Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor

Posted by kellyhill in Smart Controllers, Technology Solutions, Water Conservation on 12 28th, 2010 | no responses

UgMO is an abbreviation for Underground Monitoring. The latest product from UgMO is a wireless soil moisture sensor. Soil Moisture Sensors are meant to be placed in the soil of your landscape, and measure how wet or dry your soil is. When the soil gets too dry, the sensor will tell the controller when irrigation is needed. When soil is wet, and no irrigation is needed, the sensor will not allow the controller to irrigate. This sensor usually involves wires connected to each valve. UgMO’s new Soil Moisture Sensor does not require any wires to be connected to the valves. This makes it more cost friendly when installing.

How the UgMO Soil Moisture Sensor Works

UgMO’s Sensors are placed underground in each sprinkler zone, to measure soil moisture and temperature at the root level. The sensor should be placed in the dryest area of the zone. The soil moisture and temperature is measured every ten minutes, 24 hours a day. It will not allow irrigation when the soil is wet. These sensors wirelessly transmit data (up to 600 feet) to an UgMO ProHome base station that interfaces with the existing irrigation clock. Acting as the “brains” of the irrigation system, the base station determines when your grass and/or plantings have reached their optimum moisture level on a zone-by- zone basis. UgMO only allows watering when the plants need it. This reduces waste of water, which also helps reduce your water bill.

  • UgMO’s Soil Moisture Sensors is a quick and easy retrofit to existing irrigation systems.
  • When battery is going low, it will alert you.
  • You do not lose settings when power loss occurs.
  • The UgMO system comes with yellow “whiskers” to use as a marker. Place them in the ground at the Sensor location. If whiskers somehow become lost, or removed, a metal detector will help find the sensors location. To avoid this, Swan recommends placing the location of the sensors on a plot plan.
  • It is a good idea to use one of the sensors as a “common”. This is so that if a sensor stops working for some reason, there will be a back up sensor to depend on. The common sensor should be placed in a like zone.

Benefits of the UgMO Soil Moisture Sensor

  • Saves water (Use up to 50% less water).
  • Pays for itself with your water bill savings.
  • Improves the health of your landscape.
  • Wireless technology cuts back on installation costs.
  • Uncovers inefficient irrigation design/installation that was masked by overwatering.
  • It automatically adjusts watering as the weather changes, eliminating the need for seasonal adjustments to change irrigation times.
  • Shuts off irrigation when temperatures are freezing. This is another way UgMO helps you save water. Plants go dormant around freezing temperatures and require no water.


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