Flow Meter Notifications & Leak Detection

There are several types of notifications. Some, like a high-flow leak, may require immediate attention.

Types of notifications: 

• High-flow leak with auto shut-off. This alerts you to a high-flow leak and any zones that have been disabled to protect against the leak.

  

  High-flow leak without auto shut-off. This alerts you that a high-flow leak has been detected. If auto-shutoff is disabled, the problem zone will continue to run. 

  

  Low flow. This alerts you to any low flow observed outside of your set thresholds. This could deprive your landscape of necessary water or damage your system, so we recommend disabling the zone and attempting to resolve the issue. Check for common causes such as: 

  • Root crush (where tree roots grow around a pipe and squeeze it closed)
  • Obstruction of sprinkler head
  • Low water pressure

• 

  Inactive Flow / Flow detected when no zones are running. This alerts you to flow detected while your sprinkler system is not currently watering (either scheduled or manual watering). If your system is not active and water is still flowing through it, this could signal a leak. To investigate the cause, check for the following: 
  • Running hose connected to outdoor water
  • Stuck valves
  • Leaks between the flow meter and your valves 

How Do I Clear Old Notifications? 

To remove the “High Flow Detected” or "Low Flow Detects" banner from the zones appearing on the Zones tab, follow these instructions in the Rachio App: 

1. Click on the Settings Wheel tab located at the top right-hand corner of your screen 

2. Select "Flow Notifications"

3. Archive alerts for each zone where you want the banner removed

• Battery low (available only for Rachio Wireless Flow Meter). This informs you of low battery in your Wireless Flow Meter before your battery runs out of power. 

• Flowmeter connection lost (available only for Rachio Wireless Flow Meter). This alerts you to any lost connection between your flow meter and the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller. 

• Flowmeter reconnected (available only for Rachio Wireless Flow Meter). This informs you when your flow meter reconnects to your Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller.

Leak detected? What to do if there's a leak

Why is leak detection important?

Leaks are annoying, but a flow meter helps you stay on top of them! Being aware of leaks in real-time and fixing any issues can save you tons of money and water. Ongoing leaks (even minor ones) can be costly and may cause even further damage to your irrigation system if left untreated. That's why it's important to investigate any leak notifications from your flow meter. 

If your flow meter detects a leak in your yard, what should you do?

1. First, we recommend a visual inspection of the zone that's reporting a leak. Your Rachio will alert you which zone is leaking; locate this zone in your yard (this is easy if you have included name identifiers or pictures of your zones within the Rachio app). After locating the zone, begin running the zone using the Quick Run feature.
   
   Tip: If auto shut-off is enabled on your flow meter, you’ll need to override this to run the zone. To do so, use the Rachio app to navigate to Zones > Individual Zone > Enable the zone > Quick run (from the individual zone screen). If auto shut-off is still enabled, high flow zones will shut off again after pressurized time is reached (usually within 1-5 minutes).
   
   
2. As the zone waters, inspect for leaks around threaded connections to the valves. Threaded joints are the most common locations for leaks. Look carefully for any obvious issues like damaged or leaky sprinkler heads, missing drip emitters/nozzles, stretched hose fittings (these are typically buried and therefore difficult to spot), or pooling water/mud (try probing the ground with a long screwdriver, looking for soil that is wetter than other areas; you may have to just wait until it gets bad enough to become visible).
   
   

3. If you identify a leak, you can disable the affected zone while you fix the leak. Not sure what repairs are needed? An irrigation professional will be able to assist you get your system running normally again.
   
   

4. Don’t see any obvious leaks? There might be a deeper issue (literally) to find. Look for the following clues:

• Look for water flowing over a curb or sidewalk. Any irrigation water flowing over a paved surface signifies water being wasted and a sign of over-irrigation, a broken irrigation head, or poor drainage.
• Look for sediment. An alluvial fan pattern on a sidewalk or parking lot can be a sign that you have a broken irrigation head.
• Look for erosion. If the start of the erosion is near an irrigation head, you should check to see if it is cracked, broken, or has a loose connection at the base.
• Check for grass patches such as darker green spots or taller grass around an irrigation head. When this occurs, the irrigation head is likely cracked, broken, or clogged. Green spots appearing away from an irrigation head are most likely not related to an irrigation problem.
• Got mushrooms or fungi? You may be significantly over-irrigating or have a slow irrigation leak. Check your zone settings to make sure you’re watering the right amount, then contact an irrigation professional if the issue persists.

Tip: Stumped on what could be wrong with your yard? We recommend contacting a professional for a lawn audit.

Do you still need help?

We have a chat support team ready to assist you! You can submit a support request by selecting the chat icon in the bottom right of this page and a member of the support team will contact you live.

Summer Hours (April-September)
7 am-6 pm (MST), 7 days a week.

Winter Hours (October-March)
9am-5pm (MST), Monday - Saturday. We are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.