Hey everyone! I'm trying to find a wireless solution to help my grandmother with watering her plants on the porch. She usually struggles with a heavy watering can and has to make several trips down a steep staircase to the outside faucet where the hose is located. I want to set up a system that allows her to turn the water on and off remotely, possibly with a standard garden hose connected to the faucet. Is there a product that can help with this? Ideally, I also want to keep the sprinkler that we have in the flower bed, which is located right by the faucet. Any suggestions or experiences with this?
3 Answers
You can definitely install a smart valve at the faucet. It will let you control the water flow remotely while keeping the faucet itself always on. I'd recommend searching for "smart water valve". For example, I got a model from Amazon that integrates well with home automation systems. Just make sure to include a backflow preventer to avoid any water quality issues. Another simple option might be to leave the faucet on and use a good nozzle to control the water flow manually.
What you're looking for is actually a smart hose faucet timer. They are made for sprinklers and work perfectly for what you need. You just need to attach it to your outdoor faucet and hook up your hose. Then, you can control it via a mobile app or sometimes even a remote. Companies like Orbit B-hyve and Rachio have great options. This way, your grandma won’t have to touch the faucet at all!
I use a few smart hose timers and they work like a charm! I'd suggest waiting for deals or checking out open box items on eBay. A specific model I like is from RainPoint - it's a Wi-Fi water timer that you can control remotely. Just be sure to do some comparisons and check for sales!