Dowd Irrigation

Hydrawise — getting started

Your system is already programmed

Your system has been pre-programmed to operate 4 days per week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 3 am, unless the weather forecast cancels a scheduled watering with a 70% chance of rain in that 24 hour period or prior days rainfall exceeds 1/2 inch, which will also result in a cancel the following day.
Of course, in hot dry weather we can increase water to 5–6 days per week. It is entirely up to you.
There is nothing for you to program or set up, but feel free to explore the system.

Start with the web login

Go to the web page on a PC or phone. It is much easier for a beginner on the PC because you have a full screen view: https://app.hydrawise.com/config/login
When using a PC or web browser, not the app, start with Reset password below.

Your Wi-Fi controller has been installed by Dowd Irrigation and is ready for you to set up access.
Please do the following in this order:

  • From the App Store, download the app named HYDRAWISE.
  • Reset password: open the app or web login and request to reset password or forgot password. A password reset link will be sent to your email address. Choose a new password.
  • Log on to the app HYDRAWISE with your email and new password.
  • The HOME screen should appear showing all your zones.
Hydrawise login screen with forgot password link
Screenshot: Hydrawise login page with the Forgot password link.

Quick start basics

The following are quick start basics on how to operate your system.

1. Turning the system on or off

Notice the gear icon on the top right of the screen. Clicking the gear icon gives you an option to SUSPEND WATERING, which is your on/off button for the system. You will pick a date in the future that watering will restart.
If we want the system off for 7 days and today is May 1, select a date 7 days out, which would be May 7, and then click OK.

Want to cancel that suspension?

Click SUSPEND and notice there is an option in blue that says RESUME ALL WATERING. Clicking this cancels the suspension effective now.

Hydrawise home screen with gear icon
Screenshot: Home screen showing the gear icon used to access Suspend Watering.

2. Start a zone manually or run all zones

In the HOME screen, click on any zone. Notice that you have an option to start a SINGLE ZONE or MULTIPLE ZONES.
To start a single zone, click on any zone and then the green icon. That zone should now be running. Clicking the red icon stops that manual zone.
To run all zones, follow the same procedure but select MULTIPLE ZONES instead of single zone. The system will now run each zone in sequence as per programming.
Hydrawise manually start a zone screen
Screenshot: Manual watering screen with Single Zone and Multiple Zones options.

3. Changing zone run times

Go to ZONES & SCHEDULES and use the pen icon on any zone to change the run time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, etc.
Hydrawise zones and schedules screen with edit icon
Screenshot: Zones & Schedules screen showing the edit/pen icon and zone run time.

4. Changing water days

In ZONES & SCHEDULES, select PROGRAM RUN TIMES. Any day that is blue means it waters; a non-blue day is skipped.
Change your START TIME here also, and you may also select ODD/EVEN water days.
Hydrawise program run times screen with watering days
Screenshot: Program Run Times screen showing blue watering days and the edit option.

5. Watering triggers

Watering triggers are the weather variables that determine when to water or not water. Notice the setting DON’T WATER WHEN CHANCE OF RAIN IS GREATER THAN 70%.
In spring, I recommend setting this to 50%. In summer, showers happen or are predicted daily, so this will need to change to 75% from June 1 through September 15.
The remainder of all settings have been set up for you based on my experiences and do not need to be changed.
Hydrawise predictive watering adjustment settings
Screenshot: Predictive Watering Adjustments showing forecast-based watering triggers.
Hydrawise weather station adjustment settings
Screenshot: Weather Station Adjustments showing rainfall trigger settings.

6. Reports

Take a look at the MONTHLY view and it will tell you when your system has run and when it has not.
Do you see any scheduled water days with a horizontal line through them? This means watering will skip due to a watering trigger such as rain expected. Clicking on a day that has a horizontal line crossed out tells you why watering will not occur.
Hydrawise reports monthly view
Screenshot: Reports monthly view showing skipped watering days and daily details.