Summary

Is your Wireless Flow Meter telling you Zero Flow Detected during calibration? In this article, you will find a couple of reasons for this and how you can troubleshoot!

Zero Flow Troubleshooting

1. Zero flow rate on low-flow zones (including drip lines, emitters, misters, and bubblers).
   The flow meter is designed to measure flow rates above 0.5 GPM. Zones that produce flow rates less than 0.5 GPM drip include drip lines, emitters, and misters. Low-flow zones will report zero flow, but they are flowing at a rate of less than 0.5 GPM (unless there is a blockage in the valve or tubing). The usage from low-flow zones will not be counted in your total usage (this cannot be changed). Future updates will grant the ability to manually adjust the baseline of any low-flow zone - you will receive an email when this feature is released.
   
   

   Note

   If you’re concerned that there is a blockage in the valve or tubing causing the zero-flow reading, you can troubleshoot by running the zone for a few minutes to test whether water is being emitted. If there is no water, something could be wrong with your zone, such as a blockage in the line or valve, or a stuck valve. If water is emitting, the flow rate is below 0.5 GPM.
2. Zero flow on a single zone (with rotor heads, fixed spray heads, or rotary nozzles).
   Low pressure can sometimes cause a false zero-flow read. Use the Quick Run feature in the app to run the zone for 5 minutes, and note how long it takes for the heads to begin to water at full pressure. Return to calibrate all zones within the app (open the “Settings Wheel” tab at the top-right corner of your screen, then "Controller Settings" select “Accessories”, “Flow Meter”," and then “Calibrate Flow Meter”). When prompted select “set pressurized time” to the number of minutes it took the zone to reach watering at full pressure.
   
   If calibration still returns zero flow rate, contact support.
   
3. No flow rate reported on all zones
   Check that your controller is online and not in Hibernation (formerly Standby) Mode by noting the controller status in the top left corner of the Devices screen.
   Ensure that the flow meter is installed with the arrows on the face and body-oriented in the direction of water flow (pointing away from the backflow preventer, towards the valve box). A backward flow meter will result in zero flow measurement. If you used the recommended fittings, you can use specific tools to remove the fittings from the pipe and reorient the flow meter. For removers, visit the shopping guide.
   If the controller is on and the flow meter is installed correctly, return to calibration within the app to retry the zone that’s reporting no flow. If the zone is still reporting no flow, try power cycling the flow meter:
   
   • Use a flathead screwdriver to remove a single battery from the flow meter and then replace it immediately;
   • As soon as you power cycle, turn the flow meter over to identify the LED light on the face of the flow meter:

Solid green LED light: If there is a solid green LED light, return to the app to calibrate again.

Blinking green LED light: If the light is green and blinking, watch it for a few minutes; if it turns to solid green, return to the app to calibrate. If it blinks for more than 5 minutes and does not turn solid, contact support.

No LED light: If there is no light, you must replace the batteries on your flow meter.  replace the batteries. If after replacing the batteries there is still no LED, contact support.

Solid red light: If the light is red, contact Rachio Support from within the Rachio app.