How to Know How Much Water Your Sprinkler System Is Delivering

If you're planning to reduce landscape water usage and you have a sprinkler system, you need to know how much water your sprinkler system delivers. Here's how:

1. Put out five to seven catch cans at different distances from each sprinkler head. (Tuna or cat food cans work well.)



2. Water each zone for three minutes.



3. Measure the amount of water in each can.



4. Add the amounts in each can and divide by the total to obtain an average.



5. Multiply the average by 4 to determine how long to run the system.

For example, if you found that the average in a particular station is 1/2", then you would water for 6 minutes to apply 1 inch of water. If you find great variations in the amount of water in various cans, then have your sprinkler system checked.

Most experts recommend at least one inch of water a week to maintain an existing landscape. However, more water may be required with recent high temperatures.

Whether it's selling your home, or finding a new one, the Grove Team is committed to a real estate practice that centers on our clients. The success of this philosphy shows in our 100+ closed transactions each year. Call the Grove Team today, (817) 337-0000 or find us online, www.groveteam.com

Five Ways to Reduce Outside Water Use

The long drought has finally hit most residents of North Texas cities in their own back yards: mandatory outside watering restrictions are in place. We have found five ideas for limiting outside water use and still maintaining an attractive landscape with plenty of curb appeal.

1. Avoid runoff on sloping areas by cycling the water off and on. Apply water slowly for five to fifteen minutes and then turn it off for fifteen minutes. Repeat until you have watered the correct amount. This process is particularly helpful for those who are unlucky enough to live on lots composed of clay soil. Consider using low output sprinkler heads, bubbles, or drip irrigation systems as tools to avoid runoff.



2. When replacing plants or trees that have died because of this summer's hot temperatures and lack of water, consider replanting with drought-tolerant plants and shrubs. A blooming Mexican heather outperforms a drooping azalea in almost every category. As an added bonus, native plants can provide food for wildlife.



3. Consider using groundcover rather than turf, especially on oddly-shaped areas. It's easier to maintain, requires less water, and will avoid runoff.



4. Again, to those unlucky owners of clay: consider adding organic material to your clay soil at every opportunity. You'll use less water, and your landscape plantings will perform better.



5. Evaluate your sprinkler system. The next post will include instructions for determining how much water your sprinkler system is delivering. Use those numbers to decide how long to water.

Following these tips will assist you in saving money and your expensive landscape.

Suspect a pool leak?

American Leak Detection provides a step by step test to find out if your pool is leaking or if the water is evaporating at a faster than normal rate because of the heat.

1. Fill the pool to the level recommended for operating: usually pool companies suggest halfway up the pool skimmer.



2. Turn off the pool pump and any other device that adds water to the pool.



3. Take a five gallon bucket and fill it to within 1" of the top.



4. Place the filled bucket on the 1st or 2nd step of the pool with the bucket under water at least six inches. Make sure the bucket won't tip or float.



5. Mark the water level inside the bucket.



6. Mark the water level on the outside of the bucket.



7. Turn the pool pump back on.



8. You won't be able to swim during the test.



9. Wait 24 hours and compare the level in the bucket with the level in the pool. If the pool level is lower than the bucket level, then you probably have a leak. If the levels are the same, then the Texas heat has struck again, and you are experiencing normal evaporation.

Those pools with a spa, fountain, waterfall, or negative edge will lose slightly more than the bucket because of increased evaporation.

Of course, in the unlikely event that it rains, you will have to repeat the test. (We hope you have this problem!)

Thanks again to American Leak Detection. If you do have a leak, you might give them a call for advice and service at 817-789-4571 or 972-441-4030.

For all of your real estate needs, call the Grove Team, Keller Williams (817) 337-0000 or find us online, www.groveteam.com

A video tour of 505 Charrington, Keller

505 Charrington Drive

Keller, TX

Offered by Grove Team for $275,000

Truly a home for a lifetime, this immaculate home has been meticulously maintained. The 4 bedroom plan features a separate secondary bedroom with a private bath. The dream kitchen boasts ample cabinet & counter space, Corian tops, island, smooth cooktop, & built-in desk. Other features:Private master ste (2 closets) & luxurious bath, Plantation shutters, radiant barrier, crown molding, solar screens, epoxy garage floor.Don't miss the 3 car garage!

Call the Grove Team, Keller Williams Realty today to schedule your private tour today - (817) 337-0000, www.groveteam.com.

More Information on the Latest Keller IDS Accountability Rating

The latest ratings from the TEA have been released, and Keller ISD's rating has fallen to Acceptable from Recognized. Naturally, all residents of KISD are concerned about a ratings fall. Those with children and those who are concerned about children wonder about the effectiveness of education in the district. Even those without children are concerned about falling property values because of school quality.


A quick look at the ratings of various campuses demonstrates the problem. Although some campuses did have lesser ratings this year, Caprock Elementary fell from Exemplary--the highest rating--to Unacceptable. Falling from the highest rating to the lowest in one year is an unusual development, to say the least.



Brice Nieman from KISD shed some light on these new developments. The rating change for Caprock seems to be directly linked to a change by the TEA. The TEA did use the Texas Projection Measure in 2010, and the scores from all sub-populations were not used to establish Caprock's rating in 2010. In 2011, those two factors were reversed: the Texas Projection Measure was not used and scores from all sub-populations were used.


These and other changes to the rating system made achieving higher ratings more difficult in 2011 than in 2010. Rating changes--mostly downward--were not unusual for Texas school districts and for individual campuses in 2011. Caprock Elementary's fall is unusual in how far it fell in a single year.


Keller ISD is working to improve its campuses this year. The question is how much time will be spent on teaching to the test because of the furor over the ratings change.

The Sky Is Not Falling

When you take a brief look at the numbers for August of 2010 and August of 2011, the results can be reassuring:


Measure August 2010 August 2011


Dow Jones 10,213,62 11,405.93

S&P 500 1,071.69 1,192.76

NASDAQ 2,179.76 2,523.45

Unemployment 9.7% 9.2%

30 Yr Mortgage * 4.44% 4.32%

Median Home Price $182,900 $184,300


*June number from National Association of Realtors.


On an anecdotal basis, the Grove Team received five offers on different properties in various price ranges over the past weekend. That many offers is respectable in any market. Other agents we have spoken to also have reported similar levels of activity.


We can't allow ourselves to be a part of a gloomy outlook that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Thanks to Sandy Shetty at Benchmark Mortgage for assembling the data above.

A guide for getting through emergency home repairs

(ARA) - A surprise can be fun on some occasions, like your birthday. But when it comes to home repair emergencies, a surprise is the last thing you want - especially in these economically challenging times.


Unfortunately, this is a situation all too many homeowners find themselves in after a home emergency. Often they discover that a repair they assumed would be covered by their home insurance or local utility is actually their responsibility to fix.

From water and drainage systems to electrical and heating/cooling configurations, your home is a complex network of pipes, wires and electrical components that could require an emergency repair at any time.

An outside water pipe breaking or a sewer line collapsing can easily rank as a homeowners' worst nightmare; however, when an emergency occurs, most homeowners are not aware of who is responsible for the damage. In fact, less than 50 percent of the homeowners in a recent national survey, conducted by GfK Roper Custom Research, knew that they were responsible for repairs to the water line between their house and the street.

This is where companies that offer emergency home repair plans, such as HomeServe USA, can make the difference between peace of mind and an expensive and time-consuming repair.

"According the results of the survey, one third of all homeowners responding assumed that their local utility was responsible for the cost of a burst water line between their house and the street, when this is usually not the case," says Tom Rusin, chief executive officer of HomeServe USA. "One of the challenges of home ownership is that the potential for expensive repairs is always out there. In fact, repairing a water service line can cost more than $2,000 and simply clearing a blocked drain can cost upwards of $350."

Rusin suggests that all homeowners do the following things to minimize the potential financial liability and hassle associated with home repair emergencies:

1. Speak to your homeowners insurance agent to get a clear understanding of which areas of your home are covered by your insurance policy and which ones are not. Potential trouble spots include interior and exterior electrical wiring, outside water service and sewer lines, inside plumbing and gas piping, central heating and air conditioning systems, and the water heater.

2. Similarly, speak to your local electric, gas, and water utilities to determine equipment that you may be responsible for. As mentioned earlier, the water and sewer lines that run underneath the lawn are the responsibility of the homeowner in the vast majority of cases.

3. Proper maintenance of home components greatly minimizes the chance of an unexpected emergency. For example, check the air filter on your central heating or cooling system regularly and change it about once every three months during the season. Protect water pipes from freezing with proper insulation or draining them prior to winter. And fix leaky faucets and toilets to save water and prevent bigger problems.

4. Consider a home emergency protection plan that can relieve you of not only the financial burden of a home emergency, but also the uncertainty involved in looking for a repair person on a Sunday afternoon.

"The more prepared homeowners are for a home repair emergency, the more peace of mind they'll have and the more time they can spend enjoying their house with their families," says Rusin.