I have a Skydrop controller that will cut back the amount of time each station waters based upon weather data. For instance, if we get 1/4" of rain it will reduce the time each station waters. Will Rachio do that? Or, will it only water the full time or not at all - either all or nothing? I am considering switching to Rachio becasue Skydrop recently dropped getting data from Weather Underground and the station they draw from is too far away to be accurate for our location, because we get widely varying amounts of rain across our area.
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Hey @PaulWhite!
Welcome to the community! Rachio does account for weather data - specifically rain, wind, and freeze, but we also adjust based on seasonal changes. You can learn more about Rachio’s Weather Intelligence Plus here.
Let us know if you have more questions! The Rachio HQ team is here and happy to help.
Lo
@PaulWhite We also have a very dynamic schedule type called “flex daily” It dynamically adjusts each day based on observed/forecasted precipitation, irrigation events, and evapotranspiration. Here is a little bit more information. Please let us know if you have any questions. Our Generation 3 controller fully supports Weather Underground. Welcome to the community!
PaulWhite asked if the time (duration) would be adjusted according to weather. Unless I am mistaken, only the frequency is adjusted.
Tobey
Correct. We use the management allowable depletion (MAD) watering method which doesn’t not adjust duration, just frequency. Adjusting duration doesn’t make much sense since the root zone depth and soil type aren’t really changing. Precipitation would “fill” the zone moisture level which would offset the system from running for a certain amount of time. IMHO it’s the most efficient and healthy way to irrigate your yard.
Our city is on water restriction so we can only water two days a week. So, iet’s say we get 1/4" of rain the day before we are allowed to water. Would Rachio water water the same amount as if we had no rain? Then let’s say that the day prior to our 2nd day of allowed watering we get another 1/4". Let’s say the temp never gets under 95 for the entire week. Would Rachio still water the full amount or just skip watering altogether? How would Rachio react to those conditions? Maybe I don’t understand your technology, but it seems to me that either Rachio would skip both waterings and we would only get a total of 1/2", which is way short of what would be needed. Or, it would water the same amount as if there had been no rain, which would waste water. Am I correct? I’ve had my Skydrop for 2 years and it has consistently reduced my water bill while still keeping my grass lush and green. I just don’t see how Rachio will reduce my water bill, which is my goal.
I was unaware of your 2 day/week restriction. If you choose a fixed, 2 days/week schedule in those scenarios we would either skip the watering entirely (if the precipitation surpasses your threshold) or water the full amount.
In the case of flex daily, it will constantly want to fill your bucket since I’m assuming it will be depleted from run-to-run. It will actually reduce the watering duration if let’s say your bucket is half full, and it predicts in can’t make it to the next watering, it would water half the amount to top of your zone until the next full watering. Hope this helps.