Rachio’s 2nd Generation Smart Sprinkler was already pretty great. It could watch the weather and adapt your sprinkler schedule for you. Thankfully, Rachio is not resting on its laurels. The smart sprinkler company is introducing its third generation model on Tuesday. While not radically different from what came before, the Rachio 3 will offer more refined weather awareness and compatibility with a new Flow meter.
Like the previous generation, Rachio 3 replaces the controller for your in-ground sprinklers. You can preorder the sprinkler now on the company’s site for a discount. At retail, the Rachio 3 will cost $250 for an eight-zone model and $300 for 16 zones. That’s a $50 bump over the price of the Rachio 2.
The Flow meter is also brand new to Rachio’s lineup. You can preorder that on the company’s site as well for $100. You’ll need a Rachio 3 controller to connect to it, and you can buy them packaged together for $330 for eight zones and $380 for 16. Rachio’s promising highly accurate water flow readings. Better yet, the Flow meter will be able to detect leaks and shut down the water supply if it spots one. Both the Flow meter and Rachio 3 will start shipping out in April.
