Those who live in an apartment complex and wake up very earlier are probably familiar with the secret of the sprinkler timer. Some people who pass by a sprinkler system in the morning after the sprinkler system has already been turned on assume that it has been manually turned on by whomever is in charge of the lawn duties. Those who wake up before sunrise and know that the sprinkler system turns on "by itself" realize that a sprinkler timer sets the lawn care in motion automatically and there is no need for anyone to get up that early in the morning to turn the system on unless that sprinkler system is not hooked up to a timer. In that scenario, the person who cares for the lawn must wake up very early to guarantee that the sprinkler will be turned on and operating on a regular schedule.
A well operated sprinkler timer set up to turn a sprinkler system on and off at a set time and a set duration on a set schedule is the optimum means of keeping a lawn well taken care of. By utilizing the benefits of a sprinkler timer, a number of problems that could lead to a break in the schedule. For example, the individual responsible for the sprinkler system may not awaken early one day and the lawn is not watered. Or, as I did one night, fall asleep before turning off the sprinkler. The sprinkler was on all night and wasted precious water.
While some may think that missing a day or two will not affect the lawn, the truth is that for a lawn to keep a lush green appearance it is best that the lawn is watered and cared for on a daily basis. By using a sprinkler time, one need not worry about the schedule being deviated from. Worse than missing a scheduled session is over watering a lawn. A sprinkler timer will shut the sprinklers off automatically before excessive water floods the area.
A timer will eliminate a great number of problems with sprinkler systems. Their use is highly recommended.