SimpleHomeNet EZFlora™ Irrigation Controller, First to Interface with a Pulsing Water Meter

SimpleHomeNet EZFlora™ Irrigation Controller, First to Interface with a Pulsing Water Meter

As of today, Simplehomenet’s home automation irrigation controller, EZFlora (http://www.simplehomenet.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9357341775)™, ships with a built-in interface to a pulsing water meter that readily enables real-time water usage data collection. Counts per gallon (pulses) from the meter are gathered by the EZFlora™ and communicated to home automation software for decision making. Usage data is essential to enable savings and is vital in many areas due to water drought situations and rising costs. Water data management will first be available through the new Harmony™ software and the EZSrve™ Gateway. Simplehomenet is also working with home automation software vendors to provide support for this feature.

(Vocus) September 22, 2009 -- As of today, Simplehomenet’s home automation irrigation controller, EZFlora (http://www.simplehomenet.com/proddetail.asp?prod=9357341775)™, ships with a built-in interface to a pulsing water meter that readily enables real-time water usage data collection. Counts per gallon (pulses) from the meter are gathered by the EZFlora™ and communicated to home automation software for decision making. Usage data is essential to enable savings and is vital in many areas due to water drought situations and rising costs. Water data management will first be available through the new Harmony™ software and the EZSrve™ Gateway. Simplehomenet is also working with home automation software vendors to provide support for this feature.

Irrigation represents one of largest uses of water in homes today. Yet, the average consumer does not know how much water is consumed throughout a typical household. Since managing energy and resources is easier when we have the right information, water consumption data would help us streamline cost most effectively. EZFlora™, SimpleHomeNet (http://www.simplehomenet.com/)’s 8-zone irrigation controller readily interfaces to a pulsing water meter to measure water flow rate and feed this information to home automation software for analysis and decision. As a remotely accessible irrigation controller, EZFlora™ is capable of managing valves either individually, or in program sequences in response to INSTEON or X10 commands.

“EZFlora™ already ranks as one of our top selling devices. Adding the ability for the consumer to measure their irrigation water consumption seemed like the logical next step for providing more value to our customers” says Al Choperena, President of SimpleHomeNet

Water flow measuring through EZFlora™ can be done on any water line on a typical property, as long as a pulsing water meter can be installed within a few feet of the device. The meter data can be read utilizing any home automation software that supports this feature. Details on this interface are available to software developers on the Simplehomenet website. SimpleHomeNet’s EZSrve™ gateway controller and the Harmony™ software will enable this feature in October. This will allow owners of the EZSrve™ to generate events to occur when designated usage thresholds are reached. Although the new meter interface makes for many possible uses, the device is not approved for deriving billing information.

SimpleHomeNet home automation devices have been developed to offer convenience and give users the information to treat their home appliances as parts of a cohesive system. This new feature does not affect the current price of the EZFlora™. Current EZFlora™ owners can upgrade their devices with this new feature for a nominal charge of $30. This service can be purchased from the Simplehomenet web store by visiting Upgrade EZFlora (http://www.simplehomenet.com/cats.asp?id=16)™ and then sending the device to SimpleHomeNet.

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Contact Information Sammy Korotie

SimpleHomeNet

http://www.simplehomenet.com

949-429-3303