Irrigation Controllers.

[Looking Glass]

(Not sure where to put this topic, so mods, feel free to move)

Been working on the irrigation system a bunch this year, redoing all of the heads, and now it’s on the the PVB valve, valve box and controller.  

I’m wondering if anyone has a favorite controller?  I usually use Rainbird for most parts, but open to anything good.  Looking for an outdoor controller with WiFi capability.   Right now have a part analog type controller I’d like to upgrade.   Anyone in love with theirs?   

 

The irrigation runs off just 3 zones on a separate water meter.  The el cheapo backflow preventer is shot, so I ordered a Febco 765-1 to replace it.   

 

I also want to dig out the valve box and replace and spruce it up.  Like much of the system,  it seems to have been put in by a caveman-monkey hybrid with one hand.   It’s full of mud, frogs and palm roots from the neighbors palms, which journeyed across the property to seek out the moisture in there.  Want to clean it up like this masterpiece…

 

Any perfect controllers out there?  

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, Looking Glass said:

(Not sure where to put this topic, so mods, feel free to move)

Been working on the irrigation system a bunch this year, redoing all of the heads, and now it’s on the the PVB valve, valve box and controller.  

I’m wondering if anyone has a favorite controller?  I usually use Rainbird for most parts, but open to anything good.  Looking for an outdoor controller with WiFi capability.   Right now have a part analog type controller I’d like to upgrade.   Anyone in love with theirs?   

 

The irrigation runs off just 3 zones on a separate water meter.  The el cheapo backflow preventer is shot, so I ordered a Febco 765-1 to replace it.   

 

I also want to dig out the valve box and replace and spruce it up.  Like much of the system,  it seems to have been put in by a caveman-monkey hybrid with one hand.   It’s full of mud, frogs and palm roots from the neighbors palms, which journeyed across the property to seek out the moisture in there.  Want to clean it up like this masterpiece…

 

Any perfect controllers out there?  

Not sure what’s available in the us Netafim   and look at Hunter controllers.

[maxum2610]

I’ve been using the Rain Bird RZXe 4 Zone with the optional WiFi module in my yard in Spain for several years now. It’s worked well for me. Allows me to regulate watering in for the more or less four types of zones of plants I have setup. In hindsight an 8 channel unit would allow for more refined watering. I also installed the rain sensor, but that doesn’t really work well in my part of Spain: extremely dry periods and occasional flash floods.

[Darold Petty]

I can only vouch for the brand I use, an Irri-Trol model MC-8 in daily use for 42 years.  (certainly no Wi-Fi ! )  

[Looking Glass]

2 hours ago, happypalms said:

Not sure what’s available in the us Netafim   and look at Hunter controllers.

I’ve heard some people like one of the hunter ones.  
 

1 hour ago, maxum2610 said:

I’ve been using the Rain Bird RZXe 4 Zone with the optional WiFi module in my yard in Spain for several years now. It’s worked well for me. Allows me to regulate watering in for the more or less four types of zones of plants I have setup. In hindsight an 8 channel unit would allow for more refined watering. I also installed the rain sensor, but that doesn’t really work well in my part of Spain: extremely dry periods and occasional flash floods.

I was looking through the various Rain Bird ones.  My head was kind of spinning.   I’ll look that one up.   I mostly just turn it on and off as needed with our wet season heavy rains.   Need it a lot in the dry season.   
 

1 hour ago, Darold Petty said:

I can only vouch for the brand I use, an Irri-Trol model MC-8 in daily use for 42 years.  (certainly no Wi-Fi ! )  

Lol.   If it ain’t broke….    You should see my backflow valve….   Some genius just put an old $12 manual irrigation valve there instead, holding back the full water pressure.  It always leaked, so I just operate it manually when I want.  Now it leaks like an irrigation head though.   I looked up what it was and was surprised! 

I want something I can turn on and off by phone when I’m away….   Since I’m upgrading anyways.  That would save me some effort.  I’m tearing that whole area up so time to fix and upgrade while it’s a mess, rather than later.  

[happypalms]

20 minutes ago, Looking Glass said:

I’ve heard some people like one of the hunter ones.  
 

I was looking through the various Rain Bird ones.  My head was kind of spinning.   I’ll look that one up.   I mostly just turn it on and off as needed with our wet season heavy rains.   Need it a lot in the dry season.   
 

Lol.   If it ain’t broke….    You should see my backflow valve….   Some genius just put an old $12 manual irrigation valve there instead, holding back the full water pressure.  It always leaked, so I just operate it manually when I want.  Now it leaks like an irrigation head though.   I looked up what it was and was surprised! 

I want something I can turn on and off by phone when I’m away….   Since I’m upgrading anyways.  That would save me some effort.  I’m tearing that whole area up so time to fix and upgrade while it’s a mess, rather than later.  

Hunter are easy to use and good we got three of them at work the only thing goes wrong is the module which you can replace. So they are repairable.

[happypalms]

Go the hunter much easier.

[Looking Glass]

5 hours ago, happypalms said:

Go the hunter much easier.

Man, that's quite a set up.   Mine is child's play compared to that!.   The Hunter Box looks straightforward enough though.   

[Billeb]

I’ve been the Rachio 3 Smart controller for years. It has everything you need. WiFi and operated by a super user friendly app anyone can use. Automatic Seasonal changing, moisture levels etc. I actually got it when CA had a rebate. They paid up to $150 for a smart controller so I jumped on it. Big proponent of Rachio. Look into them. 
 

https://rachio.com/products/rachio-3/

 

-dale 

[RainforestCafe]

@Looking Glass I recently had an irrigation system installed. My old system was Rainbird and just had a dial and such. I like the new system alot better.
It's got the Hunter Hydrawise HPC controller and it has the WiFi features you're talking about. I've got 15 zones on it now, and I can set and control all my zones, test them, shut things on/off, change the schedule, etc. basically anything you can think of, all from the Hydrawise app. It's been very user-friendly.
The irrigation guys also introduced me to MaxiJet misters and tubing and my life has never been the same 😂

To me, it's night and day over the Rainbird drippers/emitters/misters that I had before. You can see and feel the quality. They're so nice! I feel like they stay in place, they use water very efficiently, and I never have to adjust anything on them. The Maxijet 1/4" tubing also feels really different than the rainbird stuff I had before. It's thicker than the other stuff but also more flexible. They also used some 1/2" tubing with a blue stripe on it and it's alot better than the black plastic 1/2" tubing that I got from Home Depot before as well.

[RainforestCafe]

13 hours ago, happypalms said:

Go the hunter much easier.

@happypalms The setup looks pretty crazy. Is that 4 zones/valves? I'm trying to figure out if that's your valve setup for your different zones. On my irrigation, that's all buried in a box.

[TomJ]

Rachio

https://rachio.com/products/rachio-3/?utm_source=google-ads&utm_campaign=&utm_agid=152558741451&utm_term=rachio&creative=650788338678&device=c&placement=&gad_source=1

 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, RainforestCafe said:

@happypalms The setup looks pretty crazy. Is that 4 zones/valves? I'm trying to figure out if that's your valve setup for your different zones. On my irrigation, that's all buried in a box.

The four valves are for dosing different types of fertiliser ratio (Venturi) The netafim controller is more ec, ph, flow rates, times, dosing and full control of everything 24/7. The hunter is just a big computer timer for opening and shutting valves (solenoid). And that setup is easy (basic hydroponics) we have another setup that’s state of the art computer wifi setup. It may be called irrigation but on a 40 degree Celsius day and things going wrong it’s called irritation, it’s an easy job that’s not rocket science but……..

[happypalms]

Here’s another setup. Easy once you know what you’re doing. With irrigation there are no university courses or other courses. Greenkeeping is a good place to start to learn other than that it’s all field learning from the bottom up. 

[Looking Glass]

21 hours ago, Billeb said:

I’ve been the Rachio 3 Smart controller for years. It has everything you need. WiFi and operated by a super user friendly app anyone can use. Automatic Seasonal changing, moisture levels etc. I actually got it when CA had a rebate. They paid up to $150 for a smart controller so I jumped on it. Big proponent of Rachio. Look into them. 
 

https://rachio.com/products/rachio-3/

 

-dale 

A lot of people seem to like the Rachio.  It's probably the one I've heard recommended the most.  

 

15 hours ago, RainforestCafe said:

@Looking Glass I recently had an irrigation system installed. My old system was Rainbird and just had a dial and such. I like the new system alot better.
It's got the Hunter Hydrawise HPC controller and it has the WiFi features you're talking about. I've got 15 zones on it now, and I can set and control all my zones, test them, shut things on/off, change the schedule, etc. basically anything you can think of, all from the Hydrawise app. It's been very user-friendly.
The irrigation guys also introduced me to MaxiJet misters and tubing and my life has never been the same 😂

To me, it's night and day over the Rainbird drippers/emitters/misters that I had before. You can see and feel the quality. They're so nice! I feel like they stay in place, they use water very efficiently, and I never have to adjust anything on them. The Maxijet 1/4" tubing also feels really different than the rainbird stuff I had before. It's thicker than the other stuff but also more flexible. They also used some 1/2" tubing with a blue stripe on it and it's alot better than the black plastic 1/2" tubing that I got from Home Depot before as well.

That Hunter Hydrawise is probably the one the I hear the 2nd most about from people.  

 

Now the Maxijet stuff...  I've not heard of.  I did it up though and it looks like they have some good stuff...

I'll have to keep that in mind when I redo-reactivate the back irrigation lines.  There, in that zone, I want to to a very focused set up, as there is no grass to speak of, mostly stone and pavers, but I want to do some planting beds and have some pots watered, while not stimulating the weeds any more than necessary.   Thanks!  When I get ready to do that, I'll be hitting up the forum again for advice on sprayers and such.  

 

My current controller is a Rainbird ESP Me, and it's getting pretty beat up.  Some Geckos seem to have been living inside the electronics, and have made a mess of the place.   The stucco folk also stucco'd the electric conduits, box body and any screw in connections right into the wall of the house prior to me moving in a few years back!   Christ.  

The Rainbird ESP ME3 is the current generation and would fit nicely into the scar of the box after removal.   It seems to have the same footprint and connections, which wound mean less cosmetic repairs to the wall.  

It seems like a relatively common choice in these parts, but people have various gripes and annoyances with it and the app overall, it seems.  It has a little WiFi receiver that you buy separately and it plugs into their stuff, enabling Wifi connections.   It has plug-ins for all kinds of stuff like rain gauges, pressure meters, pump controls, and other stuff, a lot of which I don't really need at my humble abode.    

 

After all, I'm no @happypalms!  This is an amateur operation here.