From Rachio TechSupport’s explanation and the information on the Rachio website, the Saturation skip algorithm is already considering several variables (a good thing).
However, the Saturation skip will be greatly enhanced by adding two (2) variables to the existing algorithm!
The key issue is that Rachio historical weather data is for my area, but it is Not for my lot.
For example, we often experience low rainfall a block over from our street at the same time as a high amount of rainfall on our street, or vice versa.
For your customers like me who invested in a rain sensor switch, my Rachio controller has access to actual confirmation of rainfall at my lot , and it works well.
The Rachio controller already captures the exact times of both transitions of my rain sensor switch.
Leading edge of the signal = Rain start time: when the rain sensor turns on for active rainfall
Trailing edge of the signal = Sensor off time: after an extended period of drying time due to no rainfall
With these two times captured from the switch, the controller could subtract to find the duration of the rain sensor’s signal in the On status.
That duration is the first variable (i.e. DURATION) to be added to the saturation skip algorithm, as that duration is an “order of magnitude” indication of the total rainfall and saturation of my lot .
And in my case, I have the Rainbird WR-2 rain sensor. It allows me to select from 6 preset rainfall amount setpoints (1/8 inch to 1/2 inch of rain), and that preset setpoint that I selected is the second variable (i.e. RAIN SENSOR SETPOINT) that should be included in the saturation skip algorithm. So if I selected a 1/4 inch inside the rainbird WR-2 sensor configuration, the Rachio app should offer me a setting where I can specify that my rain sensor is set to 1/4 inch.
So in the setting example above, my Rachio controller should be able to know from my rain sensor that my lot has just received at least 1/4 inch of rain.
With RAIN SENSOR SETPOINT = 1/4 inch of rain…
If DURATION = 72 hours, then my lot received much more than 1/4 inch of rain than if DURATION was only = 24 hours
Plus, all of Rachio’s customers will benefit who have neighbors with rain sensors!