Dropped $700 on a "smart" irrigation controller and it made everything worse

I bought this RainMachine unit six months ago because I thought AI could actually figure out when my lawn needs water based on weather data. The thing kept watering during rainstorms and skipping dry weeks. I had to manually override it almost every day last summer. By the time I ripped it out and went back to a basic timer, my water bill had gone up $90 instead of down. Has anyone actually had one of these AI lawn tools work right or are they all just hype?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_parker4d ago

Did you catch that article from Consumer Reports a while back where they tested a bunch of these AI sprinkler controllers and found the RainMachine actually increased water usage in most homes? That tracks with what I've heard from a few buddies who tried it too. The problem is the weather data updates too slowly or uses a forecast for the whole city instead of your exact yard. I think the basic timers with a rain sensor are still the way to go, you just have to turn the dial yourself once or twice a month. The "smart" stuff seems more like a beta test than a finished product.

jana_fox5010d ago

My neighbor had the exact same problem with that RainMachine. It kept watering at noon in July too. I'd say go back to a basic timer and just adjust it manually when the weather changes.

chen.casey10d ago

Man my neighbor got the same RainMachine and it was a disaster. I tried to help him set it up and it literally watered his driveway for three days straight during a rainy week. We ended up calling it the "dumb sprinkler" because it had zero common sense. I told him he would have been better off just sticking his head out the window every morning and guessing. Eventually he ripped it out too and went back to a $30 timer from Home Depot. Now his grass looks fine and he hasn't touched it in months.