Voice Control for Smart Hose Timer is here!

Your Smart Hose Timer just got a whole lot smarter! You can now use voice commands with your favorite smart home platforms to control your watering from your hose by opening or closing the valve.

Requirements & Limitations

To use voice control settings, make sure your Smart Hose Timer is on and connected to a Rachio WiFi Hub. Use the Rachio App to link your hose timer with your preferred smart home assistant (Amazon Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant or Google Home). The Rachio Smart Hose Timer WiFi Hub and Valve must be owned by your Rachio account and will not work with Rachio devices that are shared to your Rachio account.

Watering Durations

When you use a voice command to open a valve, it will remain open for the default Quick Run time before automatically closing. The default Quick Run time can be adjusted in the Rachio App with these simple steps:

1. Launch the Rachio App on Android or iOS
2. Tap on the Rachio Smart Hose Timer from the devices list
3. From the Valve tab, tap on the three vertical dot icon on the valve card
4. Tap “Edit”
5. Tap “Default Quick Run time” and select your desired duration

Commands

Google Assistant & Google Home

Once the Rachio Smart Hose Timer is linked, all valves associated with your account can be opened and closed using Google Assistant and Google Home.

Your valves will appear in the Google Home app with the valve names as they appear in the Rachio App. You can open or close the valve with voice commands using the valve name. For example, you can say, “Hey Google, open Potted Plants” to open a valve named “Potted Plants”.

More example phrases

• “Hey Google, open Backyard”
• “Hey Google, close Pool”
• “Hey Google, is Garden closed?”

Click here for more information on using Google Home with your Rachio.

Amazon Alexa

To get started, enable the Rachio Smart Hose Timer skill in the Alexa app. Once you’ve linked your Rachio account using your account email address and password, all valves associated with your Rachio account can be controlled with this skill.

Find your valves in the Alexa app, with names listed as they appear in the Rachio App. Open or close the valve using the valve name. For example, you can say, “Alexa, open Potted Plants” to open a valve named “Potted Plants”.

More example phrases:

• “Alexa, open Backyard”
• “Alexa, close Pool”
• “Alexa, is Garden closed”

Note: Once you have linked your account, keep in mind that any updates made to the valve name in the Rachio App will not be reflected in the Alexa app. Likewise, if you change the valve name in the Alexa app, it will not update the name in the Rachio App.

Click here for more information on using Amazon Alexa with your Rachio.

Apple Siri

Use Siri (Apple Shortcuts integration) to Quick Run your Rachio Smart Hose Timer and Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller. You can say “Siri, run my Rachio” and you will be prompted to select your Home, your device, and your valve or zone. You can Quick Run your zone and valves without going into the Rachio App.

You can also create a Shortcut with Apple’s Shortcut App to specify your zone’s duration that runs every time the shortcut runs.

Click here for more information on using Apple Shortcuts with your Rachio.