DocumentationWhat Is B-hyve Smart Watering (WeatherSense)?
B-hyve smart watering, called WeatherSense, uses local weather and your zone details to decide when and how long to water. How it works and its limits.
B-hyve smart watering is Orbit's weather-responsive watering feature, branded WeatherSense. It uses local weather data and the details you enter for each zone to decide when and how long to water, instead of running only a fixed schedule.
This site is an independent B-hyve resource. Smart watering behavior depends on your exact model, so check the manual for it.
How does B-hyve smart watering work?
Orbit says smart watering uses weather and zone information to keep an estimated moisture balance for each zone. Zone inputs include soil type, sun exposure, vegetation, slope and watering restrictions. Local weather data helps estimate water lost through evaporation and plant transpiration.
On supported connected setups, B-hyve can delay watering for rain, freezing temperatures or high wind. Orbit describes the delay as lasting until normal conditions return, after which B-hyve works out the appropriate schedule. See rain delay, freeze and wind skips.
What do I need for smart watering?
| Device | What smart watering needs |
|---|---|
| Sprinkler controllers (for example 57925, XR) | Built-in Wi-Fi connected to the internet |
| Gen 1 hose timer (21005) | Gen 1 Wi-Fi hub (21006) |
| Gen 2 and XD hose timers | Gen 2 Wi-Fi hub (21027) |
Hose timers used over Bluetooth alone give local control only. Remote access, automatic weather delays, notifications and WeatherSense need a matching hub. See Which B-hyve hub works with my timer?.
Is smart watering the same as a custom schedule?
No. These are related but separate:
- Smart watering: the app calculates schedules from weather and zone information.
- Custom program: you choose the days, start times and run times yourself.
- Weather delay: a pause because of rain, freeze or wind. Orbit says custom programs can still benefit from weather-event overrides.
- Manual watering: you start a zone yourself.
What does smart watering not do?
- It does not read soil with a probe. The soil moisture figure is calculated. See What does soil moisture mean in the B-hyve app?.
- It does not guarantee water savings. The Google Play listing says smart watering can save "as much as 50% more water over a traditional controller". That is Orbit's promotional wording, not a result for every yard.
- It does not work without a connection to weather data. Do not assume fresh weather updates arrive while the internet is down.
What do owners say about it?
Reviews on the App Store are mixed, paraphrased here. Some owners report the rain delay feature worked well after a few weeks of syncing. One owner reported a brown lawn and dead plants during a heat wave after trusting smart watering for a week. Another asked for clearer explanations of the smart watering system. Accurate zone details matter, so enter soil, sun and plant information carefully, and watch your yard in the first weeks.
Is smart watering WaterSense certified?
Orbit lists selected controllers and connected hose-timer packages as EPA WaterSense labeled. It depends on the exact configuration. For example, the XD 24637 and 24639 packages with a hub are listed, while a standalone XD timer without a Gen 2 hub is not eligible in that configuration. Rebates are not guaranteed. See B-hyve, WaterSense and utility rebates.
Related
How to Reset a B-hyve Timer, Hub or Controller
How to reset B-hyve: a reboot, a Wi-Fi reconnection, deauthorization and a factory reset are four different procedures. Pick the right one.
What Does Soil Moisture Mean in the B-hyve App?
B-hyve soil moisture is a calculated estimate from your zone details and weather, not a soil probe reading. Why it matters and why not to edit it.