Smart sprinkler company Rachio has added to its water management product lineup with the release of its voice-controllable/smartphone-controllable Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller and Rachio 3 Wireless Flow Meter. According to the company, the system is the first-ever residential wireless flow meter to hit the market. It is also compatible with third-party home control systems, including Crestron, Control4, iControl, Nexia, Nest, Alarm.com, Google Assistant and others.
The Rachio 3 Smart Watering Controller features easy installation, 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless compatibility, enhanced weather data with the company's trademarked Weather Intelligence Plus technology, and a new long-range radio to connect with the wireless flow meter. The Rachio Wireless Flow Meter uses patented Vortex technology to get accurate readings of water flow. The Rachio app alerts homeowners when leaks are detected, and the Flow Meter automatically shuts down water supply, protecting against landscape damage and flooding.
An eight-zone Rachio 3 has an MSRP of $229.99, while the 16-zone is $279.99. The wireless flow meter is $99.99. Rachio is offering a limited time $50 presale promo discount on the bundle.
“Rachio is not only saving homeowners frustration, water, and money, we are helping communities conserve water on a much larger scale,” says Chris Klein, CEO and co-founder of Rachio. “With more than 60 percent of residential water waste in the United States occurring outdoors, our new products empower consumers to be smarter with water, so they don’t have to choose between conservation and easily maintaining a beautiful landscape.”
Using a smartphone app, users can set up days and times for watering based on location, vegetation and soil type using the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller. The Rachio 3 uses company's exclusive Weather Intelligence Plus technology that references satellite, radar and weather station data to provide schedule adjustments accurate to within a 36 foot radius of the controller.
Rachio recently raised $10M in Series B funding with Eastside Partners and Bonaventure Capital, in which the Amazon Alexa Fund also participated. Benjamin Cobb, partner at Eastside Partners notes, “Rachio is so much more than a smart sprinkler company. While they clearly lead this exciting segment of the smart home market, they are also rewriting the book on water conservation. Their innovation mentality extends to all aspects of their business.”
Rachio is compatible with multiple smart home control systems and voice services, including Amazon Alexa. “We’re excited to make a follow-on investment in Rachio as they continue their growth and innovation in sustainable solutions for the smart home,” says Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund at Amazon. “Hands-free voice control is making the smart home simple and convenient for customers. Rachio’s Alexa skill makes it easy for customers to control their intelligent sprinklers simply using their voice, helping to improve water efficiency in the home.”
The company notes it has saved homeowners and their communities more than 22.7 billion gallons of water since the release of its first smart sprinkler controller in 2014 by way of leak detection abilities and water conservation management.
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