How do I shut down the RainMachine for the winter?
Do I simply unplug or leave it running for the winter?
What happens if RainMachine decides to water in the middle of the winter?
Do plants need water in the Winter?
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Official comment
Hi Peter,
It depends on your climate, plant types, and the various water needs of the plants. For example, in the southwest United States winter is very mild, and lawns still need to be irrigated (although less so than in the summer). The RainMachine will continue to run your scheduled programs year round, though the watering times will be reduced or skipped based on cold, rainy, or freezing conditions just like any other time of year. If you want the RainMachine to not run at all, you can unplug it, or set certain months as restricted under the Settings > Restrictions in the app or on the device itself.
Regards,
Lukas
RainMachine
Comment actions -
I think there should be a 'winterize' option in the settings, that basically just 'disables' all programs or something. this way it isn't necessarily unplugging it, or manually settings snoozes or manually disabling programs (i only have one so not a big deal), but rather a master option that just 'disables' everything. would be nice.
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the winterize button would essentially be a 'DISABLE' all programs without having to worry about when they were starting/ending, etc. just a quick, 'disable rainmachine'. boom done, winterized, i don't have to worry about looking at or modifying any programs, if/when i want to turn the system off, i can easily to it.
i think having a master' OFF' button would just be much easier and be something that can easily be implemented and if people want to use it, fine, if not they don't and can continue to set start/end dates on various programs, etc.
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Yes to each their own. I didn't demand the feature be implemented, i simply responded to original post and stated my opinion/request for the feature. it is up to the developers to deem whether it is useful and if they want to implement it. Since it is an 'option' it wouldn't change anything that you do or how you decide to use it, but if others prefer a different method then why not put it in. For me, the way i use it and based on my system that i do not have a 'set' date that i turn it off, i would rather just have a master 'on/off' option regardless of what programs/etc i have. Yes there are other methods to accomplish this, so again it isn't a big deal but for me i would like it so i requested it. If it is implemented great, if not i will continue to use the other methods.
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GHammer: Me being a newby here and not wanting to be offensive, I must agree with Robby. Also I find your position a bit narrow minded.
Since the Winter months are approaching, I also assumed there would be an OFF selection but couldn’t find it. To me your suggestion would be a “work around “ solution to a simple OFF selection.
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Charlesajouri: I know how to currently do it, i am just suggesting a new feature that on the main dashboard is an overall system shutoff. This is a minor request, but something i felt may be a nice cosmetic touch, as many people winterize their system on different dates/times, and when i blowout the system, in my opinion it would be nice to flip a switch/button that says 'turn off system' or 'System OFF', basically rather than having to go in and edit the active programs to make them inactive. Again, just a thought/request. I know there are multiple other ways of accomplishing the goal of this.
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I found this thread because I did a search on how to winterize my rain machine. I am glad to see Robby's post and I fully support his request. I already restricted and snoozed my device but I just don't like the idea of the controller staying on for no real reason except be a target for IoT hackers and sending me meaningless notifications for weather. I have considered just unplugging but I wonder if that will reset my several programs and make my restart during the spring more complicated than it should be. I do wish there was a system off or a winterize button that can place the device in an off or standby state where I am assured restart will simply involve a single step of toggling back on. I shut off water supply and blow out the sprinkler system pipes so I am hesitant to rely on a programmatic date setting that could possibly turn my sprinkler pump on before I actually reopen water supply to the system. If the makers can add a winterize feature that will be great. Having said that does anyone know if I will lose my programs and settings by unplugging for the next 4 months?
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