Unpowered Wicking Irrigation Controller | measuredirrigation

The Unpowered Wicking Irrigation Controller (UWIC) uses evaporation as a gauge to control irrigation rather than the static timer intervals in conventional devices. It works with ordinary irrigation solenoid valves of any size, one solenoid per controller, sprinkler or dripper systems.

After irrigation and as water evaporates from the soil, water also evaporates from the controller’s container. The water in the container eventually reaches a low level corresponding to the soil drying out. The controller opens the solenoid and irrigation begins. A dripper attached to the outflow pipe slowly refills the container while the irrigation system ‘refills’ the soil. When the water in the container reaches a high level corresponding to the required watering of the soil, the controller shuts the water off and the cycle restarts.

Once correctly calibrated, the UWIC only sends water when plants need it and does not overwater. It responds to the same local weather conditions as the soil. Deep or shallow watering, frequent or delayed watering – all can be accommodated. You don’t have to ‘turn it off’ over winter as rain and cooler temperatures keep the container from drying out. You can leave your irrigation system unattended for weeks on end.

A polyester cloth wicks water from inside the container to outside the container to evaporate and so the cloth is always wet.

An irrigation system with a conventional irrigation controller can be upgraded to an unpowered system where each solenoid valve is controlled by a UWIC. The conventional irrigation controller and the associated wiring become redundant.

KEY FEATURES

1. Unpowered (no batteries, no wires, no solar panels, no electronics, no computers, and no WiFi)
2. If you upgrade to the UWICSV, the conventional irrigation controller and associated wiring become redundant
3. Use for any size irrigation application
4. Use for sprinkler irrigation or drip irrigation
5. Use with PC (pressure compensating) drippers or NPC (non pressure compensating) drippers
6. Adjust the dripper discharge by adjusting the control dripper
7. Adjust the interval between irrigation events by adjusting the exposed surface area of the polyester cloth
8. Adjusting the dripper discharge does not affect the interval between irrigation events, and adjusting the interval between irrigation events by adjusting the polyester cloth does not affect the dripper discharge
9. Responds automatically to on-site evaporation and rainfall
10. The irrigation frequency increases significantly during a heat wave
11. When it rains, water enters the container and delays the start of the next irrigation event
12. Provided the same drippers are used throughout the irrigation application (including the control dripper), the dripper discharge is independent of the water supply pressure
13. Water in the container is protected from debris, algae, mosquitoes and thirsty animals
14. UV resistant including the container and polyester cloth
15. Simple, unpowered, and low tech, and therefore fewer things can go wrong
16. Leave your irrigation application unattended for weeks on end

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Taxonomy

• Irrigation