As @robertokc once said, “no smart controller will fix a bad system.” In other words, Rachio is awesome but it’s not going to work as well, or correctly at all, if your sprinkler system sucks. But even if your system is brand new and set up perfectly, there are still things you can do to continue to improve and preserve your system. Here’s what we recommend:
Winterize Your Controller
Leftover water in your pipes can freeze, expand, and then in turn crack the pipes in your system, causing a ton of future headaches and money to get things fixed. @robertokc gave us some pretty sound winterization advice and @schaeferb is back every year with his famous Winterizinator site to use the Rachio API to winterize your system. Not ready to do it yourself? Find an irrigation professional in your area using Rachio ProFinder.
Do A Yearly (or Seasonal) System Check
Whether you’ve already installed your Rachio controller or you’re not yet part of the Rachio fam, it’s important to check for problems that will keep your system from running to the best of it’s ability. System checks can prevent further damage, water waste, and money down the drain. Make sure you check for landscape and turf issues too!
Keep An Eye On The Nozzles
Whoever installed your irrigation system should know better, but it doesn’t always happen that way. When completing your system check, make sure to keep an eye on your nozzles. Does each zone have one type of nozzle? Pros in our community recommend that you don’t mix rotors and spray nozzles into one zone since their precipitation rate (PR) is drastically different.
Interested to learn what our community members do recommend? Check this out: Sprinkler Nozzle Recommendation
Ask For Help
Irrigation can be confusing and there is a lot that goes into it. Even one of our most insightful Rachio Power Users, @azdavidr, had a tough time figuring out how to improve his system despite the unusual layout of his yard. He came to the Rachio Community to learn what recommendations others had for improving his sprinkler system.
There are plenty more resources on the Rachio community for sprinkler system upkeep. Here are some Rachio favorites:
Best products to stop overspray on my sprinkler heads
Irrigation Design Resources
Sprinkler spacing and overlap