I’m not sure exactly where to post this in the Community forum. So, if this is the wrong place, I hope a moderator will move it where it needs to be.
I live in Frisco, Texas. About 2 weeks ago, during the hottest time of the year I received an automated email informing me that seasonal adjustments had been made to my controller. Instead of adding more water to my schedules, the watering time lowered for each zone. We are currently experiencing over 100 degree days every day, and our City water department estimates that the evaporation rate is currently 0.25 inch per week. The City authorized a second watering day this week to help us get enough water to our lawns. One of the features I have enjoyed for several years has been the automatic seasonal adjustments.
I sent Rachio support an email asking them to rethink the schedule change date for our area to make it later in the year. I know I can manually edit the zones to add more time. So, please don’t make that suggestion.
Rachio support’s response to my email was to have me post the issue I brought up to them here in the Community requesting a reevaluation of the seasonal change date. They assured me that they will monitor my post and see how many other Rachio users agree with me. So, please help to vote my request “in” so they will consider the reevaluation.
@tmcgahey , Yes, I am aware that I can disable seasonal shifts. You missed the point of my post. The point of my post is to hopefully have other members of the Community vote with me to have Rachio reexamine the seasonal shift date for my area (Northeast Texas).
Seasonal shift isn’t something Rachio is looking at on a monthly basis making adjustments as they see fit. It is an algorithm created by 10 years of historical weather data. This year is not normal for a number of areas around the country, AZ included. We’ve had a record number of days above 110, almost all of them coming in July, which is usually when we see temps in the 100-105 range and increase humidity.
There is already mentions from Rachio team about re-evaluating the seasonal shift for future updates.
Yes, I understand. As I explained, I was directed by Rachio support to post my request to the Community with the hope that members would vote to have this looked at.
@sunny , apparently the 10 years of data and current algorithm isn’t working. Maybe it works where you live, but not where I live. I’ve lived in this area for over 40 years. Every site I checked just a few minutes ago all concur that August is the hottest month of the year.
I don’t know what it will take to “fix” this. All I know is whatever data set and algorithms are being used to calculate the August Seasonal Change are apparently not working.
FWIW, I’m a multiyear Rachio user growing common Bermuda, Palisades Zoysia and St. Augustine under the same NE Texas sky near Tyler. I commiserate with you and your lawn’s stress, but I think you might be using the wrong schedule type(s) for your neck of the woods. I’ve run meticulously configured Flex Daily schedules without intervention for years with an 8-zone Rachio, a Tempest weather station (last 1.5 years), and an inline irrigation flow meter. Through very hot summers and frozen solid winter storms. Most importantly… spending about 70% less for water vs. my old Rainbird and ALL of my neighbors (who care). Flex Daily doesn’t participate in the seasonal adjustment process you don’t like.
Like you, though, our local water supplier issued watering limits recently - which seemed at first draconian - 3 days per week in one 4-hour time interval (mine designated as midnight - 4:00 AM). Turns out, a Fixed schedule easily provides parameters to make precisely that allotment available from Rachio at those times. I’ve got stressed areas, but I’m using my entire allotment effectively. (I’ve simply disabled the Flex Daily schedules til this water emergency passes, when I’ll disable the Fixed conservation schedule until it’s needed again.) You can tweek zones in Fixed scheduling too.
I’ve kicked around Flex Monthly but I fail to see the reason for smoothing out whole months to one set of historical data when there are good weather stations all around (including my own), to handle forecasts (predictions) and live data for skips and watering. I’d guess it’s a marginal step up from operating a Rachio like a Rainbird - fixed watering hell or high water - but the Rachio can do so much more. I never considered “seasons” were reliable in our part of Texas, with 3 weather patterns overhead, where we can see 50º temperature swings and drought-to-floods in an afternoon. Good growing!
@JBTexas , your watering restriction is much more lenient than ours. We are only supposed to water one day per week. I use a set schedule on a cycle and soak because we have heavy clay soil which makes it difficult for sprinklers to water deeply.
Like you, I use a private weather station which is very close to home.
Wow, 1 day a week!? Do you at least get the whole day to water? Clearly you are in a more temperate climate. No way we could get by with 1 day a week in the southwest.
Wow, so you get 8 hours in the morning, and 5 hours at night to complete all your watering for the week. Those are the most strict restrictions I think I’ve ever seen!
My total run time for 17 zones (split across 2 units) is something like 27 hours if I had to cram it all together. Most of my run time is drip, so I guess there are no time of day restrictions there…
