If I didn’t have access to the app, I would just manually turn the valves. Do all valves not have manual options?
Tracking wire and finding valves is a whole other job. That can take hours sometimes.
Glad you found a workaround!
When someone calls to schedule with you, could this instruction page be sent to them prior to the service visit? If you showed up to a home with Hydrawise (or other connected controller) that you didn’t install, they need to register their controller to you so that you have access. Could be a similar process for Rachio I’d just have instructions for maybe the top 4 controllers in an email that you blast out to any customers prior to service.
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Every other timer has a way to run a manual cycle, so it’s not necessary to send instructions for them.
I usually don’t know what type of timer a customer has until I get there.
I have something in the neighborhood of 1200 customers.
I don’t have time for all that.
I send out a postcard with their date of winterization on it, they call and confirm.
That’s about the extent of our communications.
Now I’ll have to have our scheduler contact the customer with rachio timers.
That’s why I charge for a second service call, I have to recoop the money these things cost me somehow.
So I’m at someone’s house, and I had to talk the homeowner into sharing the gadget with me.
So I’m trying to access it in the app and it doesn’t show up.
So I proceed to run through each of the 13 zones manually from the timer twice.
Still not showing up.
What’s the point in any of it.
I’m going to charge a markup on anyone with a rachio timer and be done with this nonsense.
Hopefully they will find another irrigation company that wants to deal with these pieces of junk.
These gadgets seemed to be geared toward homeowners that want something to play with, not serious irrigation contractors.
I don’t have time for it.
They cost me money.
They are pointless.