Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 Valve + 1 WiFi Hub, SHVK001)
Best app: Tom's Guide's "best smart water controller for most people", on a valve owners say may not see a second season — Rachio's Smart Hose Timer is a valve plus a Wi-Fi hub: schedules, weather skips and manual runs come from the app, and up to 400 runs are stored on the valve so it keeps watering if the Wi-Fi drops. Tom's Guide gave it 4.5 out of 5 and called it "the best smart water controller for most people", and The Spruce named it Best Smart. Not for you if you want it to outlast a season: owners give it 4.0★ across 1,711, 22% of those ratings are one or two stars, and the newest complaints are timers dead within a year, water inside the battery compartment and a hub that drops offline. Rachio covers the valve for one year and the hub for two, and on Amazon only when Amazon both sells and ships it.
Sold and shipped by Amazon · read 2026-10-23
Specs
| Model | SHVK001 (1 valve + 1 WiFi hub) |
| Type | Smart: valve + Wi-Fi hub (included), app-only scheduling; 2 AA (Rachio) |
| Longest timed run | Not printed (Rachio) |
| Manual run | Valve button: 10 minutes, or your app's quick-run default (Rachio) |
| Pressure range (maker) | 10 to 100 psi (Rachio) |
| Valve on low battery (maker) | Not printed (Rachio); the app sends low-battery alerts |
| Warranty | Valve 1 year, Wi-Fi hub 2 years; only from Rachio or an authorized dealer, and on Amazon only if sold AND shipped by Amazon (Rachio) |
| Owner rating | 4.0★ / 1,711 |
Pros
- Tom's Guide, 4.5 of 5: "It consistently goes off on its scheduled time"; The Spruce's Best Smart
- Up to 400 runs stored on the valve: Rachio says a once-a-day schedule keeps running for 400 days without internet
- Weather skips, flow alerts if the faucet is off, and low-battery alerts in the app (Rachio)
- Sold and shipped by Amazon.com, which is the only Amazon purchase Rachio's warranty covers
Cons
- Not for you if you want it to outlast a season: 22% of owner ratings are one or two stars, and the newest complaints are timers dead within a year and a hub that drops offline
- 4 of its 10 newest written critical reviews describe a timer dead within a year or one season of use, 2 water inside the unit or its battery compartment, 1 a leak, and 3 an app or hub that drops out
- One owner says Rachio support called a corroded battery compartment "a known issue"
- Rachio prints no longest run and says nothing about the valve on a dead battery
- The valve's warranty is one year, and void from any Amazon seller other than Amazon itself
A short life and a flaky hub. The newest critical reviews say "Neither made it more than a year. They leak water inside the battery compartment", "Lasted three months", "Broke after 6 months of use" and "Stopped working on year 2" after one season's use; one describes "severe water intrusion"; others say it "Keeps on disconnecting from wifi" and "Hub is always going offline at bad times".
Of its 10 newest written critical reviews (August 18 to October 14, 2026), 4 describe a timer dead within a year or one season of use, 2 water inside the unit or battery compartment, 1 a leak (not a verified purchase) and 3 an app, Wi-Fi or hub failure, of 387 written critical reviews; the histogram puts 17% of 1,711 ratings at one star (2026-10-23) · critical reviews read 2026-10-23
“The unit works great, but after three months of use when I removed the batteries for the fall I discovered water had been leaking into the battery compartment. It appears the leak was coming from the inside of the unit.”— Aa-Ron, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “Rachio's hose timer is the best smart water controller for most people.”Hands-on review: Tom's Guide ran the Rachio Smart Hose Timer on its reviewer's lawn and rated it 4.5 out of 5. Its buy link is this listing. Published July 25, 2024.— Hunter Fenollol, Tom's Guide
FAQ
Who is the Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 Valve + 1 WiFi Hub, SHVK001) for?
You want the best-designed app: schedules and weather skips from your phone, up to 400 runs stored on the valve if the Wi-Fi drops, and you buy it sold and shipped by Amazon so Rachio's warranty applies
What do owners say about the Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 Valve + 1 WiFi Hub, SHVK001)?
4.0★ across 1,711 owner ratings (Amazon, read 2026-10-23 · listing-wide base). What owners complain about: A short life and a flaky hub. The newest critical reviews say "Neither made it more than a year. They leak water inside the battery compartment", "Lasted three months", "Broke after 6 months of use" and "Stopped working on year 2" after one season's use; one describes "severe water intrusion"; others say it "Keeps on disconnecting from wifi" and "Hub is always going offline at bad times".
Who sells the Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 Valve + 1 WiFi Hub, SHVK001) on Amazon, and can it be returned?
Sold and shipped by Amazon, when we read the listing on 2026-10-23. Sellers and return terms can change, so check both on the listing before you buy.
What is the warranty on the Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 Valve + 1 WiFi Hub, SHVK001)?
Valve 1 year, Wi-Fi hub 2 years; only from Rachio or an authorized dealer, and on Amazon only if sold AND shipped by Amazon (Rachio)
Does the Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 Valve + 1 WiFi Hub, SHVK001) warranty still apply if I buy it on Amazon?
Rachio answers that in its own warranty document, which we read on 2026-10-23: Sales of second-hand items or sales from websites and/or resellers who are not authorized dealers of RACHIO, INC (“RACHIO”) products are not eligible for manufacturer’s warranty. We quote the maker rather than deciding your case — read the document before you buy if the warranty is why you are buying.
Record
- — Added (Brad 2026-10-23) as the best app, WITH its catch: Tom's Guide 4.5★ across 5, The Spruce's Best Smart; 4.0 across 1,711 ratings (pooled), 22% at one or two stars; newest complaints = dies within a year, battery-bay water, hub offline.
Warranty — and what changes if you buy it on Amazon
Valve 1 year, Wi-Fi hub 2 years; only from Rachio or an authorized dealer, and on Amazon only if sold AND shipped by Amazon (Rachio) · you are buying this on Amazon
Sales of second-hand items or sales from websites and/or resellers who are not authorized dealers of RACHIO, INC (“RACHIO”) products are not eligible for manufacturer’s warranty.
Rachio’s own warranty document · read
Read it yourself: Rachio warranty document · we read it . Terms change without announcement, so treat this as a dated snapshot. How warranty works by buy path →
✓ Safety: no active recall — No active CPSC recall found (checked 2026-10-23)
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Data last verified: 2026-10-23. Ratings are real, dated reads — never scraped or invented. Full methodology and monetization disclosure: how we test.