Hey everyone, I wanted to share my journey of setting up an automated sprinkler system using Home Assistant and Zooz ZEN16/ZEN17 relays. I’ve tried several consumer-grade irrigation controllers over the years, but none have met my simple needs: single zone drip, adjustable auto programs, ability to skip upcoming watering, manual control, and no recurring fees. Plus, I wanted everything to run locally without constant internet connectivity.
Since I already have an HA setup, I thought it would be straightforward to connect a universal relay to my irrigation valve and create automations. I went with Zooz ZEN16/ZEN17 because I’m using Z-Wave and didn’t want to add new controllers or use WiFi/Bluetooth. The process was a bit challenging at first, but here’s what I learned:
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Hardware Setup: I connected the Zooz relay to my irrigation valve and integrated it with HA via Z-Wave JS UI. The initial setup was smooth, but I had to tweak some configurations to ensure reliable communication.
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Automation Rules: I created automations to handle the watering schedule. For example, I set up a cron job to trigger zone 1 at 8 AM every 4th day of the month. Each zone runs for 10 minutes, and there’s a 30-minute timer to turn it off automatically. This ensures consistent watering without manual intervention.
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Manual Control: I added a scene where I can initiate each zone manually. This is super handy for testing or if I want to water on a different schedule.
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Weather Integration: While I haven’t fully integrated weather data yet, I plan to leverage HA’s weather integration to adjust watering based on extreme conditions. For now, I can manually skip watering if needed.
The best part is having everything controlled through HA’s dashboard. I can monitor each zone’s status, adjust schedules, and even receive notifications if something goes wrong. It’s been running flawlessly for a few weeks now, and I’m thrilled with how it’s transformed my gardening routine.
If anyone has questions or wants more details, feel free to ask! I’d love to help others set up their own automated systems. 