Meet the Rachio 3 Smart Water System (aka Wireless Flow Metering!) :rachio:

Thanks Laura, I did get it after going back to look :slight_smile:

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@Smarks
Wahoo! Glad to hear :slight_smile:

@laura.bauman, is this for $20 off? How about doing some sort of trade in type offer?

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I’d much prefer this path. Take in my G2, “refurbish” it, and sell it as refurbished unit with a warranty. I’m on the fence of whether or not it is worth it to me to upgrade to the G3. A trade-up offer would probably make it an easier decision, but a slight coupon with no guarantee of being able to sell a used G2 without a warranty on the second hand market isn’t a strong contender. Rachio probably has a much better chance of selling a refurb’d G2 than I would a used G2.

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I agree with this… the uncertainty of how the flow meter will work with the controller in my setup (all underground reclaimed water supply lines) plus the price tag is giving me pause.

What happened to the Pass It On Program?

Hi
from what I understand the system will use 900MHz which is only for North and South America, will there be an international version using 433 or 868 MHz?

@Wolfno The system is only certified for U.S. and Canada at this time. I can’t speak to future availability in other regions.

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When does the Rachio 3 ship? I order mine today. :slight_smile:

Hey @JuliusLSPenn! You can expect Rachio 3 to ship in the second half of April :smile:

@franz @emil @mckynzee

Around here in the south, most new systems are in ground and have a master valve within 6" of the backflow device.

-Can the sensor be installed after a master valve?

-Is there a minimum distance after the sensor to the first turn?

It’s recommended to install the sensor above ground. Around here they would be underground in a box, and more than likely get covered with dirt. Most of the single station controllers or sensors I’ve ever seen in the ground eventually take on moisture. If I’m reading the warranty right, any damage to the flow sensor from being installed in the ground would void the warranty. Is that right?

“…THE LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT APPLY IF, AS DETERMINED BY RACHIO IN ITS SOLE AND ABSOLUTE DISCRETION, THE PRODUCT FAILURE WAS DUE IN ANY WAY TO DAMAGE FROM SHIPPING, HANDLING, OR IMPROPER STORAGE; ACCIDENT, ABUSE, MISUSE, OR FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY MAINTAIN THE PRODUCT; EXPOSURE TO ELECTROLYSIS, EROSION, OR ABRASION…”

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Just got version 2 from amazon (still in box) but see that a version 3 is in pre-order. Reading through this thread I am having a hard time understanding if there are features other than wireless flow meter that are dependent on the new hardware and will not make it to version 2 as a software upgrade? Can someone help?

@terminator - Here are some other features that I’m aware of that are different between the Gen 2 and Gen 3 devices:

  1. Weather Intelligence + - don’t have much information on this.

These are hardware differences, that obviously won’t be on the Gen 2:

  1. Buttons on the exterior of the Gen 3 for pause, run and skip
  2. New terminal strip for easier (better) connections
  3. 5 GHz WiFi support - shorter range than 2.4 GHz, but less crowded and may make setup easier.
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My system does not have a master backflow preventer, rather it has six valves each of which has a built in anti-siphon valve (https://www.amazon.com/Genie-54000-Anti-Siphon-Valve-Control/dp/B000A287DA). It would be easy to install the flow meter on the pipe that feeds the six valves. Is this supported?

Is the “hyperlocal weather salellite” one with orbits outside US&Canada (ergo: Are these weather benefits worldwide usable?)

I too would like to know the answers as my flow sensor is below ground.

I assume they mean that the dirt is not in direct contact, but I’ll wait to see.

Hey @sbarnhard- Weather Intelligence Plus is worldwide.

@Sprinklerman, @piperrose may be able to answer your questions in more detail, but currently we do not support underground installation due to connectivity concerns. I am not sure however if this would impact your warranty if you were to give it a try and were able to connect it. Does that make sense?

@plainsane, would you consider trashing your wired flow sensor for the new one? Do you think the process of switching the two would be difficult?

If that’s the case, will G3 be made available for purchase without the flow meter at a lower cost? It feels a bit short sighted to release this yet not support a common irrigation setup. Every purchaser has to absorb the cost of the flow meter they may not be able use in a supported manner.

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Abso-fing-lutely. It will be fairly easy to swap the 2 unless I need more then 10 inches of pipe before or after the sensor

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@mckynzee my concern is not just connectivity. Most of the back flow devices, valves, sensors, single station controllers, etc., anything in a box in the ground will get covered with debris at some point. The electronic devices in the ground always take on moisture even though they are supposedly water proof or sealed.

In the south most irrigation components are in the ground. I don’t see that practice changing unless a new state rule forces that to happen. So, for now, any new sensor is going to be in a box in the ground.

@scorp508 They are selling the G3 alone: Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller

Since that is the case, the G2 still works fine.

Ah good! I admit I hadn’t gone to the store links as I wasn’t yet (still not) convinced to upgrade from G2. :slight_smile: