Rachio WiFi Smart Sprinkler Controller (8-Zone Irrigation Remote Control) – App-Based Scheduling, Local Weather Intelligence, Rain Skips, Easy DIY Install

This irrigation controller is perfect for homeowners who have 8 or less zones to their irrigation system. If you have basic level knowledge of tools and how to do simple home improvement tasks, installation is very easy. A perfect replacement for old school controllers (like my old Rainbird model with a dial and simple numerical screen) that were annoyingly complex to try to control schedules, do seasonal or rain adjustments, or just manage in general. These are often on sale during big Amazon sales events, so I picked it up for quite a discount during Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales. - Installation consisted of unplugging the old Rainbird controller, carefully labeling each zone (1, 2, 3, etc.) and the common wire as it was installed before, disconnecting all labeled wires, and then removing the old controller from the wall. New install was pretty much the reverse. Took approximately 30 min at a leisurely pace. - Initial Setup: Super easy via the app and only need to setup a Raachio account, and of course needed my WiFi password to connect the controller to the network. - The app: Very intuitive and easy to use. I love that I can take a picture for each zone so I know what is what. I can use the app to quick run each zone while I'm walking around to inspect sprinkler heads and make adjustments. No more running back and forth to the controller on the wall. Schedule setup was very easy and it is easy to have multiple schedules with any combination of zones assigned to each schedule. For example, I have one schedule to run my yard zones, and a separate one for my raised garden beds using drip lines. The system uses local weather reporting to perform "rain skips" based on predicted or actual precipitation. The rain skip is really the only drawback I have found so far. When summer temps are really high (95+ deg) it is not uncommon where I live to have inaccurate rain predictions due to small thunderstorm cells that may rain close by but not at my location. Sometimes the system will rain skip a schedule based on the weather prediction, but in reality no rain was received. I end up having to manually un-skip the rain skip occasionally. However this is only a minor issue and still miles ahead overall compared to the old outdated controllers. This also could be a function of the type of schedule I set up; there is a much higher level of customization available than I have fully utilized.

I finally replaced my RainBird system which worked well but was old and outdated. This system was recommended by friends and relatives and it is great! Right out of the box the instructions were very clear and easy to understand. I labeled all the old wires as I took the old system apart which definitely helped with the new installation. The controller is very easy to mount and the wiring is a simple push and lock mechanism. Since it connects to wifi it gathers weather data from numerous sources and seems even more accurate than the local forecast. I've already had it tell me it would "skip" watering and then as the forecast changed it deleted the skip and watered as required. The app is very intuitive and user friendly. Having access anywhere makes watering a breeze with the ability to control everything about all zones (we have 15). I highly recommend this system as a great value for the cost.

I debated for a long time before purchasing this product due to the mix of very strong reviews — both positive and negative. After using this unit for about 2 weeks, and experiencing a lot of weather in the North TX area, I’m writing to speak to both sides and offer my observations in hopes that it will help others who find themselves in the same dilemma that I did. First, let me say that this is an awesome product. Having worked in technology, and specifically software engineering and product development for 15-20 years, I truly appreciate the simplicity of the product. The entire setup process — from opening the box to having water running in our yard — lasted maybe 10-15 minutes max, and it was only that high because I spent about 5 minutes creating a label on our label maker to “mark” the zones on the outside of the unit. Some might call this overkill… my wife calls it particular… but nevertheless. Everything from the design, to engineering, to the magnetic cover, the software in the app (we use iOS)… it was simple and the experience was like opening an Apple product and having it “just work”. Second, let me speak to the setup options, since I think this is where most folks that write negative reviews get hung up. There are basically two paths to choose from, and there doesn’t really seem to be a middle ground. One path is to basically set it up as a “dumb controller” — meaning, think of what your parents probably had 20-30 years ago in their garage. You set a schedule, it is fixed, and it basically runs on certain days and times that you set. If this is your preference, then save your money and buy a different controller. There are way cheaper options on the market, and this product is going to be overkill for a schedule that simple. The other option, which is why I suspect most of you are probably interested or reading this in the first place, is what this system is really designed to do. You can set it up as a “smart controller” — meaning, you set a base schedule, along with some data points specific to your location, and these are fed into an algorithm, along with real-time weather information from your area, and it basically adjusts “on demand”. For example, if it rained more than a certain amount (you can set the threshold), or if rain is even expected in your area in the next 24 hours, it will skip a cycle. Or if it detects winds (again, you can set a threshold), it might adjust the time. Same thing for temperature below freezing, soil moisture, etc. There are a lot of options and you can customize which ones per zone… for example, one of our zones is a dedicated drip hose, so the wind alert doesn’t really matter but the soil moisture does. The neat thing is you can set multiple “schedules” and target different settings for each. The only thing to be aware of, is one of the settings is “time of day”… so if you have multiple schedules for the same day, and they are both set to “finish before sunrise”, for example, you might run into weird situations. We get around this by alternating days (or you can set a “fixed” time of day for one). Just a heads up for anyone running more complex schedules across zones. The “smart controller” setup (as I call it) is a little more work up front, and if you do it wrong, I can totally see how it will mess up your yard. However, it’s not all that difficult, and once it’s setup as intended, it’s totally worth the money. Based on our water usage, and the unpredictability of weather in the North TX area, I think this unit will pay for itself in a matter of a couple months. In the past 14 days alone, it has already saved us from running 4 different cycles for who knows how many hundreds of gallons each time. Again, this means that you actually have to do some work up front to make sure it is setup correctly. It does require a little bit of knowledge of your soil type and the ability not to over-estimate slopes. For example, just because your yard is graded (to get water away from your house) does not mean that the slope is “extreme”. All of the factors go into the algorithm… so if you get it wrong, that is not Rachio’s fault, even though it sounds like that is where most of the negative reviews stem from. It’s just like anything else with data… garbage in = garbage out. If you put good data in, then the results can be remarkable. The only downside, if there was one, is I could not get this to work with our existing rain sensor or HomeKit. The rain sensor threw false positives, and once I figured that out (thanks to Rachio alerting us "why" the system did not run), I just unplugged it and it's one less thing to have to worry about. For HomeKit, with a background in software engineering, I’ve looked into this technically and this appears to be an issue with Apple’s integration rather than Rachio. Practically, all this means is I cannot say “Hey Siri, turn on our sprinklers for 10 minutes". Would that be impressive to show off? Absolutely. But with the intelligence already built into Rachio's software, there’s a good chance I’ll never need to do anything manually ever again. In summary… this is an excellent product, but it is not for everyone. I do wish there was a review like this a few weeks back so I did not have to spend time second guessing myself before we purchased this product. All in all, this is a solid product, and I would highly recommend it… as long as you have some time to set it up correctly. I hope this helps! Justin

Easy set up, notifications that actually help me save water, and an easy to use UI! I’m impressed with the app that allows me to design a schedule as well as add single time watering. The module is responsive and has a sleek look to it. The magnetic face plate is also a plus as it means I’m not worrying about breaking plastic clips from having to take it off when resetting. My one complaint is that when my power goes out even for a minute i have to reset the module. It remembers everything but does take a few minutes. Besides that, overall a great sprinkler controller

This was my first experience with a Rachio sprinkler controller. Installing the unit was quick and easy. Linking the unit to the App and setting up the system was not. I eventually had to reset and start over the set up process several times. However, once that process was completed, things have been working just fine without any issues. I really appreciate the ability to control my system from my phone and I especially appreciate the extra features like weather tracking and automatic adjustments that come with the unit. I was a little disappointed to see that I had to pay extra in the app to take advantage of all the features that the unit offers, I’m not a fan of “pay to play.” This includes features like sprinkler valve monitoring to alert you of potential problems in your system. If the unit has that capability, then just include it in the initial cost of the product. That said, in my opinion the pros do outweigh the cons and I am happy with my purchase and do recommend it for others looking for a sprinkler valve controller with internet and app capabilities.

Simply amazing! Had the Rain Bird ST8-WiFi which constantly jumped off the network and which constantly had to be reset, and which remote WiFi connection never worked anywhere outside the house. I have used the Rachio controller for two days, it has been put to the test and has met every one of my expectations for a WiFi sprinkler controller. Maybe once or twice the app while watering was not responsive, but due to area (ie, inside a department store with concrete walls, or just driving in an area with poor signal); a quick off and on of my phone cleared it right up. And not one time have I had to reset the WiFi connection between the device and my network. App is extremely easy to set up (unlike Rain Bird!) and extremely user-friendly and straightforward. I strongly recommend this to anyone who needs reliable remote sprinkler operation to keep a nice lawn.

This sprinkler controller has been incredibly convenient and simple to use. The app makes it easy to control everything right from your phone, whether you’re at home or away. Scheduling is straightforward, and I love being able to adjust zones quickly without any hassle. Setup was easy, and it’s been reliable ever since. A great upgrade from a traditional system—highly recommend if you want something efficient and user-friendly!

Wow. Install was super easy. One hour. Walked around the house and it turned on and off each zone with a button click. Everything works. I just had sod placed on three section of my yard. Programming to water new sod in n the took two minutes. And it compensates for rain and knows how to handle new gras. Wow.

Very easy to use, a lot of modofications available, really good device. The only problem if you don't have US socket, but you can solve it using another adaptor.

Easy to install. Excellent app. Water efficient since it's connected to the local weather network (no need for rain sensor).

Unusable device in UAE based on our power standards. Avoid!!

It's only been two weeks but I will give you my first impression and it's a good one. The reason I was looking for a new controller was my old Rainbird always had issues with connecting to my wifi. It was ok feature wise but felt it was falling short. This new Rachio was super easy to install. I loved that fact the bottom of the control was left open so you don't have to pull wires through any holes. Face is held on with magnets, another nice feature. Connecting wise, Are you kidding me! I blinked and I missed it. I thought for sure I did something wrong as it should not be this easy but no! I was wrong and it was connected and it really was that fast! The rest of the set up was just as easy. I'm a guy, who has time for instructions, not me!!!! And you truly do not need them. It walks you through everything step by step. I found everything easy to understand and to navigate through. It has some great features in my opinion zone wise. Asks about your area you live, asks what kind of watering you are doing (Grass, bushes etc) what type of irrigation heads you are using. What slope the area is on. It then gives you the option to name the zone and add a picture. All this is to optimise your watering. So cool! Timer wise, again super easy. I asked to end my watering cycles at sunrise and it figured out the start times. Because you entered all the information about the zone it automatically calculates how long each zone waters for. Keeping in mind you have full control over all of these settings if you wish. It watches your local forecast and it has only watered once so far. Its early spring here and it has been cloudy and sometimes raining. It is pausing my schedule automatically for me. Such A nice feature. I was a little hesitant on giving it full control but since you can easily go into the app and monitor your past watering cycles I feel comfortable knowing I can monitor it and see what is going on. Another very cool feature. It's not the cheapest unit on the market but due to all the features, the care free operation it's worth every penny. For anyone that has never used an App based watering system its pretty cool. My cell phone notified me someone was in my yard (Security camera system). When I looked someone was walking their HUGE wolf dog and it decided it didn't want to go any farther and layed down on my lawn. She was pulling and pulling. No way she was moving him. So I decided to help her out..... I opened up my Rachio app and flicked the zone on. Wanna see how fast a Wolf dog can move!!!! She literally said out loud laughing. THANK YOU WHOEVER YOU ARE !!!!! LOL!

Muy buen servicio, entrega muy rápido, buen precio