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Can a smart sprinkler system help you use less water?

Upgrading your sprinkler system can save you a lot of time wrestling with hoses and produce a greener lawn, but can it save water? Many jurisdictions in the U.S. face water rationing in late summer thanks to receding snowpack upstream. As climate change progresses, homeowners will need to find modern solutions to modern problems. Smart sprinkler systems (aka smart irrigation systems) like Rachio promise to perfectly water your plants based on a schedule and local weather while keeping you up to date via a companion mobile app. Let’s see if there’s anything beyond mere convenience with products like this.

The Rachio 3 controller unit.

Smart sprinkler systems are fairly straightforward products. After replacing your existing sprinkler controller and mimicking the old wiring setup, you use your smartphone to give the controller access to your home Wi-Fi network. This way, it can connect to the internet for relevant data, give remote access, and connect to other devices. If you’ve installed a smart thermostat, it’s very similar.

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How much water is used in gardens?

Americans use an average of 300 gallons of water every day, and about 30% of that use is outdoors. That 90 gallons a day works out to 32,850 gallons of water every year used in the garden. Of course, home gardens vary wildly in size and composition, so you’ll need to set up water meters on your outdoor faucets to get a real sense of your current usage.

How much water do smart sprinkler systems save?

The amount of water saved by a smart sprinkler system will depend a lot on your climate zone, garden size, and present usage. Even in relatively cool, rainy areas, a smart sprinkler system may save you water if you’re prone to going overboard. That said, hot, dry areas to the south are more likely to be subject to water rationing, where a smart sprinkler system will serve you best. Rachio claims their latest smart watering system saves users 20% to 50% on their water usage.

Rachio IRO smart sprinkler installed on wall.
Rachio IRO smart sprinkler ($249 to $299) Rachio

Can smart sprinklers save you money?

Given the aforementioned increases in water prices, a smart sprinkler system that only kicks in when it’s needed can absolutely save you money. The EPA estimates the U.S. would save about 390 billion gallons of water and $4.5 billion in water costs if every home just switched from an automatic sprinkler system to a smart sprinkler system. Recent studies show that the combined costs of water and sewage have increased by 80% between 2010 and 2018. Considering how things are going, you can count on inefficient sprinklers being an even bigger cost to you in the future.

What benefits are there to smart sprinkler systems?

On the surface, smart sprinkler systems water your lawn so you don’t have to. This is essentially the function of a timer, ensuring that your lawn gets watered at set intervals. This isn’t especially smart, however.

The intelligence comes in when these systems start reaching into the cloud to access local weather forecasts. With that, they can apply predicted sun, wind, humidity, and precipitation data to the watering schedule. Even more locally, sensors in your yard can inform your system about soil quality, sun exposure, and recent precipitation.

By manually informing the system about the plants in your garden and the slope of the terrain, you can get highly granular with the treatment each area receives. Tie in your usual home assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa, and you can create helpful automations, like the sprinklers turning off when you’re pulling up to your front lawn.

Are smart sprinklers worth it?

Smart sprinklers are not that expensive, and even then, the ones with WaterSense certification are eligible for rebates in many areas. Installation of these systems is very simple. You’re not only likely to save water and money with a smart sprinkler system — you’ll also have a nicer-looking garden because it won’t be getting over- or under-watered. So yeah, smart sprinklers are worth it.

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IFTTT routines for fall
Best IFTT Recipes

For those who want more from our smart home gadgets, it can be frustrating when brand-based apps don’t do as much as you need them to or when certain smart home devices don’t talk to other smart home gadgets. IFTTT solves a lot of those issues by creating pathways for communications between disparate brands, ecosystems, and gadgets. If you’re not familiar with IFTTT, or If This Then That, it’s worth getting to know this tech platform, because it can make your life a lot easier, particularly as we start the slow slide to fall and winter.

As days get shorter, and schedules get busier, now is a great time of year to put automation to work for you in a smart, productive way. IFTTT uses Applets which are like tech recipes to create triggers and results for your devices. The good news is IFTTT works with almost every tech brand. Here are a few of our favorite IFTTT Applets for the fall season.
Automate your morning coffee
When your alarm begins to go off before the sun peeks over the horizon, it can be tough to start the day. Imagine what your world would be like if you could have your coffee brewed and ready for you before you get out of bed. Even if you don’t have a smart coffee maker, you can create a smart coffee experience with some gadgetry and IFTTT.

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Roomba vs. Roborock: Which smart vacuum is better?
Roborock S6Pure cleaning while Mom and daughter play.

Roombas and Roborocks are two of the popular robot vacuum options in the country, both offering advanced smart technology for automated floor cleaning and a range of devices to choose from. In fact, if you’re trying to compare robot vacuum models, you may have a tough time telling the difference at first glance, especially with so many features that are built into the latest Roborock and Roomba models.

It’s all right: We’ve reviewed plenty of robot vacs and know what to look for. Here are the basics behind these two brands, what they bring to the table, and which you should consider first.

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Smart lock buying guide
Side profile view of August smart lock on a door.

Smart locks may not be the sexiest piece of consumer tech on everyone’s mind, but they are one of the best for sheer convenience. Head out for a jog without a jangling key ring, easily provide access to guests, or double check that you locked your door from anywhere on the planet.
What is a smart lock?
A smart lock is not all that different from a traditional lock. What makes it smart is typically a Wi-Fi connection that allows you to link the physical lock to a companion app. The app allows for activities like remote access, geo-location features (to have your door unlock automatically when you pull into the driveway, for example), and even creating digital passkeys for other family members, friends, contractors, or visitors.

Learn more about what smart lock are and how they work. And if you think you know everything about smart locks, think again. Can you guess these 7 things you didn’t know a smart lock could do?
What type of technology do smart locks use?
Wi-Fi

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