Weather-tracking smart irrigation system works with app

The Zilker smart irrigation system that recently launched on Kickstarter distributes automatically more water when the weather is hot and less when raining or depending on a set schedule. It measures water flow in inches or gallons. Scheduling and other operations can be managed, and leakage, usage and low-battery alerts are received via an accompanying iOS app.

Zilker has an indoor hub that communicates with the valves which can be attached to universal hose fittings, one per hose or zone. The valves and the hub sync through radio waves, which can provide more than twice the range of Wi-Fi.

The smart system manages a home’s water system even if there’s no existing lawn or garden sprinkler system installed. This helps homeowners save money on buying various irrigation fittings.

Zilker isn’t the first in the list of smart watering systems that emerged recently. Late in 2015, California-based ETWater’s sprinkler system that also uses weather information was announced. In China, makers are also releasing their own smart irrigation valves. One example is Nanjing Wulian Sensor’s ZigBee irrigation controller valve that has a rainfall sensor. The increase in supply of these innovative products shows that energy and water conservation is becoming a must in the smart home.