FAQ

What makes us different than our competitors?
The only smart irrigation system controller with an onboard WEB server with WIFI Hotspot capability.
User can access the unit via a smart device with no network connection.
Only controller at this price point with A LAN port connection.
Only residential controller with leak detection capability as well as flow sensor option.
The only smart irrigation controller with Holiday lighting capability.
What is ET?
Evapotranspiration is a model that calculates the water lost by an area of vegetation. Some water is lost
due to the Evaporation of water from the soil and from the outside of the plants. Other water is lost due to
Transpiration, which is the process within the plant that pulls water (and nutrients!) in through the roots to
replace water vapor that leaves through the leaves and petals.
Why doesn’t RAINPALTM use on-site temperature sensors instead of a local weather data?
So far as we know, most other controllers that take measurements on-site determine only temperature and
humidity. Temperature is the easiest variable to measure, but often the least significant variable in
calculating water loss. Rainpal Pro uses temperature, humidity, wind, and solar radiation (which requires
knowing latitude, date, sun angle, humidity, cloud cover and visibility) to calculate the water lost by the
vegetation and soil. Wind and solar radiation have massive effects on water loss, much more than
temperature. So far as we know Rainpal Pro is the only residential controller to take all these variables into
account.
Some controllers use soil moisture probes. Does Rainpal Pro?
YES, After a great deal of research, we determined that there are many soil moisture probes that are
compatible. Not saying you really need them unless you have very specifically engineered vegetation.
Can a controller claim to be ET if you don’t enter vegetation and soil type?
Not in our opinion. Only Rainpal Pro uses the actual weather data and zone configuration to calculate the
specific amount of water lost by that zone. Other controllers apply a consistent adjustment across all zones,
merely altering the watering time for all zones by the same percentage. However, that assumes that every
plant in every zone is affected by the weather the same way. Two days after a rain, when it’s hot, dry, windy,
and sunny, it might be time to provide water to fresh flowers or a South-facing lawn of cool climate grasses.
However, the hardwood bushes on the shady side of the house may not need any water for a few more
days. Rainpal Pro will take that all into account and save water every time it can safely do so.
Why don’t we use forecast rain to shut down irrigation?
You wouldn’t cancel a picnic the day prior based on a 50% chance of rain, so why would we cancel
something as critical as landscape irrigation? It’s hard enough to forecast whether rain will occur, and it’s
next to impossible to forecast the actual amount. We stop irrigation during rain, and then the algorithm uses
the actual amount that fell on or near the property to calculate the next watering duration for each zone.
How does it know how much rain was received?
The data service provides the weather data most applicable to the property. It uses the actual latitude and
longitude of the property, something almost no one else does. If it can’t find a certified reporting station on
or adjacent to the property, it triangulates to get the best weather data possible.