Looking for Smart Hose Timer recommendation

[RayHollister]

It’s a HACS integration.

GitHub - sebr/bhyve-home-assistant: Orbit BHyve custom component for Home...

It’s pretty easy to setup. Just follow the directions on the GitHub.

[g-bourgeois]

To control one tap for animal watering I am using an off the shelf dumb solenoid, an off the shelf 12V power supply, and a Shelly RGB2. No cloud required! Shelly connects with wifi and integrates easily with HA.

[reypm]

@RayHollister cool gonna try first with just one and see how it goes if it works like yours then will go for a second one thank you

[RayHollister]

@g-bourgeois

an off the shelf dumb solenoid

I’d love a link if you still know where you got it! I was looking for one for a while.

[g-bourgeois]

Hi Ray

I’m using a K-Rain solenoid. Not sure what country you’re in but here’s the link to my local source:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=krain+solenoid&sort=BoostOrder&page=1

[reypm]

May I know the exact model you are using? I have had the Orbit 21004 in my Amazon cart for a while but haven’t bought it yet. Is there also an Orbit 21005 model, the only drawback? Both are expensive for such a simple task but I need them because I forgot to turn off the faucet days ago and it was on for about 2h

[reypm]

@g-bourgeois

Shelly RGB2

what is this? can you post a link for this too? I find it on Amazon but not sure I get the right item. For the valve does this one looks good to you?

[g-bourgeois]

This is the Shelly RGBW2 relay: Shelly RGBW2 - All Products - Products - Shelly

Note I’m having some unreliability with my setup - I’m not sure that the Shelly is passing through sufficient voltage to open the solenoid (I can always hear the whine of the solenoid trying to open, but sometimes it doesn’t actually open). I’m going to try with a 24V AC power supply (more suited to the solenoid), plus a relay which can pass the 24V AC to the solenoid and be controlled by 12V DC, so I can still use Shelly (12V DC) as the trigger for the relay.

[reypm]

Hey @RayHollister I know is being a while but did you start your B-Hyve smart hose already? I would like to take a look. Haven’t bought mine yet so far I am doing all manually which sometimes I forgot to turn watering off and my entire garden is getting water till the next day, plants are happy tough my water bill is not so happy heh

[orange-assistant (the real one)]

@reypm

so far I am doing all manually which sometimes I forgot to turn watering off and my entire garden is getting water till the next day, plants are happy tough my water bill is not so happy heh

Lucky you your water is cheap! Depending were you live - having the tap open a hole night can easily add over $100 to the bill - so in that case you probably only forget one time to close the valve and after that you find yourself checking all valves couple of times a day if they are really closed

@reypm

But again the cheaper the better for me, thanks in advance

ESP + Relay + Valve = ~$10 and just add esphome to the sauce

Also easy to scale, for example I use one ESP + 4 Relays + 4 Valves =

What irrigation controller to buy?

I went with IP54 for my sub $10 esp(home) build. [image] [image] Obviously you could also do something like that with a IP65 box but that may raise the total project costs over the $10 mark

Smart lawn watering - searching for smart irrigation valves connected to HA

self build maybe? [image] [image] A simple (or sophisticated) setup based on a esp, some valves, relays and flow meter should be possible for around 25€ when ordered directly from the country of manufacture Some esphome sprinkler goodness on it and you are ready to go [../_images/sprinkler.png]

[reypm]

@orange-assistant

Lucky you your water is cheap! Depending were you live - having the tap open a hole night can easily add over $100 to the bill - so in that case you probably only forget one time to close the valve and after that you find yourself checking all valves couple of times a day if they are really closed

I already forgot to shut them off a couple of times that’s why I am looking for an automated solution. My home has an irrigation system but is not working (the pump is burned and fixing it is a LOT of money). Is something I will do but not right away.

@reypm

But again the cheaper the better for me, thanks in advance
ESP + Relay + Valve = ~$10 and just add esphome to the sauce

Agreed, can you post more info on these ones? as for example what are exactly you using so I can google it and take some ideas?

Thank you

[orange-assistant (the real one)]

@reypm

for example what are exactly you using so I can google it and take some ideas?

Check the links in my post as it features photos and more details

@orange-assistant

What detail do you need? It’s really easy and you can make use of a lot’s of components (maybe already in your drawer ?)

• esp82xx, esp32 or a raspberry pi pico for the of operation
• 12V DC PSU (or something else )
• Valves, for example 12V DC (or again, something else )
• Some flow meter if you wanna know the amount of water (specially useful if you have alternating pressure on the system - for example because of using a tank which stores rainwater )
• some relays (which fit your valves, typically all AC/DC ones will do or maybe some solid state ones )
• DC-DC buck converter to power the esp/pipico from your PSU

[g-bourgeois]

@g-bourgeois

This is the Shelly RGBW2 relay: Shelly RGBW2 - All Products - Products - Shelly

Note I’m having some unreliability with my setup - I’m not sure that the Shelly is passing through sufficient voltage to open the solenoid (I can always hear the whine of the solenoid trying to open, but sometimes it doesn’t actually open). I’m going to try with a 24V AC power supply (more suited to the solenoid), plus a relay which can pass the 24V AC to the solenoid and be controlled by 12V DC, so I can still use Shelly (12V DC) as the trigger for the relay.

Note this setup with an off the shelf valve, off the shelf 24v AC power supply, and Shelly RGBW has been successfully topping up an animal water trough twice a day for over a year now.

[tpage (Todd Page)]

I had 3 of the Orbit 21004 B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer with Wi-Fi Hub. All three died this year. Just got 2 SONOFF SWV-NH, took a while to be delivered. They paired up with out a problem and started using them.

The good thing is you are not relying on the cloud to set up and use.

Bad thing is you will have to set up an automation to turn on and turn off. Which should not be a big deal.

https://www.amazon.com/SONOFF-Controller-Compatible-Irrigation-SWV-NH/dp/B0D5B8S8N8?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2QBZNDSRNO1IV&th=1

[reypm]

Useful, mine has not died yet I will wait until that day to buy the ones you mention and as per the automation, I don’t have any problem, should not be that hard using NodeRED?

[tpage (Todd Page)]

I wound up doing a simple automation and worked with now problem. Plan on adding some sensors for ground moisture.

alias: Watering Front/Back Yard
description: Water front and back yard using SONOF timer switches
trigger:
  - platform: sun
    event: sunset
    offset: "+1:00:00"
condition:
  - condition: time
    weekday:
      - mon
      - wed
      - fri
action:
  - type: turn_on
    device_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    entity_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    domain: switch
  - type: turn_on
    device_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    entity_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    domain: switch
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 20
      seconds: 0
      milliseconds: 0
  - type: turn_off
    device_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    entity_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    domain: switch
  - type: turn_off
    device_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    entity_id: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    domain: switch
mode: single

[RayHollister]

And about 3-6 months after this post, they all died. One by one they stopped connecting to the wifi and then to the bluetooth. Then they stopped working manually. I think the Florida heat ruined them.

[orange-assistant (the real one)]

@RayHollister

And about 3-6 months after this post, they all died.

All my self builds (fraction of the cost of this b-hyve devices that die like flies ) are still going strong, some have already 3 years of service

@RayHollister

I think the Florida heat ruined them.

Out of curiosity I checked our local (average) weather against some random locations in Florida. The temperatures swings in both direction (hot and cold) are much more elevated. @RayHollister not sure where you are but your yearly median is probably around 15 to 35°C or some other numbers in Fahrenheit. At our spot we have a range from around 0°C up to 45°C (still no reason for devices to die )

[clarsen (Case Larsen)]

i had a bhyve faucet controller that died - or rather ran through a fresh set of batteries in a couple of days and then wouldn’t work again even with a fresh set of batteries.

I believe it was due to water infiltration into the battery chamber. I found it was wet upon opening and there was some early corrosion on the battery terminals – even though there was a gasket to keep a good seal.

Unforunately because it was past warranty, Orbit couldn’t replace it so I bought a different, cheaper timer and am looking at building one - at least then I will own the problem of durability…

[orange-assistant (the real one)]

@clarsen

Unforunately because it was past warranty, Orbit couldn’t replace

They could, the only thing they would need is goodwill

@clarsen

looking at building one - at least then I will own the problem of durability…

Absolut, all my device still go strong despite being exposed to harsh environment.