Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller Review - Review 2022

Nosotros've been fans of Rachio'south smart sprinkler controllers since reviewing the original model in 2022, and with its latest offering, the $229.99 Rachio iii, the Colorado-based visitor continues to impress. This piece of cake-to-install controller connects to your habitation Wi-Fi so yous can toggle your in-basis sprinkler arrangement from anywhere using your phone, and information technology offers a few new features including Rachio's Premium Conditions Intelligence Plus technology, dual-ring Wi-Fi, and compatibility with Rachio's Wireless Menstruum Meter. Oddly, the newly redesigned app no longer offers year-to-date water usage reports, but that doesn't foreclose the Rachio three from earning our Editors' Selection for smart sprinkler controllers.

Blueprint and Features

The Rachio 3 controller looks like to the second-generation model, but there are some notable differences. At 5.5 by 9.1 by 1.4 inches (HWD), the white plastic enclosure is effectually the same size as the previous version, but this time around the round push on the face up of the controller is used to manually start and stop watering for specific zones. Besides new is an LED calorie-free bar that runs the width of the embrace and tells you which zone is currently being watered and flashes when there is a organization or connectivity mistake.

The magnetic cover pops off hands to reveal a wiring terminal for eight zones (a 16-zone controller is bachelor for $279.99). The terminal also has two common connections, ii sensor connections (for pelting or flow sensors), two 24VAC output connectors, and a jack for the included power brick. Wire installation is easy thanks to the use of easy-press quick connectors. A Rachio 3 + Flow Meter Bundle, available for $329.99, comes with a wireless in-line Water Flow Meter that monitors h2o menses rates and detects leaks. When a leak is detected, an alert is sent to your telephone and the leaking zone is automatically shut downwards.

New to the Rachio 3 controller is Premium Atmospheric condition Intelligence Plus technology that pulls atmospheric condition data from more than 300,000 atmospheric condition stations, satellites, and radar sources to provide the all-time possible weather-based watering schedule for your area. Also new is a dual-ring Wi-Fi radio that allows the controller to connect to ii.4GHz and 5GHz wireless networks.

The Rachio 3 can exist controlled using a mobile app (availble for Android and iOS) and a web app. The app opens to a Dashboard with a weekly weather condition forecast at the acme. Scheduled watering days are marked with a green raindrop. Beneath the forecast you can see the daily watering status. Here you can stop the cycle by pressing the Skip button and restart it by pressing the Run button. To view monthly usage statistics in time or gallon units, swipe down to the bottom of the screen. Also near the bottom of the screen is a Quick Run button that lets you manually start watering for each zone for however long you choose.

At the very lesser of the Dashboard screen are five buttons labeled Home, Schedule, Zones, History, and More. The Home push button takes y'all back to the Dashboard screen and the Schedule button takes you to a screen where you can view current watering schedules and create new ones. The Flex Daily schedule is based on local weather conditions, forecasts, and zone settings, offering the most potential for h2o savings. The Flex Monthly schedule updates every calendar month to conform for seasonal changes, and the Stock-still schedule is used to create custom watering cycles based on time, elapsing, and days of the week. Regardless of which type of schedule y'all create, you can enable Weather Intelligence settings such as Air current and Freeze skips that filibuster watering when conditions are too windy or besides cold, and Cycle and Soak, that delay watering temporarily to avoid puddling and runoff.

The Zones button takes y'all to a screen where yous can gear up parameters for each zone including soil type, sprinkler blazon, sun exposure, and slope. You lot can even use your camera to take a photograph that is used to identify the zone in the app. Tapping the History push button displays all controller events including scheduled and manual watering start and cease times for each zone, and integration events such as controlling a watering bicycle using Alexa voice commands. The mobile app no longer offers year-to-date usage reports and charts, merely you can download a CVS file containing a full history of h2o usage using the web app. Tapping the More push takes yous to a screen where you can ready Weather Intelligence parameters such as how much wind or rain will initiate a skip. Here yous tin edit the controller name and Wi-Fi settings, enable a h2o hammer option to reduce any banging noise that may occur when the sprinkler valves open up, and change your domicile location.

The Rachio three supports Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands and has its own IFTTT aqueduct where you can create applets to have it trigger other smart home devices. It too works with pop smart home platforms such as Nest, SmartThings, and Wink. By way of comparison, the Orbit B-Hyve 12-Station Smart Wi-Fi Sprinkler Timer offers Alexa voice support, only does not integrate with other smart devices.

Installation and Performance

The Rachio 3 is very piece of cake to install. Before getting started I took a moving-picture show of my existing controller wiring to make certain that the zones were matched up correctly. I already had an account from two previous reviews, simply if this is your start Rachio device, now's the time to download the app and create an business relationship. I removed the erstwhile controller and fastened the common wire and the zone wires to the proper terminals. I attached the controller to the wall in my basement and plugged in the ability brick.

I opened the app, tapped Add together Controller at the top of the Dashboard screen, and scanned the barcode on the wiring concluding with my telephone. The controller was immediately recognized and I moved on to the Wi-Fi setup. Once the controller was connected to my dwelling house Wi-Fi, I gave it a name and waited a few minutes while it went through a quick update. I so set my zones, ran a quick test on each zone, and was done.

The Rachio iii performed flawlessly. Information technology followed my schedule without missing a beat, and initiated pelting delays on days when the atmospheric condition forecast called for significant rainfall. Information technology responded immediately to Quick Run commands, and to commands to terminate and start scheduled watering cycles, and it followed my IFTTT applet to toggle a Belkin WeMo Mini Smart Plug on and off when a watering bicycle was completed. Alexa voice commands to start and finish specific zones besides worked without a hitch.

Conclusions

At $229.99, the Rachio 3 isn't cheap, just if y'all're shopping for a smart sprinkler controller that yous tin can command from your phone or desktop PC, yous'll be difficult-pressed to find one that offers more than features. It installs in minutes and performed wonderfully in our tests, and its Weather Intelligence Plus technology does a great job of rescheduling watering cycles when meaning rainfall is in the forecast. It also responds to Alexa and Google Assistant vocalization commands and IFTTT applets, and information technology plays nice with other smart home devices. All this earns it our Editors' Pick for smart sprinkler controllers.

If interoperability with other smart devices isn't a major gene for you lot, check out the Orbit B-Hyve 12-Station Smart WiFi Sprinkler Timer. It'due south nearly half the cost of the Rachio three and works with Alexa vocalisation commands, but it doesn't support IFTTT applets and lacks water usage reporting.

All-time Smart Home Picks

• The Best Outdoor Home Security Cameras for 2022
• The Best Smart Speakers for 2022
• The Best Smart Kitchen Appliances for 2022
• The Best Smart Locks for 2022
• More Smart Domicile Reviews
• More than from Rachio

Further Reading

• Smart Microgrids: The Future of Sustainable Power
• Google Assistant Sensitivity Selection Starts Rolling Out
• IKEA Finally Starts Selling Its Smart Blinds Online
• MIT's SprayableTech Creates Interactive Surfaces Anywhere
• How to Measure Home Ability Usage

Source: https://sea.pcmag.com/home-security-products/21128/rachio-3-smart-sprinkler-controller-review

Posted by: thompsongreirrom.blogspot.com

Share this post