Thinking About Installing A Smart Sprinkler Controller?
February 5, 2024
As Groundhog Day has passed and Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring, I imagine a lot of folks are already thinking about yardwork. Or maybe how to do it smarter.
Debbie and I are avid yard people and have gotten pretty good at it. Though as most of the time we have for yardwork is on the weekends, our landscaping needs regular watering throughout the week. And to be honest, watering our lawn is not one of my favorite tasks. I’ve tried the timers and the traveling sprinklers but they still need a lot of attention, like laying out hose, moving it or gathering it up to put away.
When we bought our home in Minnesota, the yard already had a sprinkler system installed. And it was yardwork game changer. It really made me shake my head for not installing systems at previous homes we owned. Though that sprinkler system in Minnesota wasn’t ‘smart’ it certainly opened my eyes to the convenience of such a system. It was however, connected to a rain sensor mounted on the house so if it started raining while the system was active it would stop the watering — which demonstrated a lot of ‘smart’ potential.
While there are a few smart sprinkler controllers that will work with garden hoses or other regular watering equipment, most are designed to work with true sprinkler controllers. These connect to their own water supply and feature motorized valves and dedicated tubing to control the flow of water. Installing a real sprinkler system can be a major task that requires professional help, especially if you have a large yard or garden. But upgrading to a smart controller from a ‘dumb’ one isn’t difficult. I’d recommend consulting with a landscaping expert first if you are considering installing a sprinkler system for the first time, in order to efficiently plan out your watering zones.
Controllers come with a variety of options. Probably the biggest single decision you need to make with a controller is whether you want a device that includes onboard controls — buttons and a readout directly on the controller that allows you to use it without an app. These tend to be less expensive and can be handy if you have multiple people using the system — like if you want to give a gardener access to the controller without having to set them up on an app. Systems without on-device controls generally lack any kind of display at all except for a status light indicating whether it’s working. For these you’ll need an app on your smartphone or tablet to do anything with it.
Another area where an irrigation professional will help is whether you’re mounting the unit inside or outside. If outside, you’ll need a weatherproof enclosure for the system. Some vendors sell separate indoor and outdoor versions of their controllers. Others sell an outdoor enclosure as a separate add-on.
In irrigation terms, a zone is an area controlled by a valve and its connected irrigation tubing. If you have four valves, you have four zones. Your controller needs to have enough capacity to support all the zones in your system. Eight zones is common, but units supporting as few as six zones and as many as 16 zones are currently on the market.
Scheduling is another consideration based on a number of factors. How often you need to water depends on your type of landscaping — plant types, frequency needed, amount of water to support those plants, etc. There are even considerations for local ordinances that limit when or how often you can water. And not every controller can handle complex scheduling, so look closely at your options before buying. A few controllers can import legal watering restriction information based on your zip code, to ensure you aren’t watering on prohibited times or days.
It’s helpful to be notified when your watering system is running, but different products deal with the mechanics differently. Push notifications are common, but many only notify you when the watering has completed, not when it starts (which is arguably more useful). Other forms of notification (email, text) aren’t common, so consider a unit that supports IFTTT if you want to get fancy with notifications and automations.
One of the greatest aspects of smart watering systems is that they can take advantage of local weather and environment data on the internet to optimize your water delivery. Like the option to skip watering when it rains but delivered through an internet connection versus relying on an analog add-on device. Otherwise they operate via ‘smart’ scheduling features.
Another great aspect of being smart is tying your sprinkler system into your smart home hub of choice. The reality is that smart home hub compatibility with smart sprinklers is not as common with other more common smart home devices. Only a few connect to anything at all though the Amazon Alexa platform has some support. Expect this to change as these products mature.
So you’re ready to replace that ‘dumb’ controller or install your first sprinkler system. What system do you choose? Again, that depends on a lot of factors mentioned above. As I don’t know your particular landscape requirements, I’ll share a variety of options in hopes that one will meet your needs. Here we go …
Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller
Pros
- Better water intelligence features improve conservation
- Revamped wire connectors make setup even faster and easier
- Onboard controls offer easy access to manual runs
Cons
- The device is noisy
- Old Rachio units don’t get access to the same software treatment
- Expensive
Price: $239.99
The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller is a third generation irrigation controller and stays ahead of the rest of the field. Both an 8-zone ($189.99) and 16-zone ($239.99) version of the controller are available, and both support 5GHz WiFi networks. Either way you go, setup is a snap: Just pop off the cover to expose the wire clip terminals.
Moen Smart Sprinkler Controller
Pros
- A multitude of configuration options
- Add-on soil moisture monitor adds utility with no real added complexity
- Extremely detailed logging in the app
Cons
- No physical controls
- Setup tends to be a bit clunky
- App can take some time to get used to
Price: $234.99, $69.99 for soil moisture sensor
The Moen Smart Sprinkler Controller is designed to work with standard, wired, in-ground and drip-line sprinkler systems. It’s available in 8-zone ($180) and 16-zone ($235) models. The units are designed for indoor (garage) installation, but an outdoor enclosure is in the works if you need to install the system in a place exposed to weather.
Pros
- Cheap, a third the price of most other controllers on the market.
- Easy setup, especially if you just need the basics.
Cons
- Limited to 8 zones
- Weatherproof housing costs extra
Price: $49.99
Wyze has shaken up the smart home market with a variety of products, including its sprinkler controller. In a market where most options cost around $150, the Wyze Sprinkler Controller comes in at a mere $50.
In order to keep costs down, Wyze’s devices tend to be simple, and this controller is no exception to the rule. The fairly trim, oblong device offers eight zones, connecting to your valve wiring via simple spring clips, so no screwdriver is required to install the controller except for mounting it to the wall.
When Wyze first introduced this sprinkler controller, I actually bought one based on price alone (as well as the weatherproof enclosure). Obviously a speculative purchase as we didn’t even have house plans or a lot yet. As the lot we eventually purchased is considerably larger than the one we had in Minnesota — and that sprinkler system had 16 zones — chances are the Wyze controller I have will probably not be up to the job. Unless maybe I dedicate it solely to specific areas like our planned vegetable garden or my small patch of grapevines.
Irrigreen Digital Sprinkler System
Pros
- ‘Water printing’ technology keeps water from going where it isn’t needed
- App is easy to navigate
- DIY is an available installation option
Cons
- Must be installed from scratch, you can’t retrofit an existing sprinkler system
- Weather-driven automatic watering may not be fully developed
Price: $3,280 for a 5-head system. Actual price depends on system size, plus any installation costs.
This recommendation comes with some caveats, but the Irrigreen system is so unique and innovative that its probably my favorite. By adapting technology originally developed for inkjet printers, Irrigreen’s sprinkler system can ‘print’ water onto your landscaping with a degree of precision that must be seen to believe. It follows the contours of your lawn and flowerbeds so that no water goes onto your air conditioner/heat pump, driveways or sidewalks. And where a conventional system would need 40 sprinkler heads to achieve full coverage of a given area, Irrigreen’s system can get the job done with just five.
Now for those caveats … You can’t retrofit an existing sprinkler system, you must replace all of it. Also, Irrigreen’s app could use a little polishing — but Irrigreen will inevitably improve on the user experience with software and firmware updates.
I truly believe this is the future of home irrigation systems. And this one really geeks me out with its level of technical integration. For this reason and that the company stands by their claim that their solution is competitively priced with more conventional sprinkler controllers, this is my system of choice for our home build.
Pros
- Very inexpensive
- Smart functionality greatly eases the headache of scheduling via hardware
- Reasonably easy to use
Cons
- We encountered headaches getting the WiFi bridge to work properly
- Smart Watering features require the added-cost WiFi bridge
Price: $59.99. Optional Bluetooth-to-WiFi bridge, $39.99. Bundled price: $94.99
If you water your landscaping with a garden hose or a simple drip irrigation system, as opposed to an in-ground sprinkler system, Orbit’s second-generation B-hyve XD is vastly superior to conventional non-connected timers, and Orbit’s app can control several of them independently when you add the optional Bluetooth-to-Wi-Fi bridge, which we heartily recommend.
The B-hyve XD is available in three versions, differentiated by the number of outgoing hose connections. The single-hose version costs $35, the two-hose model goes for $50, and you can get four connections for $80. Other than some slight physical changes to the design needed to accommodate additional hose fittings, the devices are essentially the same. Orbit’s B-hyve XD is a low-impact way to add smart features to a simple outdoor watering system, either hose-based sprinklers or drip irrigation (the latter gives you the option of burying the hoses and tubing).
Obviously there are a lot of options when it comes to watering your landscape. These are only a few of the best I’ve found for a variety of different use cases. And you’re not necessarily stuck with whatever solution you choose first as you can always upgrade as new watering innovations will come along.
Hopefully considering any of these options has gotten you thinking more about your irrigation needs. And undoubtedly the integrations with smart home will expand over time. That may be the best part of smart home technology in general — so many options around so many solutions. It’s only limited by your imagination.
I’m curious how you’re currently watering your landscaping, vegetable garden, etc. Are you keeping it simple with a traditional hose and sprinkler? Are you using an in-ground system? How are you automating the watering process? Which sprinkler controller are you using? Does it have smart home capabilities? If you’re working on a house build project like Debbie and I, are you considering any of the options above? Have any of these changed your mind? What are your thoughts on the Irrigreen system I’ve been geeking out over?
Let Debbie and I know what you think in the comments, DMs and emails as we really enjoy hearing from you. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’
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