In Depth: Inspections

Now that your Smartlink-connected controller is setup and configured correctly, it's a good idea to periodically do a physical check of your irrigation system to make sure everything is in good repair.  We call this process an "Inspection", and we have a simple tool to help document your findings during this process.

To start an inspection, go to your controller details page and hit the "Inspections" tab at the top.  This will give you a list of inspections for the controller (it may be empty if this is your first inspection!) as well as a button at the top-right to "Start Inspection".

When you hit "Start Inspection" you will be asked to mark the date and give a name for your inspection.  Enter this data and proceed.

Once you are in the inspection, you'll be presented with a per-zone breakdown of your controller.  This is a great tool to use on an iPad or other tablet while walking through your property.

Let's break down each zone's row into it's useful parts:

The leftmost column is the Zone Number.  But this column is more than just a simple number indicator!  Tap the number and you have an option to quickly start or stop the zone.  This handy feature lets you get your zone running for visual inspection without leaving the inspection tool.

The next set of columns shows you the zone run times configured for standard mode.

Also note that below these two column sets, you can easily set the description of the zone.  Just tap on "Description" and you can edit and save inline.

The next set of columns is the true core of the inspection.  You can visually check each zone for each type of issue.  Tap the cell below each issue type to mark how many of these issues exist per zone.

You can also edit auto-adjust settings in the pane below these settings.  Simply tab the cell and you can edit and save in-line.

At the end of each row, there is a button to "Show" and "Hide" photos.  Hit "Show" to get an expanded area in which you can upload photos of the zone, or any issues you find.  You can also review any photos you have taken earlier in the inspection.

Lastly, below the "Photos" columns, you can enter per-zone notes for future reference.  Click the empty cell and a small note-taking space will pop up.  You can easily save or cancel you note here.

Once your inspection is complete, simply hit "Save" and you'll have a permanent record!  Inspections can be easily recalled later, or exported via Excel or PDF formats for distribution.