Watering when it shouldn't

OK, it’s been quite a rainy couple of months (for Southern California :stuck_out_tongue:) While at first the Rachio was doing a decent job of not watering, it started my main program last week the day after it rained 1/4". I have pretty heavy clay soils and they are saturated at the moment. From past experience, in my pre-smart controller days, I know that I can shut off my controller for the next four to six weeks until my soil dries out without any effects on my lawn or shrubbery. At the moment, I’ve manually put in a 7-day rain delay. Is there any way around this?

we will need more details of your setup: What kind of schedule? Smart features? Soil type settings? Etc.

Also look at your moisture levels. The details there might shed some light.

I don’t remember the last time my grass watered and it is predicted to water “after Jan 25.” I’m in Huntington Beach.

Due to watering restrictions, I can only water Wednesday and Saturday

Smart Cycle is on

Weather Intelligence is on

One zone is (rest are similar)

Growing cool season grass (Fescue) in clay on flat terrain
Gets lots of sun and uses spray head
Didn’t touch the advanced
area 500 sf
Available water .15in
Crop coefficient 0.8
Root depth 6in
Allowed depletion 50%
Efficiency 80%

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So, although you omitted it, I am assuming you are on a fixed 2 day a week schedule? Then it will water on those days unless the weather intelligence says it is raining or will rain.

My suggestion is to set your schedule to a Flex Daily an about 5am and let it water when it thinks it should. Your watering Nazi’s will not see it water, and you will save more water than with a fixed schedule. (You do have to get the initial watering parameters right in the first place, though.)

As an aside. the legislatures really need to be educated on smart controllers. I know if I followed their rules, even with a Flex Daily (on their watering days) I would waste water compared to what I am doing. Nice that we have laws that don’t have their intended result. But I suppose there is nothing new on that front.

My settings are:
Growing
Warm Season Grass in Silty Clay on a Flat
It gets Some shade and uses Driveway grass (I did a catch cup measurement to create this sprinkler head, sorry, but I do not remember, nor know how to find its GPM setting. Catch cups are the way to go, BTW, if you want correct watering.)

Advanced
Area 440
Available Water 0.16
Crop Coefficient 0.65
Root Depth 9
Allowed Depletion 50
Efficiency 90

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While I agree with what you say, unfortunately for me, I have a Mrs. Kravitz on my block who also happens to be on the association :frowning:. I’ve been on the receiving end or his watering wrath when I had just the teeniest bit of overspray onto the sidewalk (yep, in my case Mrs. Kravitz is an elderly gentleman). It’s one of the minor annoyances that I have to deal with to live in the location I want. So, to keep peace in the neighborhood, I stick to the watering restrictions.

What would be nice to see from the Rachio guys is the programming that can adjust for these types of regulatory conditions as bureaucrats will never catch up to technology.

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@mattebury, it sure sounds like that is what they are working on for the next release. Just too many people with the same problem you have.

As far as watering goes, I’m so thankful that I live in Mecklenburg County. With approved smart controllers, restrictions are removed until we get to Stage 4 restrictions.

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