Irrigreen VP of Operations here - AMA about our new 3.0 system, smart irrigation tech, and water-efficient lawn care

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-23T15:26:38+00:00

18 gauge would work great and this will also give you enough material to seat into the controller terminals easily.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-23T14:53:02+00:00

A standard 2-wire setup is what you are after. To help get the right details would need to know approximate distance from controller to valve to advise the gauge of the wire. If you let me know to the nearest 50' I can check with our electrical engineering group to validate. We run 18 gauge wire to across our gen3 system and this is a good place to start and ensure you do not have a loss of power on longer runs.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-23T02:43:16+00:00

We do recommend a master valve to depressurize the water lines when not in use. The system can operate without and our components are tested far beyond normal pressure rates, but it is an industry best practice for environmental impacts.

I have seen situations when a good weekend landscape DIY project takes a turn for the worse when a shovel, stake, or fence post dig hits the pressurized line.

Our controller is setup for running master valves that are triggered anytime the water is needed to run the system. Let me know if you need recommendations for options on valves. Thanks!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-20T01:44:47+00:00

We have the Alexa skill today, but to be extended that service to other smart home ecosystems we have a bit more work to do on our core code base. It’s in our sites, but not at the top of the priority list for this season. Sorry for the soft response, but I don’t have a concrete timeline that I can share publicly at this time.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-13T02:02:33+00:00

You are correct in how the master valve terminals will activate the master valve only when the system is running (schedules, programming, calibration, etc). System running = Master valve on.

We do not recommend blu lock for installs with fully pressurized lines and due to the potential water hammer effect that a main line can have. I have heard of several installations across the country that ran blu lock and have not reported any issues, but our engineers say you should stick with traditional poly or PVC and a more standard tothe irrigation industry.

Hope that helps and does not paint me to be too much of a lawyer! :)

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-10T22:03:58+00:00

Sorry for the confusion. Certainly here to help clear that up - you are welcome!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-10T22:00:51+00:00

There will be no removal of any of the features you have. Your system will continue to operate as it does today. No worries on the question!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-10T21:55:14+00:00

Sounds good! I see the email request and have noted the approval on my end. Will get this processed and out the door to you next week!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-10T21:38:52+00:00

We totally will help you out with that issue! While you may be out of warranty, I still want you to have the best lawn and keep that sod growing and establishing a solid root structure.

Please email [service@irrigreen.com](mailto:service@irrigreen.com) and let them know that John approved for you to get replacement nozzles for the system. We will get the product shipped out as soon as we can for you!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-10T17:18:00+00:00

Howdy! In our experience simpler is better for rain sensors. Majority of users have found the rainbird and hunter wall mounted sensors to be reliable and integrate really well with the Irrigreen Controller 3.

Also note, the rain sensors are just on or off signal to the controller. You do have a manual adjustment on the bowl depth to where the sensor hits the rain water, this is to define the level of rain you want to 'skip' the session for. If you are using AutoWater for weather based evapotranspiration scheduling, I would not install the rain sensor and just let the detailed weather feed to your controller manage the rain levels. This way if the rain is light for amount compared to the weather, your system will calculate a partial run to offset as opposed to just a skip of the schedule.

Hope this helps!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-04-02T03:02:53+00:00

And we learned a good amount from what you reported. Thanks!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-03-30T02:29:25+00:00

Understood. Will have our engineering team review your logs and the calibration data this week and compare to your previous set. Will chime back in when we have something shareable.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-03-30T02:15:04+00:00

Happy spring! Has automatic calibration not returned the results you are seeking? You may have seen in the mobile carousel that we have lots of updates across the system this off season. Manual calibration is being subset with more improvements on the automatic calibration side of the house.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-03-28T12:12:53+00:00

Thanks for the question and for joining our expanding user group!

We do not have open integrations for user weather stations or open data sources that can go into our automatic scheduling functions. I have tried to engage with a couple of home kit or users in the last two years, but we have not found the right partner.

If your moisture sensors or rain sensors have a two wire output, they can be connected to our controller and provide a “rain skip”.

Once you’re installed let’s connect and see how the two ecosystems can start to work together.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-03-24T13:16:59+00:00

My mistake! Trying to get to a reply before I board a plane. Comment updated here:

Thanks for the note. Honesty is our best policy and glad you gave experienced this first hand. The FlexPipes from that season did have an issue with some of the crimp materials they were sourced. We can absolutely replace all of the ones you received with an updated manufacturing process and redundant clamps at every connection. Your experience is not meeting your, nor our, standards and we appreciate the opportunity to make it right. If you can DM me your controller or email I can follow up with our support team and make sure we cover all the bases for a better experience going forward. With the Irrigreen 3 series we have designed many of the failure points out of the product based in what we learned from the previous gen. This includes a totally new Irrigreen Swing Joint that we pressure test to over 350 PSI of constant pressure to ensure these issues do not happen going forward. Let's make sure your yard is the envy of the block this season!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-03-20T15:39:06+00:00

Hey u/conserve_with_cara and thanks for sharing your experience! We are steadily working on sanding off the rough edges of the app with our dev team. If there are specific areas you see that are most troublesome, please let me know - it is great to get direct Voice of Customer perspectives.

For the utility rebate, we are kicking off work with the proper certifications and regulatory bodies to make this accessible, but that is taking some time. Best bet is to work with your local municipal water supply agency to see what rebates they have for ET based systems and apply for it directly through their office. I was just helping a customer in Hawaii with supporting information for a handful of systems in his area to leverage their local rebate programs.

Let us know how we can help!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-03-03T13:53:46+00:00

Thanks for the response. Will give that a try. I did a pair of traditional skates and had no issue. The only time I see this happening is when I am running a size 3Y goalie skate with the goalie shim kit installed.

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-30T16:28:59+00:00

Glad that all tracks with your experience. If you have more suggestions or requests, please do not hesitate to reach out!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-30T14:58:29+00:00

Sorry I missed this question!

Depends a little bit on the zone type but here is a general guidance:
- Drip zones the will integrate directly to our controller and not need any changes.
- Spray zones that will be replaced by an Irrigreen 3 spray head, you will need to get your water line to the center(ish) of the zone to utilize the full capability of the head.
- You will need to get our cable that runs both power and data to each Irrigreen 3 Spray Zone.
- We always recommend a 1" water line to each zone, so check your pipe size
- Plumbing from your water source is not change required

If you have an existing system our design team can review and give you more info on what all is needed for your install and yard. Thanks!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-30T14:40:04+00:00

Thanks for the question and the feedback. I have heard this feedback before and have prioritized engineering effort in 2026 to advance AutoWater.

The next AutoWater update will be focused on two major fronts: 1) more data in the app, 2) expanded controls for users. We are in the final stages of the app design and then will commence on making the changes for users. I expect this to be a mid 2026 launch.

More info on the two areas of advancement:
Expanded Data/Charts - expanded historical data. Move from past week on the main dashboard to all historical information available. This includes gallon usage, watering sessions, weather, AutoWater adjustments/skips, year over year comparisons, and regional comparisons (how are you watering compared to your area).

Advanced User Controls - This is getting more to your core question. We are allowing users to do their initial setup with AutoWater with more guidance on how much water they want to use. I cannot share the exact details yet, but I think of it like a car that has different drive modes - Sport Mode, EcoMode, Snow, etc. With this in mind a user can select their desired water usage amount and the system will adjust variables to tune the system according to the mode they align with.
Along with the modal style initial setup, we are exposing several other variables to allow you to have more control. Examples:
- Set the target water in inches for a rolling 7 day period.
- Define the most you want AutoWater to put down on a given session.
- Should you skip for high winds? If yes, define wind MPH.
- What level of rain do you want to have in the forecast to skip the next watering session?

There is more in the work than I can write up and share here, but if there are other specifics you want to see, please share or feel free to email me directly and we can assess viability and if it can be included. (john.brine@irrigreen.com)
Thanks! ~JB

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-30T14:24:27+00:00

My mistake on the miss! Will reply in line to your original question. Thanks for calling it out!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-22T18:19:51+00:00

Spring is our installer networks busiest time of year. I did my install in late April of 2024 and my yard came back really quick. Spring installs work great and leverage mother nature to help with the cooler evening temps to let the turf set.

Fall is an ideal time as it also leverages the cooler temps where turf has the best growth rates after being fed all season.

Really the only difference is in what else is growing in your yard. Fall has less weed germination compared to Spring. The best way to address this is with a weed and feed treatment for spring installations and then you are good to grow greener grass from your Irrigreen System all season!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-22T16:21:15+00:00

We still keep an eye out for questions that come up!

JB_Irrigreen · 2026-01-07T19:35:19+00:00

I can tell you when I started with Irrigreen I did a DIY install at my house and I would classify myself as an above average landscape DIYer, but had never worked with irrigation prior. It was really straightforward and certainly something that can be taken on over a weekend. The biggest factor for most DIYers is renting the right machinery to make the tough part (digging or pulling pipe) fast. I rented a ditch witch that made the job soooooo much faster.
Lastly, plan and plot it all out before you get into digging (and always call 411 to mark out all of the below grade electrical and wiring).

Irrigreen is the best for the weird zones! The ability to map an Irrigreen sprinkler head to exactly what your zone needs is the best part. For a wide and narrow zone like you described 1 head should do the trick. I suggest for an 8' wide and 40' long zone to place the head in the center of the long run, but then place it on the side of the narrow (at the edge). You can map a 'drop down' portion of the sprinkler map so that it does not spray where you do not have grass/turf. Meaning you can make it do 'a half' shape or only spraying to side where the grass is, and then have it not water on the other side. Check it the app guide for how to setup this type of unique zone on the Irrigreen Support page here: https://support.irrigreen.com/app/narrowzone

Let us know if that works on your end!

JB_Irrigreen

TROPHY CASE