My Unfortunate Experience with my Rachio Controller

Feedback
1
  1. Quick run randomly does not work. Sometimes it does not shut off, other times it does not turn on.
  2. Sometimes there is no way to shut the system off.
  3. Randomly I get a message that says runtime is done, I look outside and about an hour later the sprinklers are still running and the ONLY way to shut them off is to go out and shut the water off.
  4. I travel, I can’t have an unreliable system.
  5. I had shrubs re-planted and I could not schedule watering twice a day for two weeks.
  6. I use the manual control and sometimes is shuts off other times it does not.
  7. You need an ON switch and an OFF switch.
2

I’m not a hardware person, so I’m sure those guys will chime in. Might it be a solenoid or a valve problem?

From the software side, do you experience the same problems on the web app as well as your mobile app? Is your mobile device and the Rachio app at the latest update levels?

3

It sounds to me to be some kind of hardware issue. I would try to get it in a state where it does not turn on or off when it should.

  1. Check app state to see if as expected
  2. Repeat for web
  3. Check the lights on the controller to be doing what it should
  4. With a voltmeter to the connector on the controller and the common, check the voltage
  5. Repeat on the wires to the valve

Report back with the results which might help narrow things down. If everything looks good, but it is still in wrong state (such as voltage at valve, but it is not on or visa versa) then probably something bad on the valve/solenoid.

4

Quick run I have found does kind of hang if you are quickly starting and stopping. Usually just existing app and back in is the most I have to do. Worst is just having wet fingers and my phone not responding.

2,3,4,6 all sound like the same issue. You have valves getting stuck open and closed. Since its both open and closing being an issue, I dont think its electrical. I’d expect your issue is only one a few zones. Clean the valves is likely the answer.

5 You can add daily waterings, just add more schedules. I have 3 daily 6min waterings AM/Midday/PM for my grass seed I planted, works even with my 4th Flex schedule.

7 There is a standby mode. The button on the front of the unit does turn it on and off. You could also turn off your water at the back flow preventer.