Which sprinkler control system do you use?

[skybolt]

I recently moved (2 yrs ago) and had a sprinkler system put in last year with a Hunter Hydrawise Wi-Fi controller. This is geared towards being a commercial account management system and clearly not the end user, even though there are two different logon's. While this controller is full featured it doesn't have the ability to disable a schedule/program! What were they thinking?

Anyway I am going to ebay this thing and get something else, what are you guys using? In my old house I had an open sprinkler controller and it was alright for the time. I am now looking at all the different controllers and only one or two actually have demo's of what they can do. Rain Machine is among them. I am also considering Rachio.

I am not looking for extravagance just the ability to disable a schedule and not have to delete it. That and weather/rain detection. So what are you using?

[Uncle Michael]

How many zones?
I'm using EtherRain valve controllers with mcsSprinkler. It's been very reliable, works well and integrates with HS. mcsSprikler offers three levels of sophistication.

[skybolt]

How many zones?
I'm using EtherRain valve controllers with mcsSprinkler. It's been very reliable, works well and integrates with HS. mcsSprikler offers three levels of sophistication.

I am using 12 zones. I had demo' d Michael's PI a while back and I agree with you, nice job. But I am not really looking for HS integration, just a good app will suffice if I can disable a schedule. In my old system, I had many schedules and times and just enabled/disabled as needed. But then again that sounds like a job for HS.

[outbackrob]

I had a Go Control 16 zone system. When it worked it would integrate with HS OK. Very poor WAF as it usually didn't work when she wanted it to work. Went with a Rachio a few weeks ago. It took about 20 minutes to hook up and get it running. It took about 3 hours to draw in all the zones, add the sprinkler heads to the zones and get pictures of each zone into the phone app. (That's not 100% necessary but it is COOL!) So far it has been outstanding. WAF is 101%! All the sprinkler zones work ALL the time. We can set a schedule delay a schedule, skip a schedule, etc. It pretty much does everything she wants it to do and the UI is intuitive. We have not integrated it to HS yet, but there is a plug-in. It also works with Alexa which we will use on the misting zones this summer.

We originally had a Rainbird system, tried to upgrade it but that failed, bought a new Rainbird WIFI and did not care for the UI and one zone would never work. Had the GoControl for about years and WAF plummeted. Some have the GoControl running great with msSprinkler. (BTW, I have a backup CoControl for sale CHEAP in the For Sale forum!) So far, after about 5 weeks, all is good with the Rachio and WAF is high. ......and that's pretty much all that matters. :-)

[skybolt]

Sounds like the Rachio won that race, thank you outbackrob for that post. There are a few PI's for that, but I think I will go with Ultra's PI when I get around to it.

[mulu]

I am using OpenSprinkler. Currently, I am not doing much through HS but you can take control over it. I probably will do that because the weather info that adjusts the watering doesn't work that great. Quite often it thinks it rained when it really didn't. Maybe I need a weather station and tie that into the controller.

[skybolt]

I am using OpenSprinkler. Currently, I am not doing much through HS but you can take control over it. I probably will do that because the weather info that adjusts the watering doesn't work that great. Quite often it thinks it rained when it really didn't. Maybe I need a weather station and tie that into the controller.

I use to use OpenSprinkler at my old house, but never got the weather working right either. My current system is a Hunter WiFI and works great including the weather, but the scheduling is horrible. It came with the installation of the sprinkler system. I don't see how anyone can use this thing. Any schedule that is created runs, there is no disabling a schedule.

[tenholde]

Rain8Net and mcsSprinklers. Can be used with/without HS integration

[jono]

Rachio looks great but only goes to 16 zones. I have 24. Should I use two rachios or is there a better solution for 24 zones?

[fresnoboy]

I use 3 of the rachio 12 zone units. I have heard good things about the larger hydrawise configurations as well.

[jono]

Thank you. Does Rachio let you know if a zone is broken (i.e a valve stuck open, etc.)? Is it easy for service providers to adjust? Presumably you give them a log in since there isn’t a physical dial?

[fresnoboy]

Thank you. Does Rachio let you know if a zone is broken (i.e a valve stuck open, etc.)? Is it easy for service providers to adjust? Presumably you give them a log in since there isn’t a physical dial?

Rachio has sensors that are optional that track water flow and flag leaks, but obviously they have to be plumbed appropriately so they zones are aligned appropriately.

I have my gardeners with full access via delegation in the app, and they use the app very easily. Rachio is a popular platform, and 2 sets of gardeners I have used were very comfortable with the Rachio app.

[skybolt]

... I have heard good things about the larger hydrawise configurations as well.

Hydrawise is why I posted all of this in the first place. Their schedules can't be disabled. So any schedule you create will run no matter what. Ridiculous way to operate.

The Hydrawise is a very well built unit and looks professional, way better built then Rachio 3. But I bought the Rachio 3 anyway, at least schedules can be disabled.

[brientim]

Hydrawise is why I posted all of this in the first place. Their schedules can't be disabled. So any schedule you create will run no matter what. Ridiculous way to operate.

The Hydrawise is a very well built unit and looks professional, way better built then Rachio 3. But I bought the Rachio 3 anyway, at least schedules can be disabled.

You can suspend a schedule. In the Hydrawise app, click on zone then click the pause and this will allow to suspend a schedule until the date selected.

[skybolt]

You can suspend a schedule. In the Hydrawise app, click on zone then click the pause and this will allow to suspend a schedule until the date selected. ...

Right and you have to do that for all zones. So 16 zones, 16 suspensions, also that suspends that zone in all schedules.