Summary

Rachio calculates your estimated soil moisture level for each zone using our software algorithms. By estimating evapotranspiration (ET) and using this information, Rachio's software will skip watering schedules as needed using the Saturation Skip feature, or customize the watering interval for each zone if you use a  Flex Daily Schedule.

What's the difference between soil sensors and moisture sensors?

Soil Sensors

• Soil sensors operate similarly to rain sensors; once the moisture threshold is met or exceeded, the sensor interrupts the common wire and suspends all watering events until the moisture threshold dries out and returns to a level below the threshold.
  • Rachio supports any standard soil sensor:
    • Toro Soil Sensor
    • RAIN BIRD SMRT-Y Sensor

• To activate your soil sensor within the Rachio app, go to the Settings Wheel tab at the top-right corner of your screen, then to "Controller Settings", "Accessories", then select the sensor terminal your sensor is connected to (either S1 or S2). Then, toggle the sensor on (the toggle will show green when on) and make sure the sensor type is listed as "Rain" (NOT "Flow"). 

  

Moisture Sensors

• Moisture sensors operate similarly to a rain-tipping bucket on a weather station, in which data is collected and sent back to the Rachio controller. The data can be used as input to scheduling algorithms to override local ET data and create a closed-loop system.
  • Rachio doesn't directly support soil moisture sensors, but using IFTTT, watering events can be triggered using the following moisture sensors:
    • Wireless Tag