URGENT: Need fix to multiple Rachio units so they work as one system

[support@rachio.com] can issue a full RMA for you.

:beers:

I’m a new user, as of this week, and also have 2 Iros. I’ve found the system to be workable as-is but it’s definitely on my wish list to have the functionality the OP requested. I find it annoying to flip back and forth between the two controllers and making use of flex schedules with two separate, non-integrated, systems requires more time and thought than I’d prefer. It’s not enough for me to be upset but it does lower my satisfaction a bit. Please add 1 customer vote to that feature request.

2 Likes

Been using an 16 zone Iro controller since they came out and I love this thing so much but I have to add my +1 for this request as well. We just finished re-doing our backyard and it pushed me to 20 zones so now I have two controllers. I was not expecting the adding of multiple controller to show up as a completely separate page. It really does make it a pain to make sure not to overlap run times. I could really see this being a nightmare with even bigger systems. I can manage for now but I would love if the system could merge the two together just in terms of ease scheduling purposes view.

Jaime

2 Likes

Add me to the list. I am installing sprinklers in my back yard this fall and will need to add another controller and I don’t want to have to worry about overlapping schedules. I am surprised with such a great system in all other ways that linking two controllers functions and programing together is not an option.

1 Like

@emil, @franz Yes, from the website, this is a bit misleading:
http://support.rachio.com/article/170-general-faqs
What if I have more than 16 zones?
No problem. You can connect multiple Iros within one Rachio Account on the Rachio app. Say for instance you have 24 zones, you can combine an 8 & 16 zone controller on one account and you’re set! If you have 45 zones, you could use three 16 zone Iro’s and have three remaining slots for a potential expansion. In essence you can combine as many Iro’s as needed to handle your system’s needs. Have 100 zones? No problem, the Rachio software can run them all.

So then what would be easier, building a 24 station unit or being able to link units?
Derek

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Add another to the list. 28 zones here, and I’m dreading the complexity of managing both and not being able to take advantage of the clever features such as flex schedules so as to make sure schedules don’t overlap.

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In fact it is completely misleading. “Combine and 8 zone and a 16 zone” does not really combine anything! It is pretty much the same as having to manage two different systems. It plain needs to be fixed. Now that 2.0 is out, make that priority number 1, please.

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I know I’m late to this party, but had a thought that I hope may be helpful. Unless you really need to run both Iros every day, could you set one schedule to run on odd days or M W F.and the other on even days or S T T S? Flex schedules should adapt to that restriction on days and keep moisture in each zone at an acceptable level.

many reason why this does not work. For example, currently, water restrictions are such that we can only water once a week.

And only water at certain times.

Last year for me (Dallas area): one day every other week, midnight to 10 AM, 6 PM to midnight.

This year (lots more water available): two days every week (Tue. and Fri. for me), with each of the two chosen days midnight to 10 AM, and 6 PM to midnight.

Best regards,

Bill

I like rachio a lot, and I sure hope they listen and change their tone and stance very quickly indeed.

I’ve got 35 zones on my IROs (2 16 zone and 1 8 zone), and while it would be nice to see them all as one unified controller it just isn’t that big a deal for me to manage them separately. I’ve got 3-4 separate programs on each one anyway, with different days and times for drip vs non-drip, roses vs trees vs lawn, etc.

I replaced 3 existing controllers, 2 cheap 8 zone hardware store controllers and one very nice, but old, 24 zone Irritrol unit, so having to manage multiple separate controllers was an existing issue.

I haven’t converted to trusting the IRO smart scheduling, because I’m intentionally underwatering due to drought restrictions right now, so when I move to that maybe I’ll notice the pain more.

Unifying multiple controllers into a single “virtual” controller for all the zones would be nice, but isn’t a big deal at least to me.

Bob

1 Like

Is there anyway to get users to vote on requested features like this. I have a feeling there are enough of us interested.

I don’t know. You get up into the area of 17+ zones and you’ve traditionally been looking at commercial controllers only.

Additionally, existing systems already have wire and valves buried. It’s a fair amount of work to add zones for things like flowers.

Overall, for existing residential sprinkler system owners, I think the market it small for 17+.

I don’t know what the market opp is for new residential systems where it’s now wise to separate things more granularly, like flowers and shrubs, causing zone quantity to increase.

Best regards,

Bill

im currently at 8 and have plans to add 2 more zones in my yard next year. so, for a sample population of 1, i would say 17+ zones is unrealistic. now, in commercial applications i would assume 20 zones is often not enough, but i have no idea.

personally i think expansion concepts like rainbird and hunter do where you can take a controller out to OMG number of zones seems like a better hardware design when excluding cost and is closer to what i want.

now im waiting to see what iro 2.0 looks like if we can get a glimps over the winter before i make the decision to add another 8 zone or buy the larger unit.

The best way to do this is to “like” a post in the community. It’s the little heart to the left of the reply button.

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Are you suggesting there is a new hardware revision on the horizon?

dude, i have no idea, but i see the problems they need to solve and how the solutions have been received and i think to myself, there has to be another hardware revision at some point, else the will fold up like a cheap suit.

but im not a business owner so im speaking directly out of my anus. but i honestly do not see how they will survive without a few additions to the hardware:
flow valve
soil moisture sensor
a touch screen would be nice for a lot of users
maybe some local storage to hold transient events to survive a power cycle.
some ppl have their panties in a wad because the iro is not all home kitty, this seems to require some hardware change (again, speaking out of my anus on this one).
god i hope they put a wired enternet adapter on the device, i hate wireless with a passion (made easier with ubiquiti).
if they build a commercial solution, nothing about the current iro’s hardware is attractive imho.

so i wish i had some inside skinny, then i could come on here and look like a god, but i dont so i cant.

This limitation is a real problem for me… I am replacing two Weathermatic 24 zone controllers with 37 zones… Looks like I’d end up having to install 4 separate Iros. It would be a real mess trying to make sure that they don’t collide. Can you really control 100 zones and not have them schedule on top of each other? Will I continually have to juggle times and days for all the controllers? For example, if I want to change the daily interval, will I then have to juggle all the controllers to make sure that they don’t schedule on top of each other? And if I use weather based programming, how will I know when one controller has finished to allow another to begin? Will I have to examine 4 different history logs? 4 different interfaces to the Wink? 4 different IFTT recipes?

I think this would be 3 controllers total (16 + 16 + 8), and yes would be difficult to manage that there were no schedule collisions.

Yes, there would not be one logical view. So each would be controlled as separate units.

IMHO this might not be the ideal setup for you.

:cheers: