It is quite common for people to forget to water their garden, sometimes people are just too busy with their daily routine to spare time for this task.
It can take quite a bit of your time if you have a huge lawn. Luckily, a smart sprinkler can take care of all of these problems for you.
You might say that it is an unnecessary purchase or it is too expensive for you.
However, when you do make the purchase, these sprinklers will put you far ahead when it comes to managing your yard. So, be sure to make the investment and you will have the ideal experience here.
As long as you install these sprinklers correctly, they will serve you for decades. However, if you’re not experienced and need more details, just ask an expert to help you out. Otherwise, you will get more problems than solutions out of this system.
Although smart sprinklers are very useful to have there are still some common issues you might run into. In this article, we will be going over some common issues that might run into while using Rachio smart sprinkler.
Common Rachio Smart Sprinkler Problems Troubleshooting
- Connection Error
A lot of users have mentioned issues about their smart sprinkler not connecting to the home network. You’ll be unable to connect the sprinklers with your mobile app and the controller will show offline. If you’re having similar issues then here are some fixes you can try to overcome this problem.
To troubleshoot issues like this the first thing you should do is power cycle your router, simply unplug the device and wait around 30 seconds before plugging in your router.
After that try connecting the controller with the Wi-Fi. Make sure that the router is placed within the effective range of the controller. Moving the router close to the sprinkler’s controller will improve the signal strength and can potentially sort out this problem.
If the issue is still there then you should update the router’s firmware and make sure that the channel bandwidth is set to 2.4Ghz and not 5.0Ghz.
You can do so by going into the router settings by using the web interface.
From there navigate to channel settings and switch the channel band to 2.4Ghz, after that save the settings and restart your router once. If the issue still exists then contact Rachio support.
- Not Connecting to Homekit
Some customers have mentioned issues in getting their controllers to work with the Apple Homekit. It is a very common issue that has not been quite resolved by the Rachio team.
However, there are still some fixes that can potentially troubleshoot this error.
One possible way to fix this issue is by resetting your controller. You can do so from the app or by using the buttons on the controller. Just open up your Rachio app and click on the “more” option on the home screen.
From there click controller settings and simply remove the controller from the mobile app. However, doing this can remove all of your controller’s data. Meaning that you’ll have to configure the device again from scratch.
Another thing you can do is reset your HomeKit home. To do this go into your phone settings and delete your “Home” from the Homekit section. After that log out of your iCloud and delete all the apps related to Homekit.
Once all that is done, restart your mobile device and install everything again after logging into your iCloud again. Doing this can erase all of your Homekit configurations so think twice before resetting your Homekit.
- Water Not Coming Out
Some users are having issues with the water not coming out of the sprinklers at the scheduled time. The manual valve works properly but no water will come out even if the controller is showing that sprinklers are on.
The most common reason for this error is faulty wiring. We recommend that you get a technician or an experienced friend to help you fix the wiring.
It is very common for wires to get damaged over the years, using an Ohmmeter can help you figure out which wire is causing this problem.
Another possible fix can be to disconnect your rain detector from the controller and check if that fixes the problem.
If your specific issue is not mentioned here then we recommend that you contact Rachio customer support and explain your issue to them.
It would be even better if you can record a video and attach it to an email. This will help them pinpoint the exact issue.
After the issue is identified the support team will send you a list of troubleshooting methods that can fix your problem. So, send them mail and wait for their response.
- Power Issues
Sometimes performance inconsistency will stem from power issues. These are some of the most annoying issues as you will have to check everything from the wiring connections to the outlet and the device itself.
Some say that servicing the Rachio system and cleaning up any and every corner of the unit is enough to help eliminate these issues.
However, that is not always true. You need to focus on the power connections as well and make sure that they are not damaged.
Having an electrician to look at the wiring system once every six months is not a bad idea.
That will eliminate the possibility of fire hazards and you will notice a much better performance from your appliance. So, try to be mindful of the servicing requirements.
All that you gotta do is to make sure that the hardware is in good shape. That will help you through the majority of errors and you will not have to deal with any long term complications.
- Schedules Not Working
The problems with the sprinkler schedule is more related to how you set up the sprinkler system instead of the hardware. These minor bugs will be more persistent if you skip a few steps when first installing the sprinklers.
The only viable thing that can be done about the schedules not working is to reset the system.
You’ll find some people saying that a quick power cycle or a quick reboot will help address these issues. However, that is not true for the majority of people.
Instead, you have got to refresh the programming with a reset. It will wipe away all the settings and the configurations.
However, you’re not left with many options and setting up the sprinklers from scratch is the only valid thing that you have to do.
It might take a hot minute to get through all the specifics. However, you shouldn’t hesitate to invest this time when it comes to fixing the problems with the schedule not working.
Otherwise, you will remain stuck in these errors, and the sprinkler system will not respond to daily schedules.
- Hardware Issues
Moving towards some of the more serious problems, you can also expect to run into hardware issues. These issues mostly stem from in-efficient packing or a rough delivery route. Either way, you need to understand that you’re not liable for these issues.
The best mode of action in these situations is to engage the official support team.
You gotta ask them for help and explain your end. If your claim is valid, it won’t take you more than a week to get a new sprinkler system for free.
On the other end of things if you do try to fix the sprinklers on your own, it will only complicate the situation further.
These sprinklers are not designed to be repaired by amateurs, and you gotta engage the official support channel for help.
The upside here is that the official support team from Rachio is pretty responsive.
They will be more than happy to help you out if you can explain your end to these professionals. So, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help. Hopefully, the hassle will be pretty limited that way.
The Takeaway
Before buying any smart system or unit, it is always a good practice to look up the common problems that are associated with the unit. Knowing about these common problems will help you take preventative measures on how to fix these issues.
We’ve detailed some common problems related to the Rachio sprinklers and how you can fix them yourself. Know that most of these problems are related to the installation.
If you’re unsure about the installation, you’re bound to run into these errors.
The best thing that you can do is to get this system installed by an expert. Having an expert or a local technician to help you out will put you far ahead in the troubleshooting routine.
So, when you’re stuck, just get help from the officials.
Lastly, if you ever run into hardware issues or find that the system that you own is defective, just ask the dealer to send you a replacement.
The warranty policy on these units is amazing. As long as you’re in possession of a valid warranty, fixing these issues will not be as hard for you.
I left you an e-mail yesterday on the problem I am having but thought I would try this as well. My rachio 3 is less than six months old, I’m having problems with zone 2. All the other 5 zones work great! Zone 1 and 2 are both checked and appear to be set up properly under drip, zone 1 is front zone 2 is back, each zone is set up for one hour, zone 1 is from 10;00 to 11;00 am and zone 2 is from 11;00 to 12;00 pm. Zone two will come on for a few minutes and then will stop. I can manual zone 2 and it works fine. valve, solenoid and wire connections look good! Your thoughts?
This is a great article and will help a lot of people – but my issues with Rachio have to do with how it’s administering (or not) water. half my lawn was burnt by July (too little water) and there is NO way to change the ECO-Smart settings. That would be helpful – SOME kind of “less/more” adjustment. But no, it’s fixed and resolute. Now, you can run it manually (and setting up manual zones requires a new program and you can’t simply input a # of minutes, you have to scroll up fro zero – painful) but that also turns off the rain sensor in my experience – so now I have a WiFi-enabled irrigation system that’s worse than the 20-year-old one I replaced.
do I need to buy a rain detector for my Rachio system?
Thanks, Dave.