How To Program Zone Based On GPH Usage?

[rehctelf]

I want to set up my zones based on GPH usage so that I get a more accurate calculation of my water usage. For example, one of my zones has a single drip line with 10 x 6 GPH (60 GPH total for the zone) emitters on it and it is scheduled to water for 10 minutes every other day. Therefore, I know that the zone is using approximately 6 gallons per watering session. Is there a way to set up my zone to reflect this? Right now, my calculated water usage is nowhere near my actual usage.

Thanks in advance for your help

[franz]

Is there a way to set up my zone to reflect this? Right now, my calculated water usage is nowhere near my actual usage.

This is how we calculate usage:

How we calculate water usage

So, we need the square footage size of your yard and then the precip rate for a given nozzle in in/hr. You can create custom nozzles if needed

[rehctelf]

Thanks for your quick response Franz

However, square footage and precip rate are irrelevant to me as the type of zone I referred to is simply a single drip line watering water a row of trees, bushes, or shrubs with emitters. I already know my gallons per hour (or minute) usage and simply want to enter that information. This type of zone is very common and there should be an easy way to enter known GPH or GPM when square footage does not apply …

… I guess in the mean time I can use your calculation to come up with the number I need, but that is complicated and not user friendly. So, please let me know if this will work:

If I know that a zone is using 1 gallon per minute, then I would enter:

SF = 96.25
PR = 1

… and, according to you calculation, that should give me one gallon per minute?

Thanks again

[emil]

However, square footage and precip rate are irrelevant to me as the type of zone I referred to is simply a single drip line watering water a row of trees, bushes, or shrubs with emitters.

@rehctelf, thanks for your feedback. You bring up a good point that we need to address. I’ll share your feedback with @benblackmer and the product team.

So, please let me know if this will work:

If I know that a zone is using 1 gallon per minute, then I would enter:

SF = 96.25PR = 1

I do not believe this will work as nozzles require the precip rate in in/hr, not the flow rate in GPH or GPM. These are very different numbers. For details on calculating your precip rate, please reference this support article: http://support.rachio.com/article/316-precipitation-rates. If you’d like to send us the data inputs from the article, we can work through the equation together to calculate the custom nozzle rate for this zone (and any others you need help with).

As for the square footage, we need to calculate how much square feet your drip line waters based on the total number of emitters that are in the drip line.

Hope this helps. Happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Best, Emil