Saturation Skip FAQ

Last Update:Oct 19 2023 8:07pm • Est. Read Time:Est. Read Time: 3 MIN

Summary

You noticed that your schedule was skipped due to a saturation skip and might wonder why. At your history tab, you can see that a saturation skip was applied to your schedule. This article explains how the saturation skip works and why it's important to the system.

Video Guide

Are you a visual learner? This short one-minute video will walk you through Rachio's Weather Intelligence features, including Saturation Skip, and will provide some guidance on how to use them.


Overview

Saturation Skip (formerly known as Climate Skip) determines if your yard has enough moisture to last until your next scheduled watering time. There are a few principles that guide Saturation Skip:

  • You want the "sponge" that represents your soil to stay wet at all times. (For details, visit What type of soil do I have?). 
  • You don’t want to add water to the sponge if it is completely full or saturated.
  • Mother Nature can help keep the sponge wet for free!

Rachio software understands how wet/dry the sponge is at any given time, and it will issue a Saturation Skip anytime the sponge will hold enough moisture to last until your next scheduled watering time.

Basic FAQ

How does Saturation Skip work?

Saturation Skip uses evapotranspiration data (ET data) from observed weather and forecasts to calculate the soil moisture balance in your soil. In other words, it knows how many "miles" your lawn's "gas tank" has left and if you can make it to the next gas station comfortably.


Here's how it works: 


  1. Weather check.

    One hour before a scheduled watering time, Rachio will perform a weather check to see if any of the Weather Intelligence skips can be triggered

  2. Zone calculations.

    Saturation Skip makes a simple calculation for each zone in a schedule that checks to see if the observed and forecasted weather will maintain the moisture requirements of a zone until the next scheduled watering.

  3. Saturation Skip issued (if applicable).

    If this calculation is positive for all zones in the schedule, then Rachio will issue a Saturation Skip. If the calculation is negative for any zone in the schedule, then Rachio will not issue a Saturation Skip.

How far into the future can Saturation Skip predict?

Saturation Skip will track weather data for the last 7 days and forecast 7 days into the future (14-day window). If you have a schedule interval longer than 7 days into the future, Saturation Skip will be disabled.

How can I activate Saturation Skip? 

Saturation Skip is automatically activated in Flex Daily schedules, as this feature is critical for maximum water savings, and cannot be deactivated with this schedule type. 

Saturation Skip is an optional Weather Intelligence feature on both Flex Monthly and Fixed schedule types. To activate or deactivate Saturation Skip in these schedule types, find the "Schedules" section via the "Schedules tab" tab in the navigation bar at the bottom of the app. Select your chosen Flex Monthly or Fixed schedule, then scroll down to and select "Weather Intelligence." From here, you can check or uncheck the Weather Intelligence features as you would like them to apply to your schedule. 

 


Tips and Troubleshooting

Saturation Skip not behaving as it should? Here are a few tips.


  1. Check your weather station data.

    Make sure it's similar to the weather you're experiencing, and if not, look into changing stations! Instructions on how to find this data and how to change your station can be found here.

  2. Check your zone settings.

    The most important settings for Saturation Skip are  Vegetation Type and  Shade, so make sure those are correct for each zone in your schedule.

  3. Separate schedules by vegetation type!

    "Low moisture" is a subjective term determined by  Vegetation Type. Separate your schedules based on this to improve the accuracy of the Saturation Skip. 

     



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