16 Hours for first run?

Our 20 year old controller was beginning to show its age so I switched to the Rachio 3 16 zone controller. Our normal fixed schedule was between 90-160 minutes a day depending on which schedule was run. I’ve just set up the Rachio with a Flex Daily Schedule using the Weather Intelligence Plus and its oodles of weather sources and it shows 16 HOURS for its first run. We’re on a well, but even if we weren’t that just seems ridiculous. Any troubleshooting ideas? I saw the iOS app had a place to set up zones on a Yard map. If I did that would it change anything? I’m thinking of replicating my old fixed schedule in Rachio so I can at least water… Any help gratefully appreciated.

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The yard map thing and area doesn’t do anything.
If you have a really long run time, then you most likely chose a very high root depth. Your run time is essentially, the root depth * available water * efficiency / nozzle in per hr. For my grass in Indianapolis I use 4" depth, 0.2 avai water, 100% efficiency, 0.8 inch per hr. Crop Coeff will determine your water loss (after a rain or watering) the higher the number the more loss, and the allowed depletion will determine how dry soil will be to start watering as determined by the crop coeff and weather.

Hey I am answering this not because I actually have a real answer but just that I want to follow the thread – I have a similar question. I’m seeing the same thing 16 hours. But I am guessing the following Dash for my previous controller I had watering spread out across several days they words plants trees grass these were done on different days and even different intervals. Had I done everything all at once adding up all the time it would probably be pretty close to 16 hours. Are you saying that on your previous controller you were just run for a couple of hours and all of your properties plans would be watered?

@jhall3rd My previous controller was a 20 year old dinosaur that had fixed schedules. We were trying to go 21st century with the Rachio, but I’m still learning. I have a PWS on my roof, but chose the option to let it choose its own sources so it would have more info… still not sure about the Flex… seems to ignore my drip lines… even with the fixed schedule on Rachio it would sometimes skip fixed waterings because it said idk didn’t need it.