Woodbury Water Efficiency Program FAQ
Last Update:Mar 17 2023 8:36pm • Est. Read Time:Est. Read Time: 5 MINSummary
In an effort to help residents save money by saving water, the city of Woodbury has created the Smart Irrigation Controller Program. Through this program, the City of Woodbury purchases WaterSense-certified smart irrigation controllers in bulk and sells them back to residents for a discounted price. Through this program, Woodbury residents can enjoy worry-free watering with the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller. To learn about special offers and availability, Woodbury residents should contact water@woodburymn.gov.
Getting Started with your Rachio
Setting up your zones
- Begin by selecting “Setup Zones” during the controller setup. The app will work its way through all of your zones, beginning with zone 1.
- The app will initiate a 60-second countdown and you will be asked “Is Zone 1 watering?” Click YES if your sprinklers are running. Click NO if the sprinklers in that zone don’t turn on.
Note: Selecting DISABLE hides the zone from view; it will not be available when adding a watering schedule. Select this if you don’t have sprinklers in this zone (for example, if you have 7 zones on an 8 zone controller, you would disable zone 8).
Next, it’s time to configure your zones!
- First, name your zone and add a photo for easier identification. Make sure your zone name is easily identifiable.
- Based on your location, we’ll select a default vegetation type. If this is incorrect, please choose another option.
- Select your sprinkler head type. Most systems use rotor heads and fixed spray heads. Rotors are used to cover larger areas, like front and back yards. Sprays are used to cover smaller distances, like side yards. Each zone should only have one type of sprinkler head. Speak with an irrigation company if you find zones with more than one type. To learn more about sprinkler head efficiency, go to woodburymn.gov/waterwise
- Based on your location, we’ll select a default soil type. Soil in your area is mainly clay, but if you know that is incorrect, feel free to choose another option. Note: If you notice your lawn isn’t getting enough water, you may want to take another look into your soil type and adjust it in the app.
- Select your lawn’s sun exposure. How much sun does this zone get? A lot of sun, some sun, a lot of shade, or mostly shade?
- Next, you’ll want to select the slope of this zone to make sure you’re watering the perfect amount to avoid runoff. Is this zone flat, or does it have a slight, moderate, or steep slope?
- Rinse and repeat! You’ll repeat these steps for all of the zones you’ve enabled. If you’d like to see the attributes of your zone again you can head to the Zones tab > Select “Setup Zones” at the top right to go through the setup process again.
For more information on zone setup, click here.
Creating your schedule - Odd/Even restrictions
Create a new schedule that waters on odd/even days using the instructions below.
Note
You cannot edit the watering interval after the schedule is created. To edit, you would need to create a new schedule and select the appropriate interval (see below).
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In the Rachio app, select the "irrigation" tab, tap "Schedules" on the top, and then "Create Schedule" on the bottom.
- Select your schedule type (Flex Monthly).
- When asked “Which days are you permitted to water?”, select “Even/Odd interval” and click “Next”.
- If your home address is an even number, select “Even days”; if your home address is an odd number, select “Odd days”.
- When deciding when to run the schedule select "End Before" and choose 12:00 p.m. Please note, you can only have one "End Before" schedule per controller.
- Decide if you’d prefer any start or end dates. Otherwise, just click “next.”
- Make sure Smart Cycle is selected, then click “next.”
- Ensure all Weather Intelligence skips are selected, then click “next” to confirm your watering durations and finish creating your schedule.
- You can confirm your selection in the "Calendar" on the top of the "Irrigation" tab.
Selecting a Weather Source
Rachio’s Weather Intelligence Plus operates using weather triggers which can skip a watering schedule or adjust watering durations. The schedule creator enables all of these settings by default. You’ll want to choose our Weather Network for the most accurate and consistent functionality, though you are able to select an individual weather station if you prefer.You can read more on Weather Intelligence Plus here.
Step-by-step instructions:
- In the Rachio app, tap the Profile/Account button in the top right corner of your Home. Then tap Homes > select the Home where the controller is located > Weather Source > then select Weather Network or Weather Station.
- If you elect to use an individual Weather Station instead of our Weather Network, you will then be able to select the station closest to your home.
- To switch back to our Weather Network, simply select "Weather Network" instead of Weather Station.
- What type of information do Weather Stations provide Rachio?
These weather stations are a part of a larger weather service that provides Rachio with weather forecasts and reporting that helps our Weather Intelligence feature decide whether or not to run your schedule. - Which Weather Station should I choose?
To start, you’ll want to choose the weather station closest to your home - you’ll be able to tell how far away each station is when you’re choosing your weather station by following the steps above.
Keep an eye on your station - if you notice that it’s not forecasting or reporting weather correctly, try another station to see if it’s more accurate, or switch your Weather Source to our Weather Network. - What Is a PWS?
PWS stands for "Personal Weather Station". Personal Weather Stations are usually run by private individuals in your area. They tend to be more local and timely but can be less reliable. If a PWS goes down for a certain period of time, we will immediately gather data from the local national service. We will never be gathering from both at the same time.
Connecting a Rain Sensor
A rain sensor provides additional real-time information to stop your controller from running if it is scheduled to run during an unexpected rain event. As long as you’re using Rain Skip with your controller, you will be in compliance with local and state requirements for irrigation systems, and a rain sensor is completely optional.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- First, disconnect power to your Rachio controller by unplugging it from the wall.
- Next, locate the sensor terminals on your controller. Those terminals are labeled S1, S2 24VAC-, and 24VAC+.
- Attach the sensor control wires directly to these terminals (in any order).
- Reconnect power to your Rachio controller by plugging it back into the wall.
- In the Rachio app, select the "More" tab, tap "Controller Settings", then tap "Accessories".
- Select the terminal that you connected your sensor to; S1 or S2.
- Toggle the sensor on to enable the sensor and select “Rain” as the type of sensor you’ve added.
Video Overview
Photo Verification
All participants are asked to complete controller installation within a month of their pick up date, weather depending, and send a photo to water@woodburymn.gov.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Complete installation and steps listed above.
- Hold up the controller’s box (with the yellow address label visible) next to the Rachio controller.
- Snap photo (see example below) and email to water@woodburymn.gov.
Need Support?
Have any questions or issues regarding your Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller? Check out the links below to learn more about the product or get in touch with the team.
Tip
Do you still need help?
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Summer Hours (April-September)
7 am - 5 pm (MST), 7 days a week.
Winter Hours (October-March)
8 am - 5pm (MST), Monday - Saturday. We are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.