I’d like to see a configurable delay between zones (only when switching zones). I am on a well, and a couple of my sprinkler zones have slow valves that take a 5 or 10 seconds to close after the controller tells it to close. As a result, if the controller finishes one of my slow-to-close zones, and moves on to another zone, I could have 2 zones running simultaneously for a bit. This reduces my water pressure to almost 0, and causes my well low-pressure switch safety to trigger, which shuts off my well pump. A simple delay between zones would solve this problem, and also allow the bladder tank to refill.
Others have requested this feature just to allow their well to “recharge” between zones, which would be an added benefit to me.
My request is similar to this suggestion: Automatic delay between zones
Which the product team seems to think they have implemented here: https://support.rachio.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002718534-Delay-Between-Zones-How-to-include-a-well-in-your-irrigation-setup-
However, the proposed solution reduces quite a bit of the functionality of the system because you must no longer use the smart soak / smart cycle option. For instance, with the proposed solution, the watering behavior would change from this:
Zone 1: 15min, soak, 15min, soak, 15min
Zone 2: 15min
to this:
Zone 1: 45min
(configurable pause)
Zone 2: 15 min
I don’t want to “dumb down” the watering logic by implementing the feature as it is described above. I just want it to pause when switching from one zone to the next.