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What is the Smart Controller Project?
The goal of the Smart Controller Project is to reduce both the amount of water lost due to wind evaporation and the daily peak demands on the Pressurized Irrigation system.
Wind Drift and Evaporation Loss
About half the city is in a wind fan area, originating from Spanish Fork Canyon. Watering during high-wind periods (e.g., late at night/early in the morning) may cause you to lose a significant amount of the water that you are trying to apply. Therefore, more water will be conserved if watering takes place during the day when the wind is at its lowest. To learn if you are in the wind-fan area view the wind-fan area map.
About half the city is in a wind fan area, originating from Spanish Fork Canyon. Watering during high-wind periods (e.g., late at night/early in the morning) may cause you to lose a significant amount of the water that you are trying to apply. Therefore, more water will be conserved if watering takes place during the day when the wind is at its lowest. To learn if you are in the wind-fan area view the wind-fan area map.
Peak Demand
During operational months, peak demands on the Pressurized Irrigation "PI" system are late at night and early in the morning (between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) -- which is when most people water their landscaping. So in an attempt to balance out the peak demand and distribute the PI usage more evenly over a 24 hour period, the city recommends you refer to the wind-fan area map and address table to better schedule your sprinkler system, which helps make the water pressure you receive more consistent.
During operational months, peak demands on the Pressurized Irrigation "PI" system are late at night and early in the morning (between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.) -- which is when most people water their landscaping. So in an attempt to balance out the peak demand and distribute the PI usage more evenly over a 24 hour period, the city recommends you refer to the wind-fan area map and address table to better schedule your sprinkler system, which helps make the water pressure you receive more consistent.
What are the Benefits?
Benefits Include
- The smart controller automatically manages your sprinkler system, and adjusts for weather.
- The smart controller helps prevent over and underwatering by adjusting runtimes based on weather and the types of landscaping on your property.
- You have complete control to override or raise the overall watering with a state of the art phone app.
- You can also monitor the run time of each of your sprinkler zones through the smartphone app. (Android | iPhone)
- Water conservation saves you money. A BYU study found that homes with a smart controller used, on average, 4,500 fewer gallons of water per month.
- Water conservation also keeps more water in our sources.
- Reduces peak demands on the PI water system, which increases PI water pressure citywide and reduces the wear and tear on pumping equipment.
WHEN SHOULD I WATER?
The Rachio 3 smart sprinkler controllers can automatically schedule watering throughout the City so that demands on the City system are normalized. This reduces infrastructure cost and keeps sprinkler system pressures more consistent. We encourage residents to follow the schedule below to maximize the benefits of the smart controller:
Inside Wind Fan Area
During the day when it is not windy. During high wind conditions there is a phenomenon known as Wind Drift and Evaporation Loss where you can literally lose to the wind a significant portion of the water you are attempting to apply.
Outside Wind Fan Area
During the night to avoid evaporation.
| Description | Time Block Start | Time Block End |
| Outside Wind Fan Area Odd Address | 3:45 AM | 6:00 AM |
| Outside Wind Fan Area Even Address | 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Inside Wind Fan Area Addresses ending with 1 or 2 | 10:00 AM | 3:00 PM |
| Inside Wind Fan Area Addresses ending with 3 or 4 | 11:00 AM | 4:00 PM |
| Inside Wind Fan Area Addresses ending with 5 or 6 | 12:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Inside Wind Fan Area Addresses ending with 7 or 8 | 1:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
| Inside Wind Fan Area Addresses ending with 9 or 0 | 2:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
Rachio Support
Support for the Rachio Smart Controllers is provided by Rachio. If you are having technical issues with your smart controller, visit Rachio's Support Page, watch tutorial videos on Rachio's YouTube channel, or contact Rachio.
Smart Controller FAQs
I'm having issues with my Rachio system. Who do I contact?
Support for the Rachio Smart Controllers is provided by Rachio. If you are having technical issues with your smart controller, visit Rachio's Support Page, watch tutorial videos on Rachio's YouTube channel, or contact Rachio
My Smart Controller was installed recently and areas of my lawn are starting to die. What should I do?
This is not uncommon, as it can take the lawn a couple of weeks to adjust to the new scheduling. If your lawn continues to worsen after a couple of weeks, please contact Rachio for support.
How do I winterize my Rachio system?
How do you switch Rachio users when you move?
Rachio has a helpful support article detailing how to transfer ownership of Rachio devices if you move.