In the following article I will compare the Hunter Pro-HC irrigation computer with the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 in combination with the Rain Bird WiFi module in a practical test. The article also includes a comparison of the Hydrawise system used in the web-enabled Hunter computers with the Rain Bird Smart Watering system used in the Rain Bird computers.

Below you will find an overview of the product offering from Hunter and Rain Bird in the area of web-enabled irrigation computers and a brief introduction to which strategy they each pursue:

With the purchase of the Hydrawise company in 2016, Hunter suddenly acquired enormous know-how in the field of WiFi irrigation computers. The Australian startup Hydrawise was only founded in 2011 and developed a very successful web-enabled irrigation computer with sophisticated functionality from scratch in a very short time and with a focus on well-functioning software. Hunter has adopted this software into its own Hunter Hydrawise product line, further developed it and combined it with Hunter’s strengths in the production of irrigation computer hardware.

Rain Bird also has this distinctive know-how in the construction of classic irrigation computers but originally pursued a slightly different strategy: Rain Bird did not offer web-enabled irrigation computers as a separate product category, but rather enabled the customer to improve their conventional Rain Bird irrigation computer with an additional module card into a web-enabled irrigation computer. The LNK Wifi module required for this has been available on the market since 2016 and since then some Rain Bird irrigation computers have been equipped with the necessary connection slot. Currently four Rain Bird models are WiFi ready, meaning they can be upgraded with the additional WiFi card.

Since 2020, the strategies of Hunter und Rain Bird have aligned somewhat: Hunter now also offers the option of subsequently upgrading an irrigation computer into a web-enabled irrigation computer. The new redesigned Hunter X2 has a a prepared plug-in slot that allows it to be transformed into a web-enabled computer with the Hydrawise system using the new Hunter Wand module. And in return, with the Rain Bird ST8-WiFi 2.0 and the Rain Bird RC2, Rain Bird offers, for the first time, irrigation computers that already have WiFi on board. So both manufacturers now offer products that are already web-enabled and those that can optionally be made web-enabled with an expansion card. The software used in the Hydrawise or Rain Bird Smart Watering computers is always the same across all models from each manufacturer, regardless of whether web access is on board or expanded with a plug-in card.

Which models are available?

Hunter Hydrawise

Hunter’s Hydrawise product line currently consists of 5 products:

• Hunter HC Hydrawise
• Hunter Pro-HC Hydrawise
• Hunter HPC Hydrawise
• Hunter HCC Hydrawise
• Hunter X2 in combination with a Hunter Wand WiFi plug-in module

In the sales offers, the name Hydrawise is not always included in the product name, as it is actually already included in the model name through the “H”. But with the exception of the Hunter X2, the irrigation computers listed above are in any case always Hydrawise computers.

The Hunter HC is the irrigation computer that was designed by the Hydrawise company back in the day. The other products are computers built from scratch by Hunter. The software used is the same in all models. The Hunter HC and the Hunter Pro-HC are particularly interesting for the usual private user. But also the Hunter Wand Module, if you want to subsequently make a conventional Hunter X2 computer web-enabled. The HC is the cheapest model, but you have to make small compromises in terms of manufacturing quality, as the focus in development at the time was entirely on the software and less on the hardware. And the HC is only suitable for indoor use. The Pro-HC was already manufactured by Hunter and is as high-quality and robustly built as you would expect from a Hunter computer. It is also available in an outdoor version.

The Hunter HPC and Hunter HCC hardly play a role. In my opinion, the Hunter HPC can do less than the Pro-HC and is rarely offered on the market. The Hunter HCC is aimed at large commercial systems where it is necessary to supply water to a large number of zones and can optionally be operated with a two-wire decoder system. It is also the only Hydrawise computer that can open two valves at the same time.

The Hunter X2 in combination with a Hunter Wand module is a consideration for those who are initially satisfied with a conventional irrigation computer, but would like to keep the option open to switch later. Compared to Rain Bird’s modular system, Hunter Wand works a little differently. By using the wall module, you practically switch to web use and deactivate most of the functions directly on the computer. Unlike Rain Bird, where both are always completely synchronized, so you can always do everything on both the computer device and the app. The principle used by Hunter has the advantage that you can use the full software functionality and are not limited by the capabilities of the computer. You only have to make a small compromise when it comes to the number of programs when using Hunter Wand (only 3 programs instead of the usual 6 with Hydrawise).

My tip: If your budget isn’t yet stretched to bursting, I would recommend accepting the manageable surcharge and choosing the higher quality Hunter Pro-HC in the weather-protected outdoor version. This means you are on the safe side in terms of manufacturing quality and also benefit from one or two details that Hunter has improved compared to the original model.

Overview of the WiFi enabled Hunter irrigation computers on Amazon:

Computer

Hunter HC

Hunter Pro-HC

Hunter HCC

Hunter X2 (for WiFi additional Hunter Wand module required!)

Zones

6 or 12

6, 12 or 24

8, modularly expandable up to 54

4, 6, 8 or 14

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

6 programs with 6 start times each

6 programs with 6 start times each

4 watering intervals per zone with 6 start times each

Price

Price not available

$399.00

$531.95

$101.09

Computer

Hunter HC

Zones

6 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

Price

Price not available

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Zones

6, 12 or 24

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

Price

$399.00

Computer

Hunter HCC

Zones

8, modularly expandable up to 54

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

6 programs with 6 start times each

Price

$531.95

Computer

Hunter X2 (for WiFi additional Hunter Wand module required!)

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 14

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

4 watering intervals per zone with 6 start times each

Price

$101.09

WiFi expansion module Hunter Wand at Amazon:

Rain Bird Smart Watering

Rain Bird currently has 5 web-enabled irrigation computers in its range:

• Rain Bird ESP-RZX
• Rain Bird ESP-TM2
• Rain Bird ESP-ME3
• Rain Bird ST8I-2.0
• Rain Bird RC2

The ESP in the model name stands for “Extra-Simple Programming”.

For the frist 3 Rain Bird Computers to make them web-enabled, you need an additional Rain Bird LNK WiFi plug-in module; the ST8I-2.0 and the RC2 already have web access on board as standard.

Overview of the WiFi enabled Rain Bird irrigation computers on Amazon:

Computer

Rain Bird ST8I-2.0

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 (LNK WiFi required!)

Rain Bird ESP-ME3 (LNK WiFi required!)

Rain Bird RC2 (also offered as Arc8)

Zones

8

4, 6, 8 or 12

4, modularly expandable up to 22

4, 6 or 8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

6 start times per zone

3 programs with 4 start times each

4 programs with 6 start times each

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$140.90

$127.75

$142.25

$124.42

Computer

Rain Bird ST8I-2.0

Zones

8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

6 start times per zone

Price

$140.90

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 (LNK WiFi required!)

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor

Outdoor

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$127.75

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-ME3 (LNK WiFi required!)

Zones

4, modularly expandable up to 22

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

4 programs with 6 start times each

Price

$142.25

Computer

Rain Bird RC2 (also offered as Arc8)

Zones

4, 6 or 8

Indoor/Outdoor

Indoor + outdoor model available

Programs and start times

3 programs with 4 start times each

Price

$124.42

Expansion module LNK WiFi at Amazon:

Comparison of Hunter Pro-HC with Rain Bird ESP-TM2 including WiFi module

Package contents Hunter Pro-HC

In addition to the irrigation computer, the scope of delivery also includes mounting dowels, two keys to lock the computer and installation instructions.

Hunter Pro-HC with closed cover, installation instructions, mounting dowels and screws and key

When opened

Rear and side view with side cutouts for cable entry and mounting holes

Computer with open inner compartment containing the connections for the zones, sensors and the power connection

Package contents Rain Bird ESP-TM2

With the Rain Bird ESP-TM2, the scope of delivery also includes the irrigation computer, assembly material and installation instructions. The ESP-TM2 cannot be locked with a key, but a snap lock ensures that the lid cannot open accidentally.

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 in the closed state including installation instructions and mounting material

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with the lid open

Back with mounting holes, bottom side there are two large passages for power and solenoid valve cables

After removing the inner cover, access to the zone connections, the power connection and the sensor connection becomes clear

In order to make the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 web-capable, this Rain Bird LNK WiFi module is also required

Putting into operation

Putting into operation of Hunter Pro-HC

To establish the power connection, the lid of the inner compartment must be removed from the hinges once in order to have enough space to remove the cover of the power connection. If the cover is removed, the cover of the power compartment can be removed after loosening the screw. There is a cable clamp to make the connection.

Hunter Pro-HC with the lid for the power compartment removed (on the right the detached lid of the inner compartment)

The computer automatically turns on as soon as it is connected to the power and starts the configuration menu. There you have the choice whether you want to configure the computer online or offline. It is also possible to program irrigation planning on the Hunter Pro HC without a web connection. However, only in a limited form and the programming is not particularly convenient, so this option will only be used in exceptional cases.

Connect to the web

In the next step, the computer automatically scans the area for available Wi-Fi networks. The networks found are available for selection. You can then select your own Wi-Fi and after entering your Wi-Fi access data, the connection is already established. This is very convenient and easy so far and can be done in less than 3 minutes. At the end of the process, a serial number is shown on the display, which you need to connect the device to the Hydrawise app.

The serial number issued at the end of the installation is needed in the next step

Download the app and connect it to the device

The Hydrawise app works on Android and Apple iOS devices and can be downloaded free of charge via Google Play or Apple App Store. Alternatively, access without an app via the web browser is also possible.

To use the app, you must register a Hydrawise account. When you start it for the first time, you will automatically be asked to enter your account’s user email and password. If you have not yet had anything to do with Hydrawise products and therefore do not have such an account, you must now create one. All you need to do is provide your name, email address and information about whether you are a specialist company or a private individual. The correctness of the email address must then be confirmed via an email sent and a password must be set. After logging in, you come to a setup assistant that asks you for the serial number that was previously displayed on the irrigation computer screen.

After entering the serial number, the app is ready to start. The setup assistant helps you with the first steps, alternatively you can also make the settings freely.

Enter the serial number

Putting into operation of Rain Bird ESP-TM2

To do this, the black cover of the power compartment must be removed so that the cable clamp underneath is accessible.

Rain Bird ESP-TM2 with power compartment cover removed

After establishing the power connection, the WiFi module must be plugged in:

After inserting the module, it begins to flash green and red alternately

After inserting the module, there are no further installation steps to be taken on the computer; the further steps are carried out via the app.

Download the app and connect it to the device

The Rain Bird app for Android and Apple iOS devices can be downloaded free of charge via Google Play and Apple App Store. Access via the web browser is not possible with Rain Bird.

After installing the app, the first step is to select the computer model that you want to operate with the app. In my case the Rain Bird ESP-TM2. Then briefly exit the app and select the Rain Bird network in the Wi-Fi settings of the mobile device. In order for this to be displayed there, the cell phone must be near the computer, the computer must be connected to power and the WiFi module must be inserted. The WiFi module must also flash green and red alternately. If it doesn’t, press the button on the module.

Now the app is opened again and in the next step it contacts the irrigation computer. To obtain automatic weather data, you must then enter the country and postal code in which you operate the irrigation and set a password to access the device. In the next step, the app shows the available WiFi networks. The home network must now be selected from these and the password required for access must be entered. This completes the setup of the app; a setup assistant like Hydrawise is not offered.

Entry of the W-LAN network via which access to the Internet is to take place

Comparison hardware

Below is a comparison of the hardware of the two irrigation computers:

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Zones

6, 12 or 24

4, 6, 8 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor?

Indoor + outdoor model available

Outdoor

Connection option for sensors?

2 (can be used universally, with both normally open and normally closed sensors)

1 (for normally closed sensor)

Connection option for master valve/pump start circuit?

Control possible directly on the computer?

Yes, but limited to the basic functions

Yes, full functionality available

Lockable

Additional WiFi module required?

Yes - LNK WiFi module for around 80 to 90 USD

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

$399.00

$127.75

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Zones

6, 12 or 24

Indoor/Outdoor?

Indoor + outdoor model available

Connection option for sensors?

2 (can be used universally, with both normally open and normally closed sensors)

Connection option for master valve/pump start circuit?

Control possible directly on the computer?

Yes, but limited to the basic functions

Lockable

Additional WiFi module required?

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

$399.00

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Zones

4, 6, 8 or 12

Indoor/Outdoor?

Outdoor

Connection option for sensors?

1 (for normally closed sensor)

Connection option for master valve/pump start circuit?

Control possible directly on the computer?

Yes, full functionality available

Lockable

Additional WiFi module required?

Yes - LNK WiFi module for around 80 to 90 USD

Additional gateway necessary?

Price

$127.75

Case

The case of both computers makes a high-quality impression to me; the Hunter Pro-HC seems a little more stable in comparison. It also offers the option of locking the computer with a key, which can be particularly useful if it is installed in a publicly accessible place.

Number of zones

The Rain Bird ESP-TM2 has a maximum of 12 zones; with the Hunter Pro-HC, significantly more extensive irrigation solutions of up to 24 zones are also possible. In return, the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is advantageous in that it not only offers a 6 and a 12 zone model, but also an 8 zone model in between. In my experience, it happens quite often that the 6 zone model is just too small, but a 12 zone model would be unnecessarily large, then the 8 zone model comes in handy.

Indoor/outdoor model

The Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is only available in an outdoor version; with the Hunter Pro-HC you can choose between a weatherproof version for outdoor use and a version for indoor use. As usual, the outdoor version costs a little more.

Connection option for sensors

The Hunter Pro-HC has a significant advantage here: It has outputs for not just one but two sensors and both outputs can be used with sensors that work according to the normally open principle as well as the normally closed principle. Which type you use is simply configured in the software. This means that a wide variety of sensors from numerous manufacturers are available for use. The Rain Bird ESP-TM2 can only be connected to a normally closed sensor.

Master valve/pump start circuit connection

Both computers have a separate output that can be used to switch a master valve or a pump. The output switches at the same time as the start of a zone, so that an upstream master valve opens at the same time or a few moments before and allows the water to pass through to the zone. And when the zone closes, it also closes again. This serves as additional protection should a zone not close properly. Or, alternatively, a pump is started when the zone starts, so that it starts and stops its service precisely for irrigation.

Monitoring proper valve wiring

Both computers warn in the event of defective cabling. In this regard, Hunter speaks of an integrated milliampere sensor, Rain Bird of automatic short-circuit detection.

Control/programming directly via the computer

Here the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is ahead. You can also carry out all of the functions available via the app directly on your computer. And supported in a very comfortable way with a clear control wheel. With the Hunter Pro-HC, limited operation via the display is possible in offline mode, but many additional functions possible via the app are not available here.

Additional parts required to make the computer web-capable?

With the Hunter Pro-HC nothing additional is required, with the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 you need the additional LNK WiFi module, which costs around 80 to 90 USD. This fact must be taken into account when comparing prices. Both computers do not require an additional gateway to access the Internet; the connection is made directly to the WiFi.

Comparison software:
Hunter Hydrawise vs Rain Bird Smart Watering System

Following is a software comparison of the Hunter Hydrawise and Rain Bird Smart Watering System systems used to control the computers.

You can read a detailed introduction of the extensive functions and setting options of the two systems in the following two articles:

Blog post: How Hunter Hydrawise works
Blog post: How the Rain Bird Smart Watering System works

In principle, it should be said in advance that the systems function according to very different basic principles:

The Rain Bird software only allows what is possible with direct input via the computer. Therefore, depending on which Rain Bird computer model you use, the software may also contain different functionalities or the number of programs and start times or the maximum possible running time may be different. For example, with a Rain Bird ESP-TM2, 3 programs with 4 start times each are possible, but with a Rain Bird ESP-ME, 4 programs with 6 start times each. Although the same software is used, not every model can use the maximum possible number allowed by the software, but the limitations of the purchased hardware remain.

With Hunter Hydrawise, however, there is a strict separation between hardware and software and all computer models can always use the full Hydrawise functionality. Regardless of which computer model you use, for example, 6 programs with 6 start times each can be used and a maximum running time of 24 hours can be defined (the only exception is Hunter Wand: only 3 programs with 4 start times). All models also benefit equally from functional expansions through future updates. The only limitations with Hydrawise are the structural conditions of the hardware. For example, if the computer model only has one built-in sensor output, then logically only one sensor can be used in the software.

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Software system

Hunter Hydrawise

Rain Bird Smart Watering System

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

Optionally on a program basis or on a zone basis

On a program basis

Programs

6

3

Start times

6

4

Watering duration

1 to 1,440 minutes (24 hours)

1 to 360 minutes

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent irrigation plan or Smart (ET) schedule (system decides independently when to water) or Virtual Solar Sync (system independently adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs)

Time-dependent irrigation plan or automatic seasonal adjustment (system automatically adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Yes - only reading or also writing (writing allows you to change settings)

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Software system

Hunter Hydrawise

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

Optionally on a program basis or on a zone basis

Programs

6

Start times

6

Watering duration

1 to 1,440 minutes (24 hours)

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent irrigation plan or Smart (ET) schedule (system decides independently when to water) or Virtual Solar Sync (system independently adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs)

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Yes - only reading or also writing (writing allows you to change settings)

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Software system

Rain Bird Smart Watering System

App runs on

Apple iOS devices, Google Android devices

Accessible via web browser?

Setup wizard for initial setup?start circuit?

Type of programming

On a program basis

Programs

3

Start times

4

Watering duration

1 to 360 minutes

Types of irrigation

Time-dependent irrigation plan or automatic seasonal adjustment (system automatically adjusts the duration of the irrigation runs

Definition of irrigation templates?

Local access without an internet connection?

Give access to other users?

Assigning different user authorizations?

Additional functions for contractors?

Warning notifications?

Irrigation calendar?

Reports on irrigation, water consumption, weather, ...?

Connection of a flow meter?

Continuation

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Define irrigation triggers?

Yes, with "Predictive Watering" watering can be controlled using 8 tailored rules (skipping watering runs, length of watering)

No, active control is not possible. If you select the “Automatic seasonal adjustment” option, the system automatically adjusts the irrigation runtime.

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Every night - with a paid upgrade to the Enthusiast plan, also before each watering run

Each night

Integration of your own weather station possible?

By default no, only when upgrading to Enthusiast plan

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None - Optional upgrade to paid Enthusiast plan with additional features available (cost 66 USD/year)

None

Computer

Hunter Pro-HC

Define irrigation triggers?

Yes, with "Predictive Watering" watering can be controlled using 8 tailored rules (skipping watering runs, length of watering)

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Every night - with a paid upgrade to the Enthusiast plan, also before each watering run

Integration of your own weather station possible?

By default no, only when upgrading to Enthusiast plan

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa

Ongoing costs?

None - Optional upgrade to paid Enthusiast plan with additional features available (cost 66 USD/year)

Computer

Rain Bird ESP-TM2

Define irrigation triggers?

No, active control is not possible. If you select the “Automatic seasonal adjustment” option, the system automatically adjusts the irrigation runtime.

Using local weather data?

Weather station selectable?

Updating weather data

Each night

Integration of your own weather station possible?

Seasonal adjustment definable per month?

Suspend watering x days?

Cycle and soak phases?

Lawn growth program?

Start watering run manually?

Define a sensor yourself?

Valve delays definable?

Voice control with

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

Ongoing costs?

None

Below are further details on some of the points mentioned:

Accessibility/synchronization

Both systems can be accessed via the app on Google and Apple devices; Hunter Hydrawise can also be accessed from ordinary desktop computers in the web browser. This is a small advantage, especially when setting up at the beginning, because it is a little clearer and is also a little quicker with a mouse and large keyboard. With Rain Bird, it can also be a problem if you lose your cell phone that is running the Rain Bird app, as there is no synchronization with a website and the data is therefore lost in this case. Hunter Hydrawise, on the other hand, automatically synchronizes with the cloud.

Programming methods

At Rain Bird, irrigation runs are created in the classic way, on a program basis. With Hydrawise you can choose between program-based programming and zone-based programming, which will satisfy fans of both options.

Programs/start times/watering duration

Hunter Hydrawise is clearly ahead here, allowing for more programs, more start times and a much longer watering duration. That’s nice, but in practice 99% of users will probably be able to cope with the programs, start times and watering duration of the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 without any problems. These three things usually do not represent a bottleneck and are more than generous.

Different watering modes

With both systems you can define fixed irrigation times (time-dependent irrigation plan); both Hunter Hydrawise and Rain Bird Smart Watering System also offer the option of having the system automatically adjust the irrigation duration depending on the projected evaporation. With Hunter this happens in Virtual Solar Sync mode, with Rain Bird by activating the “Automatic Seasonal Adjustment” option. Hunter offers a third option with the Smart (ET) mode: In this mode, the system automatically adjusts which days the irrigation takes place, but the irrigation duration is not changed.

With Rain Bird, if the “automatic seasonal adjustment” option is not selected, the time-dependent irrigation plan takes place completely without automated adjustment of the irrigation. With Hunter, you can create numerous automated rules in this mode using predictive watering.

Use of irrigation templates

Hydrawise makes it possible to create templates to carry out irrigation runs. This saves you from having to enter things that you have already considered a second time in the same way and instead you can use them again and again. If you work with a professional contractor, it is even possible for them to provide you with their finished templates in the software.

Local access to irrigation computers

Alternatively, on both computers it is also possible to access the computer using the app without an existing internet connection. This works with Bluetooth with Hydrawise and with a hotspot with Rain Bird Smart Watering. In both variants, the user must be in close proximity to the watering computer with their cell phone.

Granting access to other users

Both systems make it possible to give additional users access to the irrigation system. This can be very practical if several family members need to access it, or if you delegate supervision to someone on site while on vacation. Hunter Hydrawise conveniently offers the option of providing read-only access. In such a case, only existing programs or manual irrigation runs can be executed, but nothing can be changed in the programming of the system. Alternatively, you can grant full access. There is no such distinction with Rain Bird, but it is possible to grant access for a limited period of time to just one or two days.

Alert notifications

In the Rain Bird system 8 different warnings can be activated, in Hunter there are 9, although some are only possible under certain conditions. The warning messages are sent directly to the cell phone via push notification,

Flow meter

A few very important warning notifications are based on measurements from an optionally connectable flow meter. Based on deviations in water consumption, this detects when there is a leak and gives an alarm. The flow meter can be connected to one of the two sensor outputs on the Hunter Pro-HC and is defined in the Hydrawise software. The Rain Bird Smart Watering System does not provide for the use of a flow meter.

Use of weather data

Local weather data is used in both systems. Where this data comes from, how it is processed, what exactly was measured, etc. remains unclear at Rain Bird, but at Hunter the weather service and weather station used are transparent. The weather station used can also be influenced up to a certain point. If you upgrade to the paid Enthusiast plan, you can even select 5 weather stations and, if necessary, also integrate your own weather station. In addition, with Predictive Watering, Hunter Hydrawise allows you to use weather data tailored to your needs with rules to control irrigation according to your own ideas. The measured amount of rain over the last few days, the forecast amount of rain for the next few days as well as the forecast temperature, humidity and wind speed for the next few days are available. Based on these rules, irrigation runs can be completely suspended, their length changed or additional irrigation runs can be inserted.

The weather data for both systems is updated at night so that current weather data is available for the irrigation planned for the next day.

Define seasonal adjustment (per month).

With the Rain Bird Smart Watering System, a factor for seasonal adjustment can be defined globally, e.g. 80%. In this case, the irrigation runs would only last 80% of the programmed time. However, this deposit is only possible if you do not let the system do the seasonal adjustment automatically and you can only store one factor at a time and not define different factors for different months of the year.

With Hunter Hydrawise you can use seasonal adjustment in addition to all the other features of the program. You can define various predictive watering rules and then also inform the system that the result of these rules would be fully applicable in the hottest month and in another colder month, for example, only 70% of the time should be watered. An adjustment factor can be stored for each month from January to December.

Suspend watering x days

This plays a larger role with Rain Bird, as there is no programming option to completely eliminate irrigation runs; they are always only adjusted in length. But if it’s just pouring rain, it can make a lot of sense not to water at all. The only way to do this with Rain Bird is to actively set a time out.

This is also possible with Hunter, but will not normally be needed in daily use, as the rules can be defined in such a way that weather-related outages are carried out automatically. However, the option can be useful in other cases, for example if the garden is being dug up and you would like to suspend watering.

Cycle and soak phases

If the soil to be irrigated is particularly dense, it may not be able to absorb the water as quickly as it is watered. Some of the water then runs away unused. To avoid this, there is the option of dividing the irrigation run into irrigation phases and soak phases. Instead of watering for an hour at a time, for example, you water for 20 minutes at a time and leave a 10-minute break in between. The same applies to steeply sloping terrain. Hunter Hydrawise has included this option; with the Rain Bird Smart Watering System this is only available on certain more expensive computer models; it is not available in conjunction with the Rain Bird ESP-Tm2.

Lawn Growing Program

Hunter Hydrawise includes its own lawn growing program. This is simply a program whose first and last execution can be timed, which makes it very suitable for watering the newly planted lawn particularly intensively for a while.

Add sensor type

Hunter Hydrawise allows you to configure the available sensor ports as desired so that all possible types of sensors can be used on them. Both sensors based on the normally open principle and sensors based on the normally closed principle. When adding a water flow meter, the pulse value of the device can be defined.

Define valve delays

When using a main valve, Hydrawise allows you to set a small delay between opening the main valve and opening the zone valve. A delay between closing one zone and opening the next zone can also be defined. This can be useful in certain technical constellations in order to build up the required pressure in a timely manner.

Ongoing costs

The use of the software is free with both providers. With Hydrawise there is the option of upgrading to the paid Enthusiast plan, but this is not a must, the software also works very well in the normal version and is very comprehensive.

Conclusion and recommendation

In terms of hardware, the two computers are more or less equal. The only significant difference here is the additional second sensor connection on the Hunter Pro-HC if you plan to work with several sensors or use a flow meter. And if you want to implement very extensive irrigation, then the higher number of possible sectors with Pro-HC could play a role. In this case, you can alternatively consider one of the more expensive Rain Bird computers that also meet these criteria. Structurally, both computers make a flawless, very stable and well-made impression.

In terms of price, the Rain Bird ESP-TM2 is the cheaper choice. Although you still have to add the costs for the additional WiFi module to the pure computer price, it is still around 100 USD less than the price of the Hunter Pro-HC.

Commissioning both computers for the first time is very easy and can be completed in just a few minutes. With the Pro-HC it’s a bit quicker and easier than with the Rain Bird, but I wouldn’t say there’s a significant difference here.

The really big difference and the criterion that, in my opinion, you should primarily consider when buying is the software: The Hydrawise system from Hunter is a very innovative product that has completely rethought smart irrigation. The Rain Bird Smart Watering System, on the other hand, is a further development based on what already exists. This difference is clearly noticeable during use.

The Rain Bird System primarily offers a way for private users to remotely operate their irrigation computer from anywhere in the world. It works simply and well and is the right choice if that’s enough for you and you want to spend as little time with the system as possible. Although automation using web weather data is also on board, you can hardly set anything with it and you cannot transparently understand how it works. The optimization options here are therefore very limited.

In comparison, Hydrawise is a very large and powerful system that is aimed at private users and professionals and gives you really extensive setting options. The whole thing seems well thought out and there are sensible and usable options available to tailor the irrigation, i.e. to optimally supply the garden with water and at the same time only use as much water as is necessary. This can be controlled very well by using parameters such as rainfall, wind speed, humidity and temperature and using rules to cancel irrigation runs in certain constellations or change their duration. Hydrawise is the right choice for those who want to get the most out of their irrigation and also want to adjust details exactly how they want. You don’t have to be afraid that the system will overwhelm you. An assistant helps with the initial setup and the system is intelligently structured in layers so that the essentials can be done quickly and the fine-tuning can then be carried out little by little.

Conclusion: For me, as someone who is interested in exactly these optimization options, the Hunter Pro-HC is clearly the winner in the comparison. It is simply the much more ambitious product and looks like the next generation model in comparison. What also really bothers me about the Rain Bird Smart Watering System is that some software options are only available in more expensive models. This seems like a very antiquated approach to not ruining your own business and also means that you can only benefit to a very limited extent from future improvements through updates. I would only recommend the Rain Bird System for someone who is simply looking for a simple, well-functioning remote control option for their irrigation computer, for example to be able to control the irrigation while on vacation and doesn’t want to pay unnecessarily much for it.

The following article introduces the possibilities of the popular Hunter Hydrawise irrigation system. This is cloud-based and is used on the web-enabled Hunter Hydrawise computers HC, Pro-HC, HPC, HCC and the X2 in conjunction with the Hunter Wand module. In principle, all of the functions presented can be used regardless of the computer model used; there are only restrictions on individual small details. In this case, this will be pointed out separately in the article.

The Hunter Hydrawise system is used via the Hydrawise app for Apple and Android devices. Alternatively, it can also be accessed directly via the web browser.

When you start the system for the first time, a setup wizard guides you through the individual steps. If you have fairly simple requirements, this can be enough. If not, the system allows you to make very extensive adjustments. Below is a detailed overview of how the Hunter Hydrawise system works and what can be adjusted.

Watering Triggers

The watering trigger menu essentially contains the heart of the Hydrawise system. Here you can choose from a range of watering rules that you can adapt to your own needs. On the one hand, these rules rely on historical precipitation data from a virtual weather station and, on the other hand, on predicted local weather values (precipitation, temperature, wind, humidity) based on data from the Weather Company (weather.com). Irrigation based on these predicted values is called “predictive watering” at Hydrawise. The virtual weather station means that Hydrawise obtains the weather data via the Weather Underground service from a nearby airport weather station. Hydrawise has a total of 10,000 different airport weather stations to choose from.

If you upgrade from the Home to the Enthusiast plan, Hydrawise obtains the data from up to 5 different nearby weather stations and consolidates them into a common virtual weather station in order to be able to provide even more reliable data. In this case, private weather stations are also available and you can choose from a total of 120,000 private and airport weather stations. This upgrade to the Enthusiast Plan costs 66 USD per year and can be completed through Account Settings. With the Enthusiast plan it would also be possible to choose a self-operated weather station. To do this, it must first be added to the Weather Underground service and can then be selected.

You can define 2 rules from the measured precipitation data from the virtual weather station, and 6 rules can be stored based on the predicted weather values from weather.com. 5 of these rules ensure that irrigation is stopped when the rule arrives:

• The temperature forecast is below a certain number of degrees
• The chance of rain exceeds a certain percentage
• The predicted wind speed exceeds a predefined level
• The day before it rained more than a predefined amount
• In the previous three days it rained more than a predefined amount

For example, if you have defined that there should be no irrigation if there was 1 inch per square meter or more of precipitation the day before and it rained 1.1 inches the day before, then irrigation will be canceled. Only the subsequent planned irrigation takes place again. Before this, it is checked again whether one of the rules applies. So if it rains enough for weeks, then there will be no irrigation for weeks.

You can set the values according to your own ideas. And you can activate or deactivate the rules. If a rule is deactivated, it will not be available for selection when a zone or program is created and therefore cannot be used. Conversely, activation does not mean that the rule is used; it must also be selected when the zone or program is created. Here you only define whether it should be available for selection and what the limit values should look like.

Two of the rules lead to longer or more frequent watering:

• Reduce watering time by a predefined percentage if the temperature forecast is below a certain value
• Water by a predefined percentage more when the temperature forecast is above a certain value and the humidity is below a certain value (whether this rule, if applicable, results in a longer watering time or additional watering runs can be defined in detail when creating zones and programs)

According to Hunter, the data used for the adjustment is automatically transmitted between midnight and 2 a.m. Approximately 1 hour before the start of the first watering run of the day, the watering schedule is then updated based on this data. If you have taken out the paid subscription to the Enthusiast Plan, the weather data will also be determined and the irrigation plan updated one hour before each other program start of the day. In this way, very current data can be included in the decision-making process.

Applicability of irrigation rules

Not all rules are possible in every application scenario. Depending on the irrigation modus selected, the following rules can be used:

Selection of programming mode

Hydrawise offers you two modes to choose from:

• Standard mode
• Advanced mode

Standard mode is the programming mode traditionally used in the irrigation sector, advanced mode is the mode that was newly introduced by the company Hydrawise. After Hunter took over Hydrawise, the customer is now offered both modes to choose from. Except for the Hunter HC, which was designed by the Hydrawise company back then, in which only the advanced mode is possible.

Which of the two you prefer is to a certain extent simply a matter of taste. In standard mode, hardly anything can be defined about the zones themselves, apart from their names; all the settings such as running time, start time and additional settings happen when defining the irrigation programs. In advanced mode, however, the running time and additional settings are defined in the zone; only the start time is then specified in the program. Some functions or additional features can only be used in one of the two modes. Below is an overview of the main differences:

Standard mode gives you somewhat more options if you need to create more complicated irrigation programs. For example, if a zone should not always be watered for the same number of minutes, but rather 20 minutes on Monday and 40 minutes on Wednesday. It would not be possible to store this in the advanced mode because the running time is determined once for each zone. In return, a few of the additional smart options such as Smart (ET) mode can only be used in advanced mode. You don’t have to do without the basic possibilities of the mode itself, even in standard mode, you just need to set the individual “predictive watering” rules so that they achieve the same result. You just can’t rely on a ready-made “automatic” system here.

Both modes will normally be suitable for the usual requirements. Only if you have more unusual wishes can it happen that these can only be implemented in one mode or the other. You can change the mode at any time after you have made your choice, even later. Practical: The zones already created in the other mode are retained. Information will only be shortened or expanded if necessary. The programs must be created separately in each mode. However, the system remembers the programs created in the previously used mode in the background, so that you do not lose any information by switching the mode back and forth, but can return to the previously used status.

In the controller settings, the programming mode can be changed by clicking on the edit symbol.

Programming the irrigation schedule

These settings are made in the “Zones & Programs” menu. How exactly this works and what options are available to you differs quite significantly depending on the mode you choose. What is the same regardless of the mode is the maximum number of 6 programs that can be set, each with a maximum of 6 start times (exception: Hunter Wand: max. 3 start times). How many zones can be created depends on the computer model used, i.e. a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 54, depending on how many zones the computer hardware supports.

Due to the quite large difference, I explain the programming separately first for the more extensive Advanced mode and then for the Standard mode.

Programming the irrigation schedule in advanced mode

Add zone

Step 1: Enter basic data

• Naming the zone
• Selection of which zone output should be used
• Selecting a zone symbol
• Selecting an irrigation type

Entering the zone basic data

The naming of the zone and the assignment of a zone symbol serve to better identify and differentiate the individual zones. If you want, you can upload a photo of the zone later.

Setting the zone number determines which zone output on the Hunter controller the zone should use. For example, if you have 6 zone outputs available, you can choose a number between 1 and 6. Numbers that have already been selected for another zone cannot be assigned again.

In advanced mode, in addition to the standard type “Time-based irrigation plan”, you can choose from the following two irrigation types:

Smart (ET) type

If this irrigation type is selected, the system automatically determines when to irrigate based on precipitation and evaporation. It automatically takes these values from the connected virtual weather station for the past or extrapolates them for the future from the weather.com online source used. An average, sandy soil is assumed. The values to be entered in the next step differ from the time-based irrigation plan because certain selections are not possible due to the choice. Note: Smart (ET) schedule is not possible in standard mode.

Virtual Solar Sync

When Virtual Solar Sync is selected, the system simulates the use of a Solar Sync Sensor. Instead of a physical sensor, however, the data from the virtual weather station or weather.com is also used. Depending on the projected evaporation values (evapotranspiration), the system automatically adjusts the running time of the programmed irrigation runs.

Which irrigation type is right for you?
There is no one best type among the three offered. According to Hunter, in principle the same water savings can be achieved with all three. Which one you choose depends on your own requirements and also on how much you want to deal with the system itself or how much you want to leave to fixed program logic.

Choosing a time-based irrigation plan offers you the opportunity to plan the irrigation program in great detail according to your own specifications. The days on which watering should take place as well as the start time and duration of watering can be set precisely. And you can define exactly which weather-dependent parameters should ensure that irrigation is canceled, added or takes place longer or shorter. If something doesn’t work exactly according to plan, you can adjust the parameters very finely and get closer and closer to the desired result. Conversely, this mode also requires the most attention to the options offered by the system if you want to exploit the full potential.

The Smart (ET) Schedule makes many decisions for you. You just need to define how long the irrigation run should be and how many days apart it should take place during the peak period (= hottest time). The system obtains the necessary weather data online and uses it to calculate the evaporation relevant to the irrigation location on a daily basis. In this way, it calculates, just as a connected soil moisture sensor would, what moisture there is in the soil at the current time and when watering needs to be done again. So watering is not done on fixed days, but rather the system determines these independently. The irrigation duration, however, remains at the predefined value and is not adjusted, which can be advantageous if you value intensive irrigation that moistens the soil down to the roots.

Virtual Solar Sync mode works very similarly to Smart (ET). Again, based on rainfall and evaporation, the watering schedule is automatically adjusted. However, in this case this happens as it would if a physical Solar Sync sensor was used. Watering is carried out on fixed days specified by the user, but the length of watering is adjusted based on the weather data. This is particularly advantageous if you have to or want to water on specified days and don’t want to water on the other days. For example, if it is agreed with the municipality that watering is only allowed on certain days or if you share a common pump with neighbors.

Step 2 – Option 1: Define time-based irrigation schedule

These steps must be carried out if the irrigation type “Time-based irrigation schedule” was selected when creating the zone:

• Choose between defining time and frequency or using a preconfigured watering schedule

If using a watering schedule was selected:

• Choice of desired schedule. Most of the other settings are then no longer necessary as these are taken over from the predefined plan.

If Time and Frequency Definition is selected:

• Enter the watering duration in minutes
• Selection between irrigation at every program start and interval based irrigation
• Activation/deactivation of the predictive watering triggers
• Setting a monthly adjustment

If you select the option “Enter Time and Frequency below”, then the start time and how often the zone should be irrigated must then be defined. If the “Use a Preconfigured Watering Schedule” option is selected instead, the values from a template can be used so that no new definition is necessary. Provided you have created a suitable template beforehand or if your own garden is looked after by an irrigation company, they can also make their in-house templates available to their clients. The purpose behind it: You don’t always have to think about which settings are best, but you can use predefined settings for a specific application, practically like a template that you use again and again. If you create such settings yourself, it also has the advantage that you only need to define them once and then you can use them again and again for different zones. A possible template would be, for example, “Law was newly planted,” in which the appropriate irrigation settings for a newly created lawn that needs to be watered very often at short intervals are then explicitly stored. From now on, if you plant a new lawn in a zone, you can use this template for the necessary settings.

When it comes to irrigation frequency, you can choose between depending on the programs you have created (these are defined afterwards) and a fixed interval entry. The first option is shown on the left in the previous screenshot, the second on the right. The interval entry is somewhat misleadingly named: If you enter 3 days, this means that the water will be irrigated every 3 days. Optionally, you can also switch to weeks or define how often you want to water per day.

In the “Predictive Watering” section you can specify which of the previously defined trigger rules should be applied to the zone by checking or unchecking them. There are 5 different triggers to choose from that prevent watering from occurring and three that lead to additional watering runs or to an extended or shortened watering time.

The exact limits are defined separately in the “Watering triggers” menu as described above. At this point you just define which of the rules should be taken into account. There is one more rule to choose from than can be defined in the Watering Trigger menu. This is because the rule “Water x% more if the temperature forecast for the day is higher than x degrees and the humidity is below x degrees” can be applied in two ways: If you choose “Water longer when hot” the running time of the irrigation runs is increased in order to follow the rule. If you select “Water more often when hot” then the additional irrigation requirement results in an additional irrigation run. To do this, it is necessary to define a second, optional start time, which in this case would be used for additional irrigation.

Monthly adjustment

In addition to the Predictive Watering rules, a monthly adjustment can be defined for the zone. This increases or reduces the programmed running time of the irrigation in a certain percentage ratio on a monthly basis. This means you can automatically water for a shorter time in the cold months and longer in the warm months.

Each month it can be defined that 100% of the running time (= as programmed) or more or less is watered

Cycle and soak phases

Using this option it is possible to extend the irrigation time, which is then divided into irrigation phases and pause phases. This can be useful if you are irrigating a clayey soil where the water takes a long time to be absorbed into the soil. Or even when irrigating sloping terrain. You define the maximum amount of time you should water in one go and how long you should allow a break afterwards to give the water a chance to seep in. In this way, as much of the water as possible actually reaches the ground and as little water as possible is wasted.

Adjustment of cycle and soak time

If only one zone is programmed at the start time, then the running time of the zone is simply extended accordingly. For example, if a start time of 4:00 p.m. and a watering duration of 1 hour are stored and you have defined a maximum cycle time of 20 minutes and a soak time of 10 minutes, then this would lead to the following process:

4:00 p.m.: Start irrigation and run the irrigation for 20 minutes
4:20 p.m.: 10 minute break
4:30 p.m.: 20 minutes of watering
4:50 p.m.: 10 minute break
5:00 p.m.: 20 minutes of watering
5:20 p.m.: End of irrigation

In the example, the entire irrigation run would take 20 minutes longer.

If several zones are programmed at the start time, they would alternate so that the overall running time would not be extended. Let’s assume that zones 1, 2 and 3 are programmed with a start time of 4:00 p.m. and each have a watering duration of 1 hour. As before, the maximum cycle time should be 20 minutes and the soak time should be 10 minutes. The process here would be as follows:

4:00 p.m.: Start zone 1 and run the irrigation for 20 minutes
4:20 p.m.: zone 1 stops, zone 2 starts and 20 minutes of watering
4:40 p.m.: zone 2 stops, zone 3 starts and 20 minutes of watering
5:00 p.m.: zone 3 stops, zone 1 starts and 20 minutes of watering
5:20 p.m.: zone 1 stops, zone 2 starts and 20 minutes of watering
5:40 p.m.: zone 2 stops, zone 3 starts and 20 minutes of watering
6:00 p.m.: zone 3 stops, zone 1 starts and 20 minutes of watering
6:20 p.m.: zone 1 stops, zone 2 starts and 20 minutes of watering
6:40 p.m.: zone 2 stops, zone 3 starts and 20 minutes of watering
7:00 p.m.: End of irrigation

The total irrigation running time would therefore not change because the break in one zone is used to irrigate the other.

Water adjustment

Last but not least, an option is offered with which you can increase the irrigation times for the zone globally by a certain percentage. This can be useful if you notice that the current settings are watering a little too much or too little, but you don’t want to adjust the watering in detail, but simply want to make a quick adjustment up or down. This option makes no sense in the initial creation of a zone, because then you could simply define the duration as longer.

By moving the slider, watering times can be extended or shortened by up to 100%

Step 2 – Option 2: Define Smart (ET) Schedule

The following steps must be carried out if the “Smart (ET)” irrigation type is selected instead of a time-based irrigation plan when creating a zone:

• Choose between defining time and frequency or using a preconfigured watering schedule

If using a watering schedule was selected:

• Choice of desired schedule. Most of the other settings are then no longer necessary as these are taken over from the predefined plan.

If Time and Frequency Definition is selected:

• Enter the watering duration in minutes
• Selection between irrigation at every program start and interval based irrigation
• Activation/deactivation of the predictive watering triggers
• Setting a monthly adjustment

Definition of a Smart (ET) schedule that automatically controls irrigation based on calculated evaporation

In Smart (ET) mode, the irrigation duration is specified by the user; the system independently adjusts at what intervals and on which days the irrigation takes place. For this purpose, the reference value is specified as to how often irrigation must be carried out at the absolute peak time. So if the sun burns down at 95 Fahrenheit for a week in midsummer, how many days apart should be irrigated? Optionally, you can switch the selection from days to weeks here.

The box “Run this zone at the next available start time” can be checked if the first watering is already overdue, meaning the plants or lawn are already thirsty for water. Otherwise, the automatic system would only plan the first watering in a few days instead of starting immediately.

In the “Predictive Watering” menu item, there are significantly fewer options to choose from in Smart (ET) mode than if you define the irrigation completely manually, since the automatic system takes over a large part of the decisions. You can specify that watering should be stopped completely at a certain outside temperature. You can also define which parameters the Smart (ET) automatic system should work on. You can choose whether it should only use evaporation values (forecast ET ) or also precipitation values (forecast rainfall). What leads to better results may vary from case to case in practice and is best tried out.

Monthly adjustment

A monthly adjustment can also be defined in Smart (ET) mode (for an explanation of this, see the time-based irrigation plan above).

Cycle and soak phases

Likewise, irrigation can be divided into cycle phases and soak phases (explanation also as before).

Water adjustment

And you can also increase or reduce the irrigation globally by a certain percentage for fine-tuning (explanation also as before).

Step 2 – Option 3: Define Virtual Solar Sync Mode

The following steps must be carried out if the “Virtual Solar Sync” irrigation type is selected instead of the two previously described options when creating a zone:

• Choose between defining time and frequency or using a preconfigured watering schedule

If using a watering schedule was selected:

• Choice of desired schedule. Most of the other settings are then no longer necessary as these are taken over from the predefined plan.

If Time and Frequency Definition is selected:

• Enter the watering duration in minutes
• Selection between irrigation at every program start and interval based irrigation
• Activation/deactivation of the predictive watering triggers
• Setting a monthly adjustment

Definition of the zone in Virtual Solar Sync mode

Unlike in Smart (ET) mode, the irrigation duration is adjusted automatically here. The irrigation duration entered serves as a reference value; this is lengthened or shortened depending on the calculated evaporation. Following the same principle as using a Solar Sync Sensor with the irrigation computer. The system does not change the specified days, so you can rely on the fact that there will be rain on these days.

In the “Predictive Watering” menu item, not all eight possible options are available in the Virtual Solar Sync mode, but with 5 options, significantly more manual intervention can be done than in the previously described Smart (ET) mode.

Monthly adjustment

A monthly adjustment can also be defined in the Virtual Solar Sync mode.

Cycle and soak phases

Likewise, irrigation can be divided into cycle phases and soak phases.

Watering adjustment

And you can also increase or reduce the irrigation globally by a certain percentage for fine-tuning.

Add program

A program is always created in the same way, regardless of which mode (time-based irrigation plan, Smart (ET), Virtual Solar Sync) the zone was defined in.

Step 1: Enter program data

• Enter start time
• Selection of watering type
• Selection of watering days

Definition of program data

Entering the time at which the program takes place with a 12 hour clock. So up to and including 12 noon with the addition of “am” and after 12 noon with the addition of “pm”.

The watering type can be selected between normal weekly irrigation, irrigation only in even weeks, irrigation only in odd weeks and low priority irrigation time. A low priority irrigation time is only used if the system needs to schedule additional watering runs in addition to the scheduled watering runs (“Water more often when hot” option).

When selecting the irrigation days, you can choose between “Selected days of the week”, “Even days” and “Odd days”. If you choose “Selected days of the week”, you can specify whether you want to rain for each day from Monday to Sunday. In the example shown, watering would occur on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you define the days of the week for a program that is used for a zone with a Smart (ET) schedule, then a restriction of the days of the week means that the program logic can no longer freely choose the best day, but is limited to those available and therefore, it may sometimes only be able to water later than would be optimal.

Step 2: Select the zone(s)

Now you have to determine which zones should be executed with the defined program start time on the defined days. Only a single zone or several zones can be selected. You can also optionally select that the program should apply to all zones. Alternatively, a predefined irrigation schedule can also be selected.

In the case shown, the “Drip irrigation” zone is added to the program

Programming the irrigation schedule in standard mode

Add zone

Step 1: Enter basic data

• Naming the zone
• Selection of which zone output should be used
• Selecting a zone symbol

Creation of the zone

Creating a zone in standard mode is limited to naming the zone, selecting an icon, and assigning it to a zone output on the Hunter computer. At this point you cannot choose between different irrigation types; this definition only takes place when the program is created. In standard mode, irrigation duration, irrigation frequency and rules for triggering irrigation are also not defined in the zone, but in the program.

Step 2: Definition of cycle and soak phases and water adjustment

As in the advanced mode, it is also possible in the standard mode to define cycle and soak phases and to define a global adjustment of the irrigation by a certain percentage.

Definition of cycle and soak phases

Definition of a global watering adjustment

Add program

Step 1: Enter program basic data

• Naming of the program
• Selecting a program type

Entering the basic program data

As in the advanced mode, the time-based irrigation plan and the virtual solar sync are available as program types. The Smart (ET) option is not available in standard mode.

Step 2 – Option 1: Define time-based irrigation plan

These steps must be carried out if the program type “Time-based” was selected when creating the program:

• Selection of irrigation days
• Definition of program start times

Definition of irrigation days and start times

You can set specific days of the week to water, or you can set watering to occur on odd or even days. The fourth option is to set watering intervals, i.e. watering every x days.

Up to 5 different start times can be saved for the program.

Selection of zones and definition of watering duration

The next step is to select one or more zones that should be processed in the program and define how long irrigation should last for each of these zones. In the example shown below, 3 zones with 50 minutes each are added to the program. With a start time of 5 a.m., the first zone would run for 50 minutes, then the second zone for 50 minutes and finally the third zone for 50 minutes.

Selection of zones and definition of watering times

Predictive watering rules

In standard mode, the predictive watering rules are set in the program. The rules available for selection are the same as in advanced mode; an explanation of the individual rules can be found there.

Adjust irrigation based on predictive watering rules

Grow In program

This option is only available in standard mode. Here you have the option of having the irrigation program start and/or end at a specific start or end point in order to allow newly sown lawns to be watered more frequently and more intensively with this program for a while before switching to the standard irrigation program.

Define the start and end times of the growth program

Monthly adjustment

The monthly adjustment allows you to increase or decrease the programmed watering time by a certain percentage for each month of the year.

Enter monthly adjustments

Step 2 – Option 2: Define Virtual Solar Sync Mode

If the “Virtual Solar Sync” irrigation type is selected when creating a program instead of a time-based irrigation plan, the settings work exactly as described previously for option 1, with the only exception that there are slightly fewer predictive watering rules to choose from.

Predictive watering rules possible in Virtual Solar Sync mode

Creation of an irrigation template

In the Zones & Schedules menu in Advanced Mode there is also the option to create irrigation templates, which can then be used when defining new zones. If you let a professional irrigation company manage the irrigation, then they can make their templates available globally to all customers they support.

The following information is stored in the template:

• Name of the template
• Irrigation Type Used (Time Based Irrigation Schedule, Smart (ET) Schedule, Virtual Solar Sync)
• Watering duration
• Watering frequency
• Predictive watering rules
• Monthly adjustment

Add sensor

Hydrawise offers very extensive options for working with sensors. There are two sensor inputs available on the irrigation computer, to which a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or flow meter can be connected as standard. Which sensor can be connected to which input is not fixed, but is simply defined when the sensor is added. When connecting a rain or soil moisture sensor, you can also choose whether they work according to the “normally open” principle or the “normally closed” principle. This is very positive, as in principle the entire range of sensors available on the market is available for use. When it comes to flow meters, you can also choose from a number of different models. For the added sensor it can be defined for which of the zones it should work.

Does it make sense to use a sensor?

Using a flow meter gives you the ability to monitor the system for proper water usage and quickly detect problems. But why do you need a rain sensor or soil moisture sensor with a Hydrawise computer? In principle, this function should already be covered by obtaining the weather data via the web?

In my opinion, using a soil moisture sensor usually doesn’t make sense unless you want your system to be extremely precise so that you don’t want to rely on the extrapolated Hydrawise values. The extrapolated values are created once at the beginning of the day based on the weather forecast valid at that time. If the weather then behaves differently than predicted, for example if there is a short, intense downpour that was not predicted, then irrigation may occur even though the soil moisture values would speak against it. This won’t happen too often over the course of a year and won’t make too much of a difference, but if you want to avoid it at all costs, then using a soil moisture sensor can make sense. Alternatively, this inaccuracy could also be reduced with the paid upgrade to the Hydrawise Enthusiast plan, which entitles you to update the weather data more frequently (more on this in the section “Change account settings”)

The same argument applies to the rain sensor and there is another one here: an additional rain sensor also makes sense if it is important to you to 100% rule out watering when it starts to rain. So if irrigation that has already started should stop immediately when rain falls. For example, to avoid strange looks from neighbors who make fun of watering when it rains at the same time.

You can find out more about how rain and soil moisture sensors work in principle in the following blog post: Rain, soil moisture and other sensors

Add your own sensor type

If you don’t find the desired flow meter among the selectable flow meters, or if you want to use a completely different sensor type, you can create a new one in Hydrawise.

Adding a flow sensor

When installing a flow meter, the liter per pulse value of the flow meter must be stored. Communication with the flow meter does not work in such a way that the liter output flowing through is transmitted as a numerical value, but rather, like rain and soil moisture sensors, the sensor only sends electrical pulses to the irrigation computer. The liter per pulse value indicates after how many liters have passed through the sensor sends an electronic pulse to the irrigation computer. For example, if the sensor sends one pulse per 10 liters and it has sent 6 pulses, then the irrigation computer knows that 60 liters have flowed through. The smaller the liter value per pulse, the more precise measurements are possible.

Installation of a customer-specific flow meter

Adding an alternative sensor type

If you want to use a sensor other than a rain sensor, soil moisture sensor or flow sensor in Hydrawise, you can create a new one in the system. In the following screenshot I have shown an example of a motion sensor that should start watering when a motion is detected. When you create your own sensor, normally open and normally closed sensors are possible. And these can either start or turn off the zone. In addition, a specific minute value can be stored within which the sensor is prevented from being triggered again.

Installation of a new type of sensor

Add alerts

Under the menu item Account – Alerts you can define events about which you would like to be actively notified.

It is currently possible to create the following 4 alerts:

• Notification if the control unit has not had an internet connection for x days
• Notification when there is a high current flow in the solenoid coil of a zone (short circuit to the solenoid)
• Notification when there is low current flow in the solenoid coil of a zone (defective cable on the solenoid coil)
• Notification when a watering run has been skipped

With an additional flow meter, the following 4 notifications can also be created:

• Notification when a zone’s water consumption is x% higher than the last run
• Notification when a zone’s water consumption is x% lower than the last run
• Notification if more than x liters of water have been used in the last minute even though no zone was active
• Notification if more than x liters of water were used within the last hour even though no zone was active

And if you have a rain sensor, the following notification can also be created:

• Notification when rain sensor status changes

When creating an alert, you can choose whether it should apply to all control devices stored in Hydrawise or only to certain ones. If an alert occurs, it will always be added to the event log in the app’s Account – Events menu. In addition, you can also have the warning actively displayed as a push notification on your cell phone, which I would definitely recommend because it could easily be overlooked in the menu since you don’t normally check it regularly. If you have upgraded to the paid Enthusiast plan, you can also have the warning sent to you as an SMS.

Selection of the alert type and determination of the limit value

Determination which control device(s) the alert should apply to

Select how you would like to receive the warning message

Change Controller Settings

In the controller settings menu, various basic settings of the irrigation computer can be changed. As already described above, this includes the possibility of changing the program mode from standard operation to advanced operation or vice versa. Apart from that, the following settings can also be made here:

• The name of the control device can be changed
• You can decide what the irrigation computer should do when it does not have an internet connection. By default, it continues to use the most recently transmitted watering times; alternatively, you can select that no watering takes place in such a case.
• The time zone used for the settings can be changed
• Valve delays can be stored. The master valve delay determines the minimum number of seconds that should pass after the master valve opens before a zone valve is opened. The inter-zone delay determines how many seconds should elapse after a zone closes before the next zone’s valve opens. In certain setups, these settings can help you build the necessary water pressure for irrigation before opening the zones.

Possible controller settings

In the Weather Stations tab you can specifically select from which weather stations the weather data is obtained. However, this is very limited by default (selection only from airport weather stations and limited to one station); only with a paid upgrade to an Enthusiast plan can you choose from up to 5 private weather stations. And then it would also be possible to select a weather station that you operate yourself.

In the Expanders tab, the use of additional hardware modules for additional sector outputs can be stored so that more zones can then be supplied.

In the Offline Adjustments tab, monthly adjustments can be stored that would be applied if the irrigation computer was not connected to the Internet for a long period of time.

Change Account Settings

In the Account menu item, a few interesting settings relating to the Hydrawise account can be made. The possibility of creating warning messages has already been described above. In addition, you can view warning messages that have occurred in the Events submenu and, under the event type “Info”, you can see a history of the changes made in the system and irrigation runs that have taken place.

In the Messages submenu you have the option of contacting a Hydrawise authorized contractor near your home directly. To do this, authorized dealers within a 20 mile radius are suggested and their contact details are displayed. You can now contact them by phone or email or directly using the chat function integrated into Hydrawise.

In the Account Details submenu you can change the language and the units of measurement used in the program, as well as change the email address. If you want, you can also upload a photo of yourself or your garden.

If you want to upgrade your Hydrawise account to the Enthusiast plan, you can do so here too. This currently costs 66 USD per year and can be paid directly via the app with Paypal. You can then select several weather stations from a larger pool of stations for predictive watering and it is also possible to integrate your own weather station. The watering times are updated not just once a day, but 1 hour before each program starts and you can add up to 5 instead of up to 3 control devices to your Hydrawise account. In addition, the report history is longer at 365 days and you have more image storage at 100 megabytes. Warning messages can also be sent via SMS.

Hydrawise Enthusiast Plan

In the My Controllers submenu it is possible to add up to two additional irrigation computers to the account or to remove an existing control device and replace it with another one.

In the Users submenu you can see which users currently have access to the Hydrawise account and you can create access for additional users. They can then also access the Hydrawise account via the Hydrawise app on their cell phone or on their desktop computer via the web browser at https://app.hydrawise.com/config/dashboard.

To do this, simply enter the user’s name and email address and determine which of the two possible authorization levels he should have:

• Can modify configurations and run zones
• Can view configurations and run zones manually

The first level should be reserved for users who are more familiar with the system and are able to make adjustments. The second level is good for users who only want to use the system but do not want to change any settings. If you give such users this permission level, you avoid the risk of something being accidentally changed. If you work with a professional operator, you may only receive limited authorization for daily use and the operator, as an admin, will make changes to the configuration.

Adding a new user

Finally, electronic files can be stored and accessed under My Files. This could be an issue if the system is operated by a professional who provides the user with instructions for daily use. If you operate the system yourself, I can’t think of any useful application.

Menu item Home (Home Page)

The Home page is the start page of the Hydrawise system, where you can see an overview of essential information.

• Created irrigation runs (click on a run to get detailed information about it)
• Weather forecast for the next 3 days
• Observations on temperature and precipitation
• Information about sensors used
• Information about the control unit

This information can be seen on the home page

By clicking on one of the zone symbols it is also possible to quickly start a manual watering run. After selecting the zone, all you have to do is enter the desired running time and start irrigation.

Menu item Zones and Programs

The zones and programs created are displayed under the menu item Zones & Programs. You can change the settings by clicking on the edit symbol. You can also set here whether a master valve is used for irrigation. Such a master valve is automatically opened when each zone valve is opened. It is installed directly after the water connection and serves as a safety net should the zone valve not close properly. Alternatively, it can also be used to start a pump.

Menu item Reports

A range of information can be found in the Reports menu item:

• The irrigation runs planned for the next 30 days are displayed in calendar form. The planning is always based on the current weather forecast, so it can change again the next time the weather data is updated. You can also look up which irrigation runs took place in the previous days.
• A detailed weather forecast is available for the next few days
• The values measured by the weather station can be accessed in detail (wind, precipitation, temperature). The calculated evaporation can also be tracked.
• Comprehensive water consumption statistics (if an additional flow sensor is present)
• Historical weather data

Example of an overview of planned irrigation runs

Bluetooth control

The Bluetooth control menu item offers an alternative to controlling the irrigation computer via cell phone if Wi-Fi is not available. To do this, you must be in close proximity to the watering computer (maximum approx. 70 feet away).

Purchase a Hydrawise irrigation computer

In my experience, particularly the the Hunter HC and the Hunter Pro-HC are suitable for the usual private user, although I myself tend towards the Pro-HC, which is a little more expensive but has better manufacturing quality and is also offered as an outdoor model. Another alternative would be to use a traditional Hunter X2 irrigation computer of the latest generation and make it web-enabled with an additional Hunter Wand WiFi module.

Hunter Pro-HC on Amazon:

Hunter HC and Hunter X2 with Wand on Amazon:

Conclusion and Recommendation

The article has become very long and there is a good reason for this: Hydrawise’s setting options are actually very sophisticated and extensive. I can hardly think of a scenario that couldn’t be covered with this. The product created by the then Australian startup company Hydrawise was absolutely revolutionary at the time and was cleverly further improved by Hunter technicians after the company was taken over, so that it is now a mature product that works well in practice. By intelligently using the weather data available online, you can actually save a lot of water when watering, thereby protecting both the environment and your own wallet. The comparatively high purchase price is somewhat put into perspective when you consider that in return you save yourself having to purchase additional sensors. Also unlike some other systems, you don’t need an additional gateway to connect to the web.

With the abundance of setting options and small wheels that you can turn in the Hydrawise system, some people may be afraid that they will be completely overwhelmed by the software. In my opinion that is not the case! The software is cleverly structured in layers so that the essential things can be set very easily and with the support of a setup assistant. Only for further optimizations you have to go deeper into the system. If you want to squeeze every last percent out of the system in order to use as little water as possible and irrigate as efficiently as possible, then it is best to gradually approach the optimal setting. So make a small change, try it out for a few weeks to see what effect it has, evaluate whether it has had a positive effect and then think about the next change step. This only requires minimal effort and little by little you will find your perfect setting.

In my opinion, you can usually get by with the free basic version of the software, so an update to the paid Enthusiast plan is not necessary in order to have a suitable product; you can also use the software in the basic version . An update may make sense if you have a large area to irrigate and want to maximize water savings with even more current weather data and measurements from your own weather station.

In my opinion, Hydrawise is the best smart irrigation system currently available on the market. And it is very likely that it will remain in that position for the next years, because developing such complex software requires thousands and thousands of developer hours, so this technological advantage can only be made up with an immense amount of money. Every user automatically benefits from further improvements to the Hydrawise software, as the software is always updated to the latest version.

There are also certain risks associated with the operation of an automatic irrigation system. Here you can find out what these are, how relevant they are for your own situation and which methods you can use to secure them.

It’s easy to overlook this at first glance, but automatic irrigation also harbors two major risks:

• Irrigation does not stop as soon as it should and continues uncontrolled
• The irrigation should be watering, but it isn’t

Especially the first point can lead to big problems.

Irrigation continues uncontrolled

Automatic irrigation is usually initiated and ended by a valve that opens and later closes again. If there is a defect in the valve so that it no longer closes or no longer closes properly, the irrigation continues.

If the water is drawn from a public network, this can lead to a very high water bill if you only notice the error late, for example because you are on vacation or do not visit the area to be irrigated regularly. Pumping water from a well only incurs the additional cost of electricity, but of course you may be wasting many thousands of liters of water.

Even more dangerous and expensive the effects of uncontrolled water leakage can be: At some point, the ground can no longer absorb any more water and, in the worst case, this will run into the basement, under the terrace, on to the neighbors or flush out paths or undermine foundations. That can get really expensive.

Irrigation is not carried out

This can also happen due to a defective valve that does not open as planned and therefore does not let water through. Or a failure of the irrigation computer, problems with the pump or a pressure switch, faulty sensors or a manual valve that was closed by mistake.

This damages lawns and plants in the garden that do not receive a scheduled supply of water. If the error is not noticed for a long time and the weather is unfavorable, then plants can, in the worst case, die completely or suffer permanent damage.

How high you rate both dangers, I would make dependent on the conditions in your own garden: If you pump water with a pump, the garden does not border directly on the house and neighboring gardens or there is not much in the garden that can be damaged, and you pass the garden every day and never go on vacation, then you can probably do without an additional safety net.
If, as the opposite extreme example, you use public water in the garden, if you have expensive plants and furniture in the garden, if the garden is located in such a way that large amounts of water flowing away would cause considerable damage, or if you are often not on site for weeks, then protection would be strongly recommended.

Both the risk of uncontrolled water leakage and the risk of watering runs being skipped can be controlled with manageable effort. There are different possible solutions to this.

Using a master valve

A master valve, or sometimes called a main valve, is an additional electronic solenoid valve that is placed next to the point where the irrigation system is connected to the water supply. Whether this is before or after a check valve or pressure reducer is a matter of taste, the only important thing is that the master valve is installed in the pipeline before the sector valves. These are the solenoid valves that open or close on command from the irrigation computer when a specific sector is to be irrigated.

The master valve is always closed in the initial state and is only opened as soon as a sector valve is also opened. This parallel switching takes place fully automatically via the irrigation controller. The prerequisite for this is an irrigation computer that supports the use of a master valve. Such computers either have their own additional master output to which the master valve can be connected, or one of the normal sector outputs can be defined as the master output. All Hunter, Rain Bird and Orbit computers support the use of a master valve, also the Gardena Smart Irrigation Control and the OpenSprinkler can use a master valve. A master valve is not supported on water tap controllers, i.e. sprinkler timers with a built-in valve through which the water flows.

In order to use a master valve, the master valve function only has to be activated once on the computer and the master output is then automatically activated at the start of each sector.

Any normal solenoid valve can be used as a master valve. Since it is installed in the area that is constantly under pressure, it has the highest requirements of all the solenoid valves used in the irrigation system.

The master valve is placed in the irrigation system before the sector valves

Pump control

A pump control can be used as an alternative to a master valve. As described above, you need an irrigation controller that supports a master valve. In this case, instead of connecting the master output to a valve, it is connected to a pump controller (a pump start relay (Amazon Link)) to switch a connected pump on and off. The functionality and the advantages and disadvantages are the same as previously described for the master valve.

Water flow meter

A water flow meter measures how much water the irrigation system uses. In order to use a flow meter to monitor irrigation, the irrigation controller must be able to communicate with a flow meter. This requires a modern irrigation computer such as a Hunter Hydrawise computer or a Rain Bird ESP-M3 controller. With the faucet control computers, the LinkTap G2 computer offers this option; none of the Gardena computers are compatible with flow meters.

A suitable irrigation computer, in combination with a flow meter, offers the possibility to monitor the following things:

• Is the water consumption of a sector higher than the usual consumption?
• Is water consumed even though no sector was active?

This identifies both of the problems mentioned at the beginning of the report. And with computers like Hunter Hydrawise, you can be notified automatically by push message on your mobil phone or by e-mail if one of the defined rules exceeds or falls below the limit value. With the use of a water flow meter, you are automatically informed when the water consumption exceeds the usual level and you also notice if an irrigation should not run unexpectedly and you can react to problems very quickly. In some irrigation programs it can also be specified that the master valve is closed when certain limit values are reached, so that further water leakage is prevented.

If the irrigation computer used does not support a water flow meter, you can use an autonomous water flow meter. In this case, the flow sensor is simply installed in the line and the threshold value from which an alarm is to be triggered is programmed into the associated control panel. The alarm can then either be output as an acoustic warning signal or the sensor switches a relay, which can then be used to activate a pump or a solenoid valve, for example.

Protection over the pump

Modern pumps such as the Grundfos Scala include intelligent monitoring functions that can be used to identify problems in the irrigation system and subsequently stop the pump function. For example, a maximum runtime of the pump can be set, after which the pump switches off automatically. If you know, for example, that the watering runs last a maximum of 3 hours all in all, then you can set the maximum running time at 4 hours and thus have the certainty that the pump would switch off automatically if the watering did not stop after the scheduled time.

In addition, a modern pump also detects minimal leaks that lead to repeated switching on and off of the pump and switches the pump off after a user-specified number of consecutive switching on and off in exactly the same pattern. This way you can quickly track down small leaks and fix them as quickly as possible. This not only saves water, but also protects the pump, for which frequent short starts within a short period of time are not good.

Solenoid valve monitoring via the irrigation computer

Modern irrigation controllers such as the Hunter Hydrawise computers and the Rain Bird ESP-TM2, ESP-ME and ESP-ME3 series computers have a built in feature that monitors that the current flow to the solenoid valves is at the expected level. A value that is too low indicates a defective cable, and a value that is too high indicates a short circuit in the magnetic coil. As soon as there is a deviation from the norm, you are notified immediately so that problems can be identified and rectified as early as possible. Hunter calls this function an integrated milliampere sensor, Rain Bird speaks of automatic short-circuit detection.

More options

When watering from a cistern with automatic water replenishment, additional protection can be provided via a water level switch. The main danger here is that water is refilled unchecked, even though the cistern is already full and the excess water runs out unnoticed for hours or days via the overflow. The water level switch automatically switches off the refilling pump or activates an alarm when a certain water level mark is exceeded, at which point the water will overflow.

An alternative way to force a pump to turn off after a certain amount of time is to use a time delay relay (Amazon Link). After activation, this counts down a user-defined time countdown from a few seconds to several days and then switches off. This is referred to as a switch-off delay.

If you can believe the advertising, then everyone, without exception. But is that really the case? What does smart irrigation actually do and who can safely do without it? Below is an overview of what is available on the market, what it costs and what it can do better than a conventional irrigation computer.

What is a smart irrigation controller anyway?

A smart device is a networked device, i.e. usually a device that is connected to the web or at least to a local network. The original meaning also implied that it was an “intelligent” product that made one’s daily life easier. The extent to which this still applies to the large number of smart products on offer can be questioned, the term “smart” is nowadays used more simply as a synonym for “web-enabled”.

Which products are offered on the market?

Even with the smart watering computers, a distinction must be made between water tap controllers with integrated valve and irrigation computers for external valve control that do not come into contact with water. Depending on the type of control you want to implement, you need one type or the other. Irrigation producers active in the professional sector such as Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro only offer computers for external valve control, while water tap controllers are offered by a large number of producers.

Some smart watering computers, such as those from Gardena or the LinkTap computer, require an additional gateway to function. This additional device is connected to the web and in turn communicates with the irrigation computer. This interposition of a gateway has the advantage that a wireless system that is more powerful than W-LAN, such as Zigbee, can be used from the gateway to the irrigation computer, so that longer ranges and an even more reliable connection are possible. Such a gateway must be purchased in addition to the irrigation computer, at Gardena about 100 USD are due for it. Other irrigation systems such as Hunter Hydrawise, the web system from Rain Bird or Eve-Aqua connect directly to the W-LAN without an intermediate gateway. Orbit has both irrigation controllers with and without a gateway in its range, the Orbit gateway is relatively inexpensive at around USD 40. Hunter specifies the typical range of a WiFi network as approx. 150 to 200 feet and recommends staying within this range with the Hunter Hydrawise controller in any case.

Below is an overview of the most popular smart irrigation controllers available on the market.

Advantages of web-enabled irrigation computers

Below is an overview of the potential benefits of smart irrigation computers.

Remote control of the computer

With the associated app, irrigation computers connected with the web can be controlled and programmed with a mobil phone. Programming is usually easier this way, since it is easier and quicker to carry out via the app than if you have to navigate through the submenus of the irrigation computer using a button navigation. Even a repeated adjustment and refinement of the irrigation programming after the initial setup, which is usually necessary, is more fun and less effort.

The use of the mobile phone as a remote control allows you to start watering from the living room, which saves you having to go to the computer. Programmed watering cycles can be paused, postponed, lengthened or shortened at any time with just one click on the mobile phone.

Operation on the go/during vacation

The computer can be operated from anywhere in the world, regardless of location. It is therefore also possible to start a necessary watering from your workplace or holiday location or to skip it if it has rained enough. You can also allow other people to access the computer via app or web browser.

Water saving by including online weather data

From my point of view, this is the most important reason to buy a smart irrigation controller: Almost all smart irrigation computers now offer the option of obtaining weather data such as rainfall, temperature, wind speed and humidity online and using it to control your own watering. In the good systems, this can be done both on the basis of the weather data of the past few days and based on the weather to be expected in the next few days. Local weather data is used, which reflects the situation at the site of irrigation as accurately as possible.

The overriding goal is always to irrigate sufficiently using as little water as possible, i.e. to only give the plants water when they need it and then only in the amount that they need or can absorb. This saves water and protects both the environment and your wallet.

Some suppliers like Hunter (Hydrawise software), Orbit B-hyve, Rachio, OpenSprinkler and also LinkTap are already very far and offer systems that work well in practice and with which considerable water savings are possible. Rain Bird and Gardena are not quite there yet, but have taken the first successful steps in this direction. Retrieving the online weather data is basically free in all systems, there are no running costs for it, but sometimes optional paid updates are offered, with which you can have even more precise data or retrieve the data even more up-to-date or even use your own weather station.

Saves the purchase of sensors

This argument is the logical consequence of the argument before: If you get the weather data online, then you don’t need any additional sensors to measure these values yourself. The extent to which a complete replacement is possible depends primarily on how good the software of the smart irrigation controller is. The best systems such as Hydrawise not only call up the weather values, but also calculate further information from them. For example, the soil moisture value prevailing in the soil is extrapolated from rainfall, temperature, wind speed and humidity, thus replacing the measurements of a soil moisture sensor. What is currently not (yet) possible is reacting immediately to the onset of rainfall, since the weather data is not called up non-stop, but only from time to time. This is currently only possible with an additional rain sensor, which stops irrigation that is already running as soon as it registers rain.

Warns of malfunctions/technical defects

This advantage is often overlooked, but from my point of view it is one of the most important arguments for a smart water computer: The smart system warns you if a planned watering cannot take place for any technical reasons, if the voltage at the outputs to the solenoid valves is not suitable or if the water consumption is unusually high or low or if water consumption occurs even though no watering is taking place (leak). This is done via e-mails, SMS or push messages in the app. This active notification is a great advantage compared to a conventional irrigation computer, where in the worst case you only notice such problems after weeks and months and after major damage has already occurred. These warnings are either activated by default or can be specifically created and modified by the user. The computer must be equipped with a flow sensor to warn of a leak.

Operation/maintenance by professionals possible

Some of the smart systems allow setting up and maintenance to be delegated to professionals. They then access the system as admins, the homeowner himself only has limited, read-only access in which settings cannot be changed. Similar to some alarm systems, where the homeowner only takes care of the daily operation, but the programming is done by a professional. The professionals can also access the watering schedules they have worked out and use them for all their clients at the touch of a button.

Enthusiasm for technology/status symbol

Some people just enjoy being on the cutting edge and dabbling in the latest technology.
And not rational, but probably a not-so-rare reason to buy it: For some, owning a smart-looking, expensive gadget is simply a status symbol, and the word “smart” sounds modern and good. Just like the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy mobil phone, which hardly anyone needs due to its range of functions, but which people like to own for reasons of prestige.

Integration in smart home environment

The last point is the possibility of integrating a smart irrigation system into an existing smart home environment. I rate this potential advantage as very low, firstly because the options for integration are currently very limited and secondly because they hardly make any sense. An irrigation system is basically a self-contained system in which there are hardly any meaningful combinations with other systems. The only application scenario that is sometimes mentioned and that makes at least some sense is the combination with an alarm system in order to get intruders properly wet when a motion sensor mounted in the garden is struck. In some cases, the combination with a smart lawn mower is also mentioned so that the devices can coordinate, i.e. it does not mow when the lawn is being irrigated. However, this smart interaction makes little sense, since it can be done much more easily by creating a coordinated program.

A possible voice control via Alexa or Google Home does not have too much additional value, since once an irrigation system has been set up, hardly any action is required, so there is hardly any need to control it by voice command.

Conversely, with OpenSprinkler there is an irrigation computer that includes additional smart home functionalities by not only enabling the control of irrigation, but also of various sensors.

Conclusion and recommendation

The use of a smart irrigation controller has understandable advantages: you can use weather data available online for watering and thus save unnecessary watering, and automatically sent warning messages are an additional safety net if something does not work correctly with the watering. In this way, the problem is discovered quickly, even before major damage can occur. The fact that you can start the irrigation from the comfort of your couch without going to the computer and that you can control it with your mobil phone even on vacation are real advantages that make it more convenient to use. Access to the online weather data fulfills the tasks of an additional sensor and thus saves you having to purchase it separately. The price surcharge compared to a conventional irrigation computer is put into perspective a little with this argument.

Nevertheless, the costs for a smart watering computer are still a bit higher in the end. For a conventional irrigation computer that can be used to irrigate several sectors, you can calculate around 80 to 120 USD, an additional soil moisture sensor costs around 60 to 70 USD. Smart irrigation controllers cost around 180 to 300 USD. So you should think carefully about whether the advantages mentioned are worth the extra charge. Much of this can also be achieved in other ways: The weather-dependent irrigation can be carried out via soil moisture or evapotranspiration sensors, instead of remotely controlling the irrigation from vacation, it can also be programmed in advance and the risk of defects can be reduced with regular on-site checks. It’s all a little less comfortable and little high-end, but it works the same way in the end.

If you opt for a smart watering controller, then you should compare exactly which of the systems on offer can actually be used to achieve the desired goals. Some of the systems are now very mature and tried and tested in practice, while others still have a lot of room for improvement in terms of software and still have a lot of development work to do in order to catch up with the best. I have tested some of the systems available here on the website.