I have installed this is simple 2-zone system in my home. I thought someone might find the information on the design useful.
My requirements were as follows:
Z-wave control via Vera Edge (UI7)
2 zones (expandable)
12V operation
Modular
Low water usage
Rain/temperature override
Code compliant when attached to public water supply
Centralized components mounted indoors
Non-proprietary
I started with the filter/check valve assembly and built a small manifold to supply two (soon to be three) 12 volt 3/4" ball valves (I use these valves in my emergency water shut-off system as well). Ball valves can be mounted indoors below the level of the sprinkler heads because they do not require pressure to activate. They also won’t cause “hammering” when they open or close. Although I use robotic Ethernet relays for my emergency shutoff, I chose MimoLite units for irrigation because they gave me inputs as well as isolated contacts. I use one input for the rain/freeze sensor, which activates an override relay by simply turning on and off its power supply via a Z-wave controlled outlet. The second units input activates a scene dimming the lights in the media room using an IR operated relay as a trigger (may as well put it to use).
Outside, the zones can be disconnected at the manual valves and an an adapter attached to blow the water out of the system for the winter. In the garden their are MP Rotator sprinkler heads that are slightly elevated. In the lawn they are flush to the ground. Standard off-the-shelf drip irrigation will work just fine as well.
The system works like a charm and is as close to maintenance-free as one of these systems can be. I pretty much just activate the scenes in the spring, then deactivate them, close the valves, clean the filter, and purge the system with air in the fall. No part of the system is proprietary so parts and control application can be swapped out as times and tech changes.