Question

I'm using Rachio 3 for my irrigation and it's integrated with SmartThings. I use the newer SmartThings app and not the classic. With that said, I can start a water session on any zone but I have no way to set the session runtime of any zone via SmartThings. I think it runs a default of 10 minutes. Is there a way to adjust the runtime or at least change the default runtime SmartThings has? Rachio defaults to 3 minutes and I can adjust that in Rachio but this doesn't coincide with SmartThings so wondering if there is a hidden setting in SmartThings.  

Answer 1

You’re doing better than me, I can’t get anything in the new app and in Classic just a quick run

Comments

@dye well at least I know it's not just me then. Bummer

Answer 2

The default run time is set in the smart app

Comments

@doze10 I don't see Connected Services within the SmartThings app.  

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@evelyn1 it's under settings.  

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@doze10 ah, ok. I keep forgetting to look in the cog wheel for that. Found it. However, no additional options within Settings -> Connected Services -> Rachio other than what you can see in this screenshot  

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@evelyn1 oh ok. I don't know anything about rachio just knew where connected services was. Sorry

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@doze10 no worries at all. Thanks for helping, though. Seems like a limitation on the new SmartThings app.  

Answer 3

No reason to use Rachio in smartthings. The Rachio app is way more powerful.  

Comments

@capable I use it to show when the sprinklers are active in ActionTiles. Others use sensors in ST to trigger specific zones. There are a number of use cases that cannot be done in the Rachio app alone.  

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Rachio is a set it and forget app. Once the yard is dialed in there’s no reason to have a 3rd party Create additional watering times. You want to display in AT that’s fine. Don’t see the reason tho. But having a motion sensor determine how something gets watered is ridiculous

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Plenty of uses. Example when I flush my sprinklers at the end of year. I use a webcore routine that I press a button and come back an hour later and they are winterized.  

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If you have a wall-mounted AT panel, it’s convenient to stop/start a zone if you’re doing something manually, like an extra dose of water on my deck planters during a particularly hot day, or keeping an overseeded lawn moist during initial seed germination, something I don’t trust completely to set-it-and-forget it schedules.  

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@capable What may seem ridiculous to you might not be so ridiculous to someone deterring animals from eating their vegetable garden!  

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@dye I have a garden as well. And stone/pome/sub tropical fruit trees.  

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@dye never told any one to do anything. There’s just no logic in using a third party on a system that can dial a garden and yard down WAY more than anything that’s native to smartthings.  

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@capable obviously you haven't read the previous replies, plenty of logical reasons.  

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@dye -water on motion and everything in a yard dies from a windy day. -Piston that runs once a year. -extra water for hot day, can be setup in Rachio app under flex daily schedule.  

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@capable like I say you're presumptuous. But since you're so knowledgable explain why Rachio advertises it works with home automation systems if it's so unnecessary. . and why they make such a claim that is no longer true!  

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Just because it can doesn’t mean it should. I’m not saying don’t link the two. I’m saying don’t have smartthings being the sole provider for running irrigation. Smart things goes offline all the time. Not once has Rachio gone offline for me. Hey it’s your yard. You want things to die go for it.  

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@capable you are missing the big picture and clearly not thinking outside the box. This is beyond wanting to just water. This is about how to water and why to water. It's also about why you'd like to trigger. I have a shop in my backyard with flammable chemicals. If I'm out and my fire alarm system detects a fire, I can trigger a zone to help put the fire out. That's one example of the so many use cases integrations can help with.  

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@evelyn1 so you have a garden sprinkler in your shop to put out a chemical fire?  

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@capable you are clearly trying to find a reason to validate your point and its not working. My use case / cases / examples are the things that work for me. That's what matters here ‍♂️

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@evelyn1 don’t need a reason. It’s already there. Having a garden pvc sprinkler head in a shop a put out a chemical fire is hilarious. You’ll be on the next insurance commercial for the she-shed

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@capable you sir are an idiot. Plain and simple. You have no reading compression at all. I was laying out an example and within my example, I used the words "help put out a fire" meaning the appropriate system is in place. You have a lack of innovative vision and completely steered this conversation off course only because you felt like you needed to respond to feel productive without providing valuable info. Instead, you are posting how ideas are pointless as responses? Why? If you have no feedback, or constructive criticism, don't waste your time or mine

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Stuck a nerve I see. What’s your fire suppression that’s in place to put out a chemical fire using Rachio? It’s all garden rated you sir are the idiot thinking that will make any difference at all

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@capable I never said SmartThings was the sole provider for my irrigation, if that was the case I would have built a system around Konnected. I'm happy to let Rachio do its thing autonomously. But that's not to say that having ST integration doesn't allow me to add some additional use cases beyond the scope of the Rachio controller.  

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@capable again, reading comprehension isn't your thing. What part of example or use cases don't you understand?  

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@evelyn1 the absolutely no logical ones that have been provided.  

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@capable Unified automation? Do you really think that anyone wants to use a different app for every smart device they have? SmartThings alleviates that and using Action Tiles or Sharptools allows tablet setups for other household members to use. In rachio's case, if I add new shrubs/plants, I can quickly use the tablet on my wall to trigger a quick unscheduled run rather than going to rachio (yet another app). Again, you have no vision

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@evelyn1 I guess you don’t own a phone. So I can see how grabbing a tablet off a wall in your case would work.  

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@capable I wouldn't be grabbing anything off a wall. I'll just be tapping an icon, done. Forget carrying my phone if I'm home. I have three tablets on the walls at home. You really can't be this closed-minded, seriously. I feel like I'm being pranked  

Answer 4

Just don’t use smart things for Rachio. I found it better just to use the Rachio app for better control.  

Comments

@romaine what if you want to do things the Rachio app cannot do? What if you bought Rachio because it was advertised to work with Smartthings (as I did)?  

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@romaine I know, I repeated it because if you’d read it you wouldn’t have made your comment! I’m not telling anyone what to do, that ball is firmly in your court!  

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If you bought a car and the A/C didn’t work or the radio, would you complain to the dealer? What if the dealer’s response was, ”it’s a car, it’s purpose is to get you from A to B, you don’t need A/C or a radio”?