Winterizinator is back! - Smart Home & API / API - Rachio Community
Winterizinator is back!
post by schaeferb on Oct 15, 2017
For those looking for an easier way to blow out their systems in the winter or maintenance throughout the year, I’ve revived the Winterizinator.com site that lets you turn on/off zones at random (Thanks to Varun Mehta for the original site years ago). Just enter your API Access Key available in the app.rachio.com user menu and click Go.
You’ll see all your zones and tap the button to turn on a zone, click another zone to switch to that zone or turn all zones off.
I hope to keep the site active until Rachio can at least add a ‘Skip to Next Zone’ button when it’s running a manual watering. Guess I could create my own AppleWatch app next. Lol
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post by mckynzee on Oct 15, 2017
Thanks for reviving this @schaeferb!
post by ssindelman on Oct 15, 2017
FYI - the url and method to get the API Access Key is here: https://rachio.readme.io/docs/authentication
In short, visit https://app.rach.io/ and then click the little icon on the right (looks like a silhouette of a person) and one of the options is API Access Token.
post by Gene on Oct 15, 2017
@mckynzee Is there a way to reset the API?
I’m a bit cautious about services which claim that API key is not sent to the server, only to send it anyway at the press of the button.
Overall, nice to see a neat use of API functionality
P.S. @schaeferb, I understand that you may not be storing the key and that any key use during normal operation is done via scripting, but your claim that Api key is never sent to the server is misleading. Keep up the great work, cheers
post by schaeferb on Oct 15, 2017
@Gene I understand your concern and agree there should be a method at Rachio to reset your API token. Although, I’m not sure what someone would gain from having your token, other than to mess with you by turning your system on/off randomly or disabling scheduling.
post by Gene on Oct 16, 2017
Yea, no worries. I don’t think anyone would really benefit from API key not being sent to the server, but it would help to switch the site to HTTPS by default so that API key is at least not being sent in the clear (not that anyone is likely to do it from a public network, but if it’s easy enough to get a free certificate from something like https://letsencrypt.org/, it would not hurt).
Overall I would just change the disclaimer to mention that you don’t store the API key and that people should not use the site on the public network and you can leave everything else as is.
Cheers,
post by schaeferb on Aug 22, 2020
This displays all the zones in a quick list. You turn each zone on/off individually. There is no timer involved at all, except the zone will turn off after an hour I believe. You can switch to another zone by simply clicking on the new zone. This turns off the current zone and on the new zone. Great for blowing lines as you can just quickly swap between zones in any order and not be restricted to the Rachio app functionality.
There is no resting period, as I always use a larger rental compressor that can accommodate blowing without needing to build pressure.
Hope it helps you.
post by Thomas_Lerman on Aug 10, 2020
Hello @schaeferb, I am curious what this really does as it is not clear to me. Does it basically do a “Quick Run” on each zone for a small time period to allow each zone to get blown out with a resting period of time for the compressor to recharge between each zone?
post by schaeferb on Aug 22, 2020
Hi @Thomas_Lerman, sorry for the delay.
Since I no longer use this site, and continue to incur costs to own the domain and host it, I will likely be letting this all expire in October when the domain is set for renewal.
post by Derekt2 on Sep 29, 2025
I use it, there’s currently a SSL issue happening after I enter my apikey though.
Is the code open source? I’d be willing to run it and credit you in the GitHub source!
post by alexonapeak on Oct 22, 2025
For posterity and anyone stumbling into this topic, I threw together a very similar web app to help winterize an irrigation system controlled by Rachio using an attached air compressor. It runs entirely in your browser and does not send your data anywhere other than Rachio.
I suggest using this on a computer (not phone) which is set to not go to sleep. Feel free to submit issues / suggestions in the GitHub repo (preferred) or here, though I can’t promise I’ll be able to make updates very often.