Sunday, September 13, 2009

PC Control Irritrol Software and Support ROCKS!

I am using a young person's term for great software and support because I think it most accurately reflects how a top notch piece of software and support should work.

The definition of a great software, great hardware, a great car or just great technology is if you appreciate or like it better after having used it the first six months. A great piece of software is PC Control's Irritrol sprinkler control software.


When I was looking at a sprinkler system three years ago I realized that I wanted a nice interface and not the typical box of dials in my garage.  I found exactly what I was looking for with PC Control's Irritrol sprinkler control software.

Below are some of the features I find very useful from PC Control's Irritrol homepage:





  • Software provides simple, drag-and-drop zone scheduling from a home computer
  • Two-way handheld remote allows system checks and manual operation of zones from up to 1,000' line of sight



  • Photos of the homeowner’s actual home and yard make zone identification simple
  • Web connectivity allows schedules to be sent over the Internet to and from the contractor or Irritrol for suggestions or changes



  • Scheduling Advisor™ saves water by adjusting zones according to online weather forecasts
  • Scheduling simplicity makes it easy to customize a schedule to comply with local watering restrictions
  • Rain Sensor compatibility means system can shut off automatically when it rains


This sprinkler control software makes life so much easier because you make
all of your changes on the computer screen as opposed to going to the garage and turning some dials.  I really like how they architected the system that has the two way remote that allows you to walk around the yard and control your sprinklers directly if you choose to.  Your changes on the screen are tranmitted from the two-way hand held remote to the controller in the garage.  The controller in the garage has a 9V battery as backup in case you lose power.  This way you do not lose your sprinkler schedules.

The support is FANTASTIC as well.  Whenever I had a question, I was always amazed how quickly and thoroughly my questions were answered.  My questions had nothing to do with the great user interface or software, but rather how I could more easily move all the data from one PC to another after I have created sprinkler configuration files.

I would strongly recommend anyone who is buying a sprinkler systems to check out PC Control's Irritrol software.