Rachio 3 smart sprinkler system: Water, water everywhere

NAME Rachio 3 smart sprinkler system

WHAT IT DOES The sprinkler controller system connects to your existing Wi-Fi network to fully manage your lawn watering, After connecting, you control how long each zone waters and scheduling (odd or even days, every three days, etc.) manually or with a user-friendly app.

COST Eight-zone ($229.99) and 16-zone system ($279.99)  

AVAILABLE FROM rachio.com

WHAT’S HOT During the app setup, it automatically finds a local weather station, which determines the amount of rain in the area and whether watering is needed. Rachio’s water-saving feature breaks up the watering schedule by zone, so zones right next to each other don’t go off consecutively. This maximizes your soil’s absorption rate by not flooding it. The wireless flow meter (an add-on) helps prevent leaks and provides additional insights to your outdoor water use. This includes broken sprinkler heads or pipes and leaks. Since it’s a smart system, you’ll get a smartphone notification of the problem, hopefully allowing you to catch it before it gets worse. If a problem is detected, the flow meter will shut down your sprinkler system. Other features include buttons for controlling the system, upgraded weather intelligence and easy-press connectors for 14- and 18-gauge wiring.

WHAT’S NOT The system is not cheap, but for all that green you should end up with a lawn that’s even greener.