Quick answer: After your system is winterized, leave the smart controller plugged in, put it in standby or off mode, and keep it connected to Wi-Fi. Do not unplug it, and do not let it keep running a schedule on empty pipes.
Why Not Just Unplug It?
It is the first thing most people think of, and it causes more trouble than it saves.
- Settings and history. Most smart controllers store schedules in the cloud, but zone details, sensor settings, and Wi-Fi credentials are easier to keep if the unit stays powered.
- Condensation. A controller in a cold garage stays slightly warm while powered, which helps keep moisture off the circuit board.
- Updates. Controllers receive firmware updates over Wi-Fi. A unit left offline for five months has to catch up in spring, and that is when reconnection problems show up.
- Power use. An idle controller draws very little electricity.
Why Not Leave the Schedule Running?
A weather-based controller will skip most winter watering on its own, but not all of it. On a mild, dry week in February it may decide the lawn needs water and open a valve. With the supply shut and the lines empty, nothing comes out, but the valve solenoids still cycle, and if the system has a pump start relay, the pump can be told to run against a closed supply. Pumps are not built to run dry.
The Right Winter Setting by Controller Type
| Controller type | What to do |
|---|---|
| Smart Wi-Fi controllers with an app | Use the standby or seasonal shutdown setting in the app. Schedules are kept but nothing runs. |
| Dial-type controllers | Turn the dial to Off. The program is stored and the clock keeps running. |
| Any controller with a rain or off button | Use the off setting, not a long rain delay that may expire before spring. |
| Systems with a pump start relay | Make sure the pump cannot be triggered. Switch off the pump breaker for the winter. |
Menu names vary by brand and app version. If you are not sure which setting is the right one, we set it for you at the winterization visit.
Other Things to Check Before Winter
- Rain and freeze sensors. Wired sensors can stay where they are. Wireless sensors with batteries are worth checking now so they are not dead in April.
- The backup battery. Some controllers have a small battery that holds the clock during outages. Replace it if it is more than a couple of years old.
- The cabinet. Outdoor controllers should be closed and latched so wind-driven rain and salt air stay out.
- Notifications. Leave app alerts on. If the controller goes offline in January, you want to know before spring.
Second Homes
For a shore house this is where a smart controller earns its keep. You can confirm from anywhere that the system is in standby, and you will see it if someone turns it back on by mistake.
In Spring
Do not simply switch the controller back to its schedule. The water has to come back on slowly first, each zone has to be checked for freeze damage, and the schedule should be reset for spring weather, not left on last September’s settings. See when to turn on a sprinkler system in New Jersey.
Thinking About Upgrading?
Winter is a good time to plan it. Read are smart irrigation controllers worth it in New Jersey? or see our smart controller service page. To book a winterization, see the winterization and blow-out service page or call or text 609-548-5187.