It also provides a handy Quick Run button, and a pause button appears whenever a zone is runningwhich is useful when you want to take a shower and you need more water pressure, for example, or when youre dining al fresco and you definitely dont want a shower. sprinkler rainmachine plug The smart watering worked as expected in our tests, but you cant choose your weather station, the controller offers no Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant smart-home integration, and it lacks WaterSense certification.

Some features are missing, however: It gives you no alert when watering starts and no option to set a delay between zones, which would be handy if you needed time for a well to fill up. The downside is that your sprinklers might still run in the rain if the RainMachine controller decides that they need to. Paired with a SmartThings or other smart-home hub, the Rachio 3 can act as a security tool (for example, turning the sprinklers on if an outdoor camera senses motion in a given zone) or a measure of added convenience (say, shutting the sprinklers off when the front door opens). Guy Fipps and Charles Swanson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, phone interview, March 14, 2019, WaterSense Labeled Controllers, US Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense, US Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense Labeled Irrigation Controllers (PDF), US Environmental Protection Agency, August 1, 2017, Soil MoistureBased Irrigation Controllers, US Environmental Protection Agency, March 11, 2021, Guy Fipps and Charles Swanson, Evaluating the Operation of Residential WIFI Based Irrigation Controllers (PDF), December 1, 2018, Christopher Null, Orbit B-hyve XR sprinkler timer review, TechHive, September 18, 2020. You can also set an optional delay between zones (say, to allow a well to refill), select a different weather station, or connect to a personal weather station, such as a Netatmo. In addition, RainMachines app cant automatically create a custom schedule for you, as Rachios app can. We also werent enamored with the on-device controls, which consist of just one button despite there being ample space on the very large and quite bulky device for more controls. Beyond setup, however, the app becomes a bit too simple and unintuitive. This information comes from the weather-data service the controller uses, so that source is key to getting the best results. The Rachio 3 works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Control4, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Nexia, SmartThings, Wink, and Xfinityit has far more integrations than any other smart controller in our test group. Smart smoke alarms send alerts to your phone if a fire or carbon monoxide leak occurs. rachio sprinkler The RainMachine Touch HD (available in 12- and 16-zone versions) offers control via an onboard touchscreen, a smartphone app, and a web interface. She also combed through Environmental Protection Agency research and reports on weather-based sprinkler controllers and their impact on water conservation. Plaid Systemss second-generation Spruce controller (16 zones) is a solid model with basic on-device controls and a simple setup that automatically creates a smart schedule for you. One important thing to know: Many sprinkler controllers arent waterproof, so you need to install them either indoors or in a protected space such as a covered porch or garage, or you need to buy a compatible weatherproof enclosure. We let the Rachio 3 set our schedule, choosing the Flexible Daily option, which updates every day based on the estimated soil moisture. She has spent countless hours testing smart-home devicesincluding smart thermostats, smart garage-door controllers, and smart smoke alarmsfor Wirecutter. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. 8si automated sprinkler Its Weather Intelligence Plus (WIP) service produces a hyperlocal forecast based on local weather reports, satellite, radar, and atmospheric flight data, as well as other climate sources, and in our testing it proved to be very effective; for instance, the Rachio 3 accurately predicted that it would not rain in our test garden on a day that the software for every other controller said it would. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Better coverage for bigger yards with smaller budgets, Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor Irrigation Controller, Who should buy a smart sprinkler or irrigation controller, Security, privacy, and smart sprinkler controllers, Also great for large yards: Orbit B-hyve XR, Budget pick: Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor Irrigation Controller, Other smart sprinkler controllers we like, testing and researching weather-based irrigation controllers for over a decade, expected to face a water shortage in the next decade, personal weather station, such as a Netatmo, Orbit 57095 Outdoor-Mounted Controller Timer Box Cover, Orbit also sells a model that comes with an enclosure, testing and researching weather-based irrigation controllers for more than a decade, The Best Smart Garage Door Opener Controller, Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor/Outdoor Irrigation Controller, WaterSense Labeled Irrigation Controllers (PDF), Soil MoistureBased Irrigation Controllers, Evaluating the Operation of Residential WIFI Based Irrigation Controllers (PDF), The Best Alexa-Compatible Smart-Home Devices for Amazon Echo, How to Build an Apple-Based Smart Home System With the Best HomeKit Devices, accurately predicts and responds to weather in your immediate area (hyperlocal weather), provides clear weather data sources, with the option to modify them, offers water-use reports and a log of activity, has some on-device controls so that you or your landscaper can still operate the system without a smartphone, can continue to function if the internet connection goes down, integrates with smart-home systems to extend value. r3e rachio Like the RainMachine, and unlike the Rachio, the B-hyve XR also gives you offline control, so you can use a Bluetooth connection to control it with an app if your internet is down. Some water utilities offer rebates if you install WaterSense irrigation controllers; rebates can cover a large portion of the cost of the device. RainMachine also offers an excellent web interface, which makes managing your device easier. The Aeon Matrix Yardian (eight or 12 zones) has a built-in security camera with motion detection and 24 hours of free cloud recording. We installed each device in the covered porch of a 1960s home in Charleston, South Carolina. The Gro integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but it doesnt let you choose a weather station and has no water-use history. We determined that the happy medium in this regard is a controller that does the heavy lifting for you during setup but also lets you go in and manually adjust the ET parameters in the settings if you find the controller is not working as you wish. It works by adjusting whatever program you schedule manually based on the forecast, but it offers no smart scheduling, and without a separate rain sensor, it doesnt have a rain delay. A smart controller intelligently optimizes your in-ground irrigation system by automatically adjusting to weather conditions, making it easier for you to maintain a healthy landscape while cutting water use. When rain was in the forecast, it would skip waterings for two to three days around the rain event, depending on how much rain was predicted. (RainMachine is discontinuing its Mini 8 model.). According to experts we spoke with, these sensors are also not effective in a residential setting because topsoil isnt deep enough for accurate readings. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a WaterMyYard program in a number of cities in the state, and it sends out weekly emails and text messages that tell people how many minutes to run their irrigation systems. The B-hyve indoor controller is small, effective, and inexpensive, but it lacks some key features. They dont work with battery-operated controllers or hose timers. As a workaround, we used RainMachines IFTTT integration to alert us when the device went offline. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy writes about smart-home technology use and sustainable living, while trying to practice both (one is a lot easier than the other). It also doesnt need a waterproof case to be mounted outdoors, and it provides extensive on-device controls (though not the full control the RainMachine Touch HD offers).

For example, HomeKit support is available only on the Rachio 3. Once everything is up and running, the main screen gives you clear notice of what state your system is in, a trait we really liked. The app also tells you when its offline, which is key because with a device thats so easy to set and forget, if it happens to lose power, you might not know until your garden suffers damage. (In contrast, since we began this guide, Rachio has launched four different models, only one of which is HomeKit-compatible. Anyone who has a sprinkler system operated by a mechanical or electronic timer (clock) should consider upgrading to a smart controller, also known as a weather-based controller. It also tested that each zone was workinga useful feature for people who arent experts at programming sprinkler systems. Our pick, the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi, is small, attractive, versatile, and reliable. And we definitely felt a tinge of eco-smugness when we saw our neighbors sprinklers going off just before a rainstorm. The RainMachine Touch HD also has an option to tweak rain and wind sensitivity to prevent overwatering in inclement conditions. (For a deeper dive into the science behind these sprinklers, see How smart sprinkler controllers work.). We do like the Conditional Programming feature, which can trigger a schedule based on the temperature (perfect for our chickens), and this feature and the manual scheduling with weather skips did work consistently in our testing. Their study is ongoing, and they havent singled out a specific controller yet, though their testing does indicate that some models are better for certain landscapes than others. The schedule calendar isnt easy to read, requiring multiple taps to reveal information, and if you want to add more schedules, it gets fiddly. orbit sprinkler Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant. In our tests, installing the Rachio 3 using our systems existing wires and three mounting screws was straightforward. irrigation sprinkler For this guide she reached out to experts in the irrigation field, and she spoke with Guy Fipps and Charles Swanson of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (who have been testing and researching weather-based irrigation controllers for over a decade). The Netro Sprite (six or 12 zones) is well built and easy to install, and it configures a watering schedule for you. We selected the best smart-home devices to work with your Alexa speaker, based on our extensive testing and real-world use. It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant but no smart hubs. (The B-hyve app does seem to get its knickers in a twist if you try to add a smart watering program and regular schedules to the same zone, with constant warnings that you may be overwatering a zone.). xc800 sprinkler This is the least predictable option: You cant control which days the sprinklers will turn on or for how long, but you can choose to start or end at a specific time or at sunset/sunrise. A rugged device with on-device and local control, the B-hyve XR can handle larger yards for less money than our picks, but its app isnt as easy to use as others. Theres less of a learning curve when youre setting up the RainMachine than there is with the Rachio 3, as on this model you create a schedule just as you would with a standard irrigation clock. In our testing, we found that some of these integrations offered real value and werent just gimmicks. But you cant choose a weather station (it uses Dark Sky) or share access, and in our testing the soil-moisture sensors dropped offline frequently. This means that if your setup had a loose wire, you wouldnt know that a zone wasnt getting water unless you installed a flow meter (or happened to notice it not spraying). Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. After four seasons of testing more than a dozen models, we continue to recommend the Rachio 3 for most people. All smart sprinkler controllers rely on estimations of evapotranspiration, or ETthe sum of evaporation and plant water useto figure out when to water your yard and for how long. The devices we recommend here dont work with battery-operated controllers or hose timers (although there are smart hose timers you can buy; we review one in our roundup of smart garden gadgets). The app sends timely and consistent notifications to your smartphone and email, the most useful being a warning that the sprinklers are about to turn on, sent a few seconds before they do; this alert saved us from unexpectedly soaking some guests. Although our top pick works with third-party wired soil-moisture sensors, some of the other models we tested offer compatible wireless soil-moisture sensors. Its also the smallest device we tested, able to fit neatly in the palm of a persons hand. The Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor Irrigation Controller (available for four and eight zones) is the least expensive smart sprinkler controller you can buy, yet it offers many of the same features as our top picks do, including smart auto scheduling, a decent app, and an innovative, slim design. It works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and SmartThings, and its compatible wireless soil-moisture sensors are Zigbee-based. The Pro model has a separate master-valve terminal, so that model is a better fit if you need 16 zones. Or it can let you run the show while automatically adjusting to save you water if rain, freezing temperatures, or heavy wind is in the forecast. On top of all that, the app doesnt have notifications. In a paper published in 2018, they evaluated six Wi-Fienabled, weather-based controllers for one year: Hydrawise by Hunter (a professional model), the Orbit B-hyve, and models by Rachio, Rainbird, RainMachine, and Skydrop. Controlling your sprinklers from your phone also turns out to be really handy and much easier than setting up a typical sprinkler controller. A smart sprinkler controller is like a smart thermostat for your garden or yardit controls your watering schedule automatically so you dont have to lift a finger. A smart controller also automatically adjusts watering based on the season, so once you set it up, you dont have to reprogram it. In a few cases, the sprinklers didnt turn on for an entire week due to rain. skydrop The Rachio 3 is the most flexible and comprehensive smart sprinkler controller we tested, as it offers the best balance of set-it-and-forget-it convenience and maximum control when you want it. Do they save the most water you can? sprinkler The Rachio 3 used less water than we would have with our old system (which was set to run every other day, for a total of 180 minutes a week, regardless of weather).



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