How Do I Make Maintaining a Pool's Water Level No Different Than Any Other Rachio Zone?

My yard = zones 1 - 9.

I’m fortunate to have a zone (10) to keep the built-in pool filled up using the sprinkler system as a source for water. Don’t have to use a hose from the water faucet.

I’ve got my flex schedule set up. No restrictions. Water any day of the week. Start at 12:00 AM and go for as long as flex schedule determines is needed.

For zones 1 - 9 I’ve got planting, soil, slope, sun, heads, and SF all set up correctly. My soil type can accept 0.2" per hour so flex schedule has arranged everything to keep the moisture balance constantly above 50%.

The pool’s no different. It’s actual water level rises when zone 10 is on, or when it rains. It loses water due to evaporation (today was 104 degrees - with so much surface area I lost a good amount of water today). And so the ‘bank balance’ is very visible.

My question is, what parameters do I put in for zone 10 such that at the moment, with the heat and no rain, this zone (the pool) gets about 5 min. every day?

First reaction may be to simply set up the pool to daily water for 5 minutes. But, I’d like to experiment here and see if I can simply flex schedule everything in one flex schedule, including the pool. Especially since the pool really isn’t any different than a ‘normal’ zone: Prev water level = Irrig + Rain - pool water evap = Current water level.

This is kind of like a science experiment to see if I can say: everything outside that exhibits ‘crop evap’ is being managed by one Rachio Flex Schedule.

Many thanks!

Best regards,

Bill

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I think you would have to figure out how to manipulate root depth and needed moisture to get what you need

In the 100+ degree heat / no rain weather environment we currently have here in Dallas, it’s been my experience that for the amount of pool surface area we have, and for the pool-fill pipe size I have, I need about 5 minutes per day of water to keep the pool at the full level.

Thus, 5 min/day at this point in time (hottest part of the Summer) is the mission to offset the pool’s current evap rate, with a flex schedule.

So far, I’ve figured out how to get 7 minutes scheduled every other day. I’m still trying to get closer to 5 min. every day but not smart enough yet.

My settings for this zone that results in 7 minutes per every other day are:

Xeriscape planting, Loam soil, Flat slope, Lots of Sun, Fixed Sprinkler Heads, 0.17"/hr, 10" RD, 10% AD, and 100% Efficiency.

Any advise to refine this would be very much appreciated.

Best regards,

Bill

you might want to consider using cool season grass or annuals as during hot months they will have the highest transpiration rate. as @ghctim stated, you will have to play with the other zone settings to determine the proper watering time so im not much help there, but please consider cool season grass as the vegetation type

Now this is very helpful!

I changed my ‘pool’ zone’s flex schedule plant selection from Xeriscape to annuals. Excellent! Now flex sched is watering this zone every day for 4 minutes each. I’ll try this for a while, to see if the pool’s evaporation rate stays managed.

Thanks and best regards,

Bill

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