To make sure the Controller is in a properly initialized state, power cycle between each connection attempt (disconnect the power, leave off for a few seconds, then reconnect the power). App Wizard Connection Steps The network connection process is broken into 4 steps, identifying which step is failing will help […]
Manually Water
Manual water options There are times where you may want to manually water one zone; perhaps your kids want to play in the sprinklers! Or you can start a special schedule or water all your zones. Water 1 Zone Manual control is now available from any place in the app. […]
Wireless Range 101
Wireless Protocol Spruce Controller and Sensors use 802.15.4 based wireless communication, commonly referred to as ZigBee. The frequency most widely used is the 2.4GHz band which is available worldwide. This is the same band that most WiFi and Bluetooth devices use as well. Range Range is normally effected and reduced […]
Can I use the Spruce Sensors alone?
Spruce Sensor Requirements The Spruce Sensors require one of the following: Spruce Controller Samsung SmartThings hub Hubitat Elevation hub Spruce Sensor versions All Spruce Sensors including Gen1 (Gray Cap with Black or Green probes) and Gen2 (Blue Cap) and Gen3 (Blue Twist-off cap) are equally compatible with the Spruce Controller […]
Do Spruce Sensors need to be removed before mowing the lawn?
You don’t need to remove them before mowing the lawn. The head portion of the Spruce Sensor is only 1 1/8″ tall and is designed so that mower blades can clear them without hitting the sensor when the sensor is fully inserted into the soil. You should try to avoid hitting the […]
Wiring 101: Zones, Commons, Master, Pump, Rain Sensor, 24VAC Ports
Most standard digital controllers, including Spruce, run off of 110/120 volts AC. For indoor use, these controllers can be plugged straight into a common house electrical outlet in the United States, Canada, and any other region that uses 110V for mains electricity. The AC transformer steps-down the power from 110 to 24 […]
Can I have multiple sensors per zone?
You can place more than one sensor per zone. Only one sensor will be allowed to send feedback to the zone for automatic scheduling, but you can certainly place other sensors within that zone for moisture monitoring.
Do I have to insert the sensor all the way into the soil?
Spruce Sensors are optimized to be fully inserted into the soil. However they will still work as long as they are at least about half-way in, but will report somewhat lower moisture levels. If you are placing the Spruce Sensor into a lawn that will be mowed, you should insert the […]
Moisture data not reporting
As a first step, please try to re-join the Spruce Sensor to the network. If that doesn’t help, please contact us. Please let us know that you’ve already tried re-connecting the sensor so we don’t ask you again 🙂 , and let us know if the sensor reporting temperature reasonably.
How to Winterize Spruce
Spruce Controller To disable scheduled watering, go to the Spruce App and turn on Hibernate Mode. Some users will “blow out” their water lines in preparation for freezing temperatures. If this is needed for your system, an easy way to run through each zone is to use the “Run All […]