What is the Hoover Flowguard™?
Flowguard™ is a remote irrigation and water management system. It provides remote management of irrigation and pump systems, and automatically performs water use management tasks.
Who created the Hoover Flowguard™?
Flowguard™ is the latest solution created by Hoover Pumping Systems, applying technology to simplify and improve the quality of irrigation management. Hoover Pumping Systems was awarded the honor “Manufacturer of the Year” by the South Florida Manufacturers Association in 2008.
The company’s enthusiastic team members are fueled by the passion to create and offer inventive and practical irrigation solutions that are worthy of our name, the Hoover brand. Continually pushing for better and more effective ways to manage irrigation systems and the water they move is our passion.
What does Flowguard™ do?
Flowguard™ provides many tools to assist the busy irrigation and property manager: - Automatically sends email warnings and alerts when problems occur
- Automatic supervision of the irrigation and pump system through water window scheduling and other control features
- Automated compliance with water use restrictions
- Measures and reports water pressure and flow data in real time
- Automatically prepares real time and historical graphs and reports
- Automated water usage reports and email alerts for excess usage
- Guards and protects against excess pump cycling and other damaging events
How Does Flowguard™ work?
Flowguard™ uses advanced technology to make irrigation system management simpler: - Internet technology collects and reports water flow and pressure information from the water source to the irrigation system
- Email alerts are sent to users reporitng problems at the time they occur
- Data analysis and preparation of simple to read reports show irrigation events, water usage and diagnostic graphs
- Precise control technology directs automatic operation and protective shutdown features to prevent catastrophic irrigation system damages and fines from excess water use
- Archived history is maintained by the system for future reference and documentation
Who Uses Flowguard™?
Flowguard™ is used by a variety of managers and professionals responsible for irrigation management. The tools provided significantly save time, cost and resources through: - Efficient oversight of irrigation through automated reporting of data and information
- Proactive identification and alerting of problems before stress losses are noticed in the landscaping
- Early detection and reporting of leaks and breaks in the irrigation system
- Lowered costs through reduction of energy and wasted water consumption
- Protective shutdown features prevent catastrophic irrigation system damages and fines from excess water use
Why does it matter that Flowguard™starts the job at the water source?
It is logical to begin monitoring at the water source because water supplies often fail to supply irrigation water with sufficient pressure for adequate irrigation coverage at critical times. At various times of year, wells and ponds vary in the amount of water they can supply. In times of severe drought, the water supply may be completely exhausted. Competing water consumption can create excess drawdown that results in a widespread drop in the water table. This condition can cause significant losses in the amount of water capacity of nearby wells and ponds. Reclaimed and Re-use water supplies have similar issues. Lack of water supply for reclaimed and stored water sources are frequently experienced at critical watering times.
Why does it matter that Flowguard™ measures water pressure? The devices used to direct irrigation water to its final target are sensitive to pressure variations. Despite an adequate flow rate, uneven water pressure can cause uneven irrigation distribution by failing to deliver the right amount of water to the right location. This results in over- or under- watering the plants and turf, negativley affecting their heatlh and appearance.
How is Flowguard™ different than other irrigation management products? Flowguard™ is the only remote irrigation management tool that displays accurate real time and historical water flow and water pressure information through the Internet using a standard web browser.
Flowguard™ automatically sends detailed emails, prepares event logs, water usage reports and diagnostic water pressure and flow graphs. The information is accessible and available at any time by multiple users, and is archived for future reference. Flowguard™ is enabled through Internet based software and communicates through wireless cellular data transmission. How is Flowguard™ different than smart controllers and central control irrigation management products? Irrigation telemetry technologies enable the programming, monitoring and modifying of the irrigation system’s operation from a remote location. Use of Flowguard™ adds the benefits of water source information, detailed email alerts and archived histories to the features of traditional central control and the more modern "smart" controller technologies.
The Internet based software and wireless cellular communication of Flowguard™ combined with traditional central control products and/or “smart controllers” are powerful allies in protecting the irrigation and the landscape.
Irrigation telemetry technologies control the irrigation system operation in response to conditions in the irrigation field, weather, temperature, soil moisture, etc. Flowguard™ adds to this the benefits of water source information, as well as automatic email alerts via wireless cellular technology or the client’s Local Area Network (LAN).
Use of Flowguard™ descriptive event logs and diagnostic pressure and flow graphs provides the detailed information often needed to quickly identify the root cause of the problem. The manager can focus upon correcting the underlying cause without wasting time analyzing many symptoms that are often presented.
Especially when the water supply is unreliable, or if low pressure or rapid pump cycling conditions exist, the Hoover Flowguard™ proves its value as an excellent tool in the management of irrigation systems and the conservation of energy and water resources. | 
