Aiming to raise the utilitarian backyard hose into a sensible watering system, the Rachio Sensible Hose Timer soars by bringing clever comfort and automation to your panorama and backyard with out the necessity for an in-ground irrigation system. In our testing, we discovered the sub-$100 system can be utilized with hose-end sprinklers, drip irrigation setups, and comparable watering equipment to carry elegant scheduling, weather-based automation, and on-demand watering to your own home. Learn on for our in-depth evaluation.
The place to Purchase
Out of the Field
As a number one maker of good irrigation controllers, Rachio fills a spot of their shopper product line-up with the brand new Sensible Hose Timer. It slots into the road alongside the corporate’s 4-, 8-, and 16-zone Rachio 3 controllers, and the $99.99 starter equipment is available in at a worth level $50 under the 4-zone Rachio 3.
The Rachio Sensible Hose Timer is definitely a self-contained watering system, and a primary $99.99 valve-and-hub equipment contains one battery-powered valve unit, a Wi-Fi hub, and an influence adapter for the hub. The items combine with the required Rachio app on iOS and Android, and can co-exist completely within the app with any Rachio Sensible Sprinkler Controllers chances are you’ll have already got. Rachio additionally sells the Sensible Hose Timer valve models individually at $69.95.
Whereas an in-ground irrigation controller just like the Rachio 3 can handle a number of zones, a Rachio Sensible Hose Timer valve unit can solely management a single hose-end accent at a time (although theoretically you would join a few hose-end sprinklers by utilizing a hose splitter or manifold). On condition that strategy to zoning, chances are you’ll discover you want a number of valves to cowl all of the bases. A single Wi-Fi hub can assist as much as 8 valve models, and you’ll set up a number of hubs in your community should you want extra valves.
On the valve correct, a pair of AA batteries (not included within the equipment) are used as the facility supply, so the valves can be utilized at any hose bib as long as they’re inside the roughly 200-foot vary of the hub.
There’s a splash of déjà vu occurring right here. In 2019, we revealed a evaluation of the Zilker Sensible Water Timer, a product developed by entrepreneur John Hanna right here in our hometown HQ of Austin, Texas. That machine is out of manufacturing, however a lot of the know-how has apparently been acquired by Rachio and included into the brand new Sensible Hose Timer. You’ll discover the valve unit is kind of just like the Zilker Valve, however has grown bigger because it was redesigned to combine with the Rachio system. The Zilker Bridge appears to be like equivalent to the Rachio Wi-Fi hub, however the Rachio is designed to work with the Rachio community slightly than the Zilker Cloud community. We cherished the unique Zilker system, and are comfortable to see Rachio bringing this tech again by incorporating it with their irrigation ecosystem.
Setting Up
Rachio claims preliminary setup of a valve-and-hub equipment takes solely 10 minutes, and we will testify that’s nearly proper. For present Rachio customers, the Sensible Hose Timer system installs simply alongside different Rachio merchandise by the Rachio app. Customers new to the Rachio system might want to first create a Rachio account and arrange a brand new Dwelling location by the app. In both case, tapping Add Machine within the app will stroll you thru putting in and pairing the Wi-Fi hub, putting in the batteries within the valve and connecting it.
Every valve has a Detect Circulate setting that may be switched on or off. When this function is on, the valve checks to make certain there may be water flowing by the valve when it’s activated both manually or by way of a schedule. If no move is detected, the valve will shut and an alert shall be raised within the app and logged on the Occasions tab. This may point out you forgot to open the hose bib (sure, we’ve been there), or the potential for one other problem someplace in your broader plumbing system or mainline.
Following set up and setup, the Sensible Hose Timer valve will seem on the Rachio house display screen, after which turns into instantly controllable like some other Rachio machine.
With a view to begin intelligently watering along with your new system, two duties stay. First, you’ll want to attach the valve to an exterior hose bib, connect a backyard hose to the exit aspect of the valve, after which add a sprinkler or different accent on the different finish of the hose. Do be mindful the hose bib should stay open always for the valve to perform on a schedule.
Secondly, if you wish to reap the benefits of weather-based automation, you’ll need to add a Climate Supply to the profile. This contains deciding on an area climate station by the app, and the nearer to your location the higher. Now you’re in enterprise.
Watering and Climate Automation Through Schedules
As soon as the Sensible Hose Timer system is prepared to be used, one can manually activate a valve by merely urgent the blue on/off button on the entrance of the valve. This can activate the valve for the Fast Run default time as set for by the app. A second press at any time will cancel the Fast Run session. The preliminary default is 10 minutes of run time.
Definitely, you’ll need to create a number of Schedules (good timers) to your valves to reap the benefits of the automation options. Every Rachio Sensible Hose Timer valve can have a number of Schedules arrange, and these will be configured by day of the week (for instance, run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) or on a every day interval (starting from daily to each 21 days). Moreover, a number of runs per day will be set for every valve’s Schedule, so you would have a morning run, afternoon run, and night run on the identical Schedule if desired. All runs require selecting a begin time, period, begin date, and finish date.
For every Schedule, the Climate Intelligence options will be activated. This contains Rain Skip, whereby the schedule shall be skipped if rain is going on or anticipated by way of the forecast. Rain skip climate thresholds can be set, by both leaving the default 1/8-in. or adjusting it to a different quantity. In fact, in case you are watering vegetation below the duvet of a patio, you’ll need to change Rain Skip off for that schedule. As soon as your Schedules have been set, they are going to seem on the Schedules tab and will be edited from there.
Occasions and Notifications
The Occasions tab is the place to go to seek out the complete historical past of what’s occurring along with your Sensible Hose Timer valves. This function will show all previous and upcoming Schedule runs and guide Fast Runs, sorted by date and time. For all upcoming Schedules, you possibly can elect to skip any future run by tapping on the SKIP RUN textual content, and if issues don’t look proper you possibly can edit the Schedule from there. For previous Schedules or Fast Runs, you may also see if there was a move error detected. And if a Rain Skip was utilized the Occasions tab will maintain observe of that for you.
You may additionally need to be notified by OS-level notifications for particular occasions and statuses. These will be set globally for all Sensible Hose Timer valves by a Notifications panel. Right here, you possibly can elect to be notified when schedule begin, rain skip, battery low, and move occasions happen.
Efficiency, Longevity, and Integration
We’ve been utilizing the Rachio Sensible Hose Timer system because it was first launched in April 2023, and have been very impressed with its stability and ultra-smooth integration with the Rachio app. Battery life appears fairly good as nicely, and we’ve got solely needed to substitute the batteries as soon as after almost 10 months of use. The valves additionally appear to be weathering the weather fairly nicely.
One caveat, nonetheless, should you dwell in a locale the place temperatures can drop under the freezing mark: Make sure you carry your Sensible Hose Timer valves inside and absolutely drain them if chilly climate is anticipated. Their mechanical internals will be compromised if allowed to freeze with water trapped inside.
The very fact the Sensible Hose Timer makes use of the prevailing Rachio app is a optimistic, for the reason that app front-ends one of the strong good house platforms on the market. And for the reason that Sensible Hose Timers seem on the Rachio house display screen together with Rachio sprinkler controllers, it’s a easy matter to do an advert hoc “fast run” to your whole irrigation setup with just a few faucets.
Abstract
If you’re trying to automate watering for the areas of your panorama, backyard, and raised beds that aren’t appropriate for a fancy in-ground irrigation system, it is best to look no additional than the Rachio Sensible Hose Timer. It’s a highly-intelligent, smooth-working, and eminently versatile system that may assist free you up from myriad guide watering duties. We extremely suggest it.
