Simple Sprinkler Control?

Hello,

I have a (currently) very simple setup, I have one spruce moister sensor, and a valve connected to a smart plug. I have been trying to find a smart app that will allow me to turn on the valve at a specific time of day if the moister level in the ground is below a certain %, it would also be nice to look at the weather to see if it will rain, but that’s just a bonus :slight_smile:

The only apps I’ve found that do any kind of irrigation control are complex apps that either require controllers from the manufactures, or that you build a controller, this isn’t what I have or currently want. Is there a app that exist or will I have to create one?

In the mean time I’ve been using the smart lighting app to turn the sprinklers on and off but this makes my moisture sensor useless.

Thanks!

I got no replies, so I wrote my own app… Seems to be working, but since it has rained all morning my sprinkler didn’t go off :slight_smile:

If anyone else is interested in my app let me know, since publishing to public is currently closed… Right now it is very simple, but it turns on the sprinkler at give time for given amount of time, but before it does that it checks the weather and the moister value from the sensor. I am also considering having the sprinkler run until the moisture reaches a certain level, but this isn’t required for my purpose.

I would be keen to use your app as I’m trying to turn on/off my sprinklers based on what a weather report indicating that it’s going to rain.

Is it a “real sprinkler” system or just opening and closing a valve?

If it is just a simple valve you could use my app directly. If not you would need incorporate a few bits of my code into your existing app.

It has occurred to me that my regular old Rain Bird sprinkler controller can be controlled in a very basic on-off way by something like a rain sensor. This apparently hooks up to the COM terminal and just has a relay I believe that interrupts the current flow to that terminal when rain is detected, preventing the system from activating the sprinklers. This is on any controller, not just ones with special rain sensor inputs. It would seem like this method could be used much more easily instead of adding a solenoid valve. Just need some kind of smart controlled lo-v relay.

I would like to just be able to enable/disable the sprinkler manually when it looks like rain is coming, rather than use the rain sensors, which seem to get clogged and dusty and you really don’t have any indication if the sensor has activated or not.

Once this is set up, then it seems some kind of app or program like yours could be used to monitor a moisture sensor local weather if desired and prevent irrigation during wet weather.

They sell these Rachio smart controllers but over $200 ea. and I’m sure they’re fine but do you really need granular sprinkler control on your phone, and one more expensive electronic device to replace when it craps out? Meanwhile the old reliable sprinkler timers work perfectly most of the time and for decades typically and I already have two.

Can I test your app? :slight_smile:

Im looking for this exact function. Have a smart valve that waters my plants on a schedule but would be nice to check rain fall for that day and if its above a certain value don’t turn on. Anyone have anything like this?

Side question does the spruce moisture sensor work with ST without the spruce controller?

Yes it does work without the controller.

($weather.forecast.forecast.simpleforecast.forecastday.qpf_allday[0].mm)

$twcweather.forecast.daypart[0].qpf[0]

Gives millimetres for the day, so you could use this as an expression in webCoRE, if the above is less than 1, then water the garden.

I use a basic valve to run my makeshift sprinkler system at 5:30AM every other day, and I would love to use your app to skip days that it’s going to rain!

You can use this code it should work.

https://github.com/dumaresq/SmartThingsPublic/blob/master/smartapps/dumaresq/water-lawn.src/water-lawn.groovy

Thank you so much!

Hi, thank you for your app it sounds like what I am looking for. Does the weather alert side of it work outside the US? I am located in NZ and was wondering if could enter my post code where it ask for ZIP code? Cheers

So I’m not sure, I’m just using the default weather forecast function in smartthings, so if that supports NZ I should too. It allows you to put in what ever you want in the “Zip code” box, it’s just a text field, so if that works and gives you back the current weather you should be able to use it. If it gives an error about unable to get forecast then my guess is Smartthings doesn’t support weather outside the US.

Thanks. I will give it a go and see what happens however we are not expecting rain for some time so it may be a while before i get a result!

Cheers

I am interested in a piston that turns on a switch to open water flow to a sprinkler based on predicted, and past weather.

Is that what you’ve written?

I’m looking for a way to turn on a valve when the temperature exceeds a certain point, and leave it on for as long as the temperature remains that high. (This is for a mister, not a sprinkler, so basically an outdoor air conditioning solution.) Would your app be able to do this?

I did exactly that. I log the rain for a week, add in the forecast and if it’s below a threshold, turn on a plug that lets my dumb sprinkler system run.