Watering your lawn tends to be surprisingly tricky business, what with the possibility of leaks, overwatering, or under watering. Luckily, there is a smart sprinkler company hoping to ensure that is no longer the case. Rachio, the company behind a smart sprinkler controller that allows you to control your watering system (and by extension, your water bill) from your smartphone, has now introduced the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller and Wireless Flow Meter.
The latest product debut comes alongside the company’s recent $10 million Series B funding round and promises even easier installation than its predecessors, along with 5GHz wireless compatibility, and a new long-range radio that will connect with its companion wireless flow meter. The new Rachio Wireless Flow Meter leverages Vortex technology in order to ascertain accurate water flow readings, and subsequently alerting homeowners should a leak be detected. Better still, the Flow Meter automatically shuts down water supply, thereby proactively protecting against damage and flooding in your carefully curated lawn or garden.
“Rachio is not only saving homeowners frustration, water, and money, we are helping communities conserve water on a much larger scale,” said Rachio co-founder and CEO Chris Klein. “Sixty percent of residential water waste in the United States happens outdoors. Our new products empower consumers to be smarter with water, so they don’t have to choose between conservation and easily maintaining a beautiful landscape.”
Like the other products in the Rachio lineup, the Rachio 3 Sprinkler Control allows users to operate their sprinkler system from anywhere at anytime, all from the convenience of their smartphone. The Rachio app recommends both days and times for optimal watering based on your location, vegetation, and soil type. Thanks to Rachio Weather Intelligence, your system will automatically adjust watering needs based on local weather forecasts. And this feature doesn’t just take rain into consideration — rather, the Rachio system keeps wind, freezing temperatures, and more in mind, with hopes of saving you money. Plus, Rachio works with Amazon Alexa, so you can really control your whole sprinkler system with your voice.
Rachio claims to have saved customers more than 22.7 billion gallons of water since launching in 2014, and thus far, the company has seen some pretty substantial demand for its product — the team tells Digital Trends that as a result of “incredible demand on pre-sale units,” the Rachio 3 will see a price reduction of $30. That means you can now purchase the eight-zone system for $229, and the 16-zone system for $279.
Updated on April 23: The Rachio 3’s price has been reduced by $30.
