opening and hole to accommodate a 7” valve box. This valve box (wiring box) will be used to splice additional wire from the sensor to the zone wire identied in Step 3. Dig a slit trench from the 7” wiring box location to the base of the 18” square opening created for the sensor (see Figure 4).

5. Place the sensor horizontally in the loose soil at the bottom of the U-shaped cavity with the sensor wires running along the trench that leads to the wiring box. Pack loose soil rmly around the sensor rods to a depth of about ½ inch. Then pull the sod back over the sensor and pack it down rmly.

SMRT-Y Soil Moisture Sensor

18"

Figure4

Figure3

+ 11 hidden pages