by
Tammy Wallace | Apr 25, 2017
AgSense grants an unmatched peace of mind about the state of your irrigation systems, but the benefit of using this technology to also monitor water pressure is one that often gets overlooked or underutilized. Installing a pressure transducer is an easy way to enhance your remote irrigation management experience as it opens the door for more comprehensive reporting and more refined control of your systems. Read Part 1 of this blog for details on how to properly install the transducer, configure the device, and set up email and text message alerts for low/high pressure.
In Part 2, we’ll take a closer look at some of the more advanced monitor and control options that a pressure transducer can give. Let’s start with monitoring.
What additional information do I get from installing a pressure transducer?
- A pressure transducer will give you the exact pressure (PSI) of the system.
- It also allows you to quickly determine which pivots have pressure?
How will I know which of my systems have pressure?
- A big blue circle will appear on the inside of the main pivot circle. The blue circle appears as soon as the PSI Low value (from the Config tab) is reached.
- *NOTE* CommanderVP and ICON Link units show a small blue circle any time the pivot is set to ‘Pump On’ – EVEN when the pivot is red. This is normal. It is NOT an indicator of pressure, it simply indicates that the panel is set to have the pump on. CommanderVP and ICON Link will show the same big blue circle that Field Commander does when pressure is present.
Why am I still seeing the blue circle on my systems that are red (no power)? What causes this?
- You may just need to wait a little bit for the blue circle to disappear. Field Commanders are programmed to wake up and send one more reading 5 minutes after the initial ‘Power Off’ reading is sent. The unit wakes up using battery power, so consider replacing the battery if it is unable to hold a charge for such a short time period.
- This could also be caused by a faulty pressure transducer. Make sure that it is wired correctly and that it has not been damaged so that it produces false pressure readings.
- The other possibility is that there is still a little bit of water making contact with the transducer even though the pump is off. Again, double-check the installation.
- To fix this without having to make another trip to the field, slightly increase the PSI Low value on the Config tab. The blue circle will disappear as soon as PSI goes below this value.
What special commands can be sent when monitoring water pressure with my AgSense unit?
When I send a Start command to my Field Commander, a dialog box pops up asking if I ‘want to Wait for Pressure?’ What does this do?
- Selecting ‘Yes, Wait for Pressure’ in the configuration will prevent the pivot from moving until the transducer reads the PSI Low value (set up on the Config tab). If you decide to NOT wait for pressure, the pivot will start walking instantly. Waiting for pressure will ensure that the pivot doesn’t start walking until it is fully pressurized.
- Low Pressure Shutdown – the other benefit of deciding to ‘wait for pressure’ when starting your pivot is that the pivot will automatically stop walking if pressure dips below the PSI Low value. Again, if you decide to NOT wait for pressure, this feature will not be enabled. Low Pressure Shutdowns will only occur when the pivot has been started with the option to ‘Wait for Pressure.'