Feature request: Flexible cycles
Currently there are two cycle options are available Auto and Custom.
Auto: Its good for the some reason but doesn't satisfy my requirement because sometimes it does not cycle.
Custom: I can set number of cycles and soak time.
I would like to propose two options:
In Auto mode: Add option to allow to override the MAXIMUM cycle duration it will water before it will cycle. i.e. I can enter 30 mins to tell that if it's going to water more than 30 minus then it needs to break down in two cycles. If program decides to cycle before 30 minutes then it's okay but cycle cannot exceed the set maximum duration if it is set by user.
In Custom mode: Add option to enter MINIMUM cycle duration. i.e. If it is schedule to water for 13 mins with 4 cycles and I've setup minimum cycle duration to be 5 mins then it should water in 3 cycles rather then 4. In this case cycle can not be shorter than the user defined duration if there is any set by user.
Why?
Many times because of low temperature and recent rain it will reduce the duration it will water and in those cases I would like to have more control on how it cycles. We can water only once a week so I've setup zones to water for an hour (may not be enough but trying to save money). With recent rain it reduce the duration to 18 mins. Plus, I am doing custom 4 cycles and so each cycle was 4 and half min. Now that seems to low for the cycle. I wish in that case it would have watered in two cycles.
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For Auto Mode: There is a MAXIMUM cycle duration but it's determined from Soil Type properties, we will list this property in a future update.
Basically if the Precipitation Rate of sprinkler head is bigger than Intake Rate of soil the Maximum Cycle duration is determined like this:
60 * AllowedSurfaceAcc / (PrecipitationRate - IntakeRate)
Where Allowed Surface Accumulation is a property of Slope which you'll need to set it to Custom to be able to configure it.
For Custom: There is a MINIMUM cycle duration it's defined in Settings > Restrictions > Minimum Watering Time . If a cycle is below that it will be skipped for the next run.
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See the main goal with this request is flexible number of cycles with maximum cycles defined by user.
I had assumed that there is a Maximum duration in Auto mode but my request is allowing user to change that.
For Custom: I am aware of that setting but it is system wide and it is not carrying skipped run time to next cycle but carries to next program run. Let's say if I set Minimum Watering to 2 mins and program decides that my zone needs 7 minutes of water (because of past/future rain) but I have told to do it in 4 cycles. In this situation it will not water at all because all 4 cycles are below 2 mins. If had set Minimum cycle duration to 10 minutes then this program will still water for 7 minutes but 1 cycle rather than breaking down in 4 cycles.
The system wide setting will then carry new meaning. It will not water if the required watering is less than defined duration for all cycles combined.
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