A garden never stands still: a new hedge, a vegetable patch, an extra patio… and suddenly your controller has no spare station left. With a modular irrigation controller, you simply add a module instead of replacing everything.
The principle: one base unit, add-on modules
The Rain Bird ESP-ME3 comes with 4 stations and three expansion slots. These take the ESPSM3 module (3 stations) or the ESPSM6 module (6 stations), for a total of up to 22 stations.
In practice, this is what it looks like:
- ESP-ME3 on its own: 4 stations
- ESP-ME3 + 1 ESPSM3: 7 stations
- ESP-ME3 + 1 ESPSM6: 10 stations
- ESP-ME3 + 1 ESPSM3 + 1 ESPSM6: 13 stations
- ESP-ME3 + 3 ESPSM6: 22 stations
The ESP-ME3 also offers 4 independent programmes with 6 start times each (24 in total), run times from 1 minute to 6 hours, and scheduling by days of the week, odd or even days, or a cycle of 1 to 30 days. Non-volatile memory keeps your settings safe in the event of a power cut. It runs on 230 V mains power.
What you can connect to it
- A rain sensor: the ESP-ME3 has a dedicated input. The Rain Bird RSD-BEx is the natural choice.
- A master valve: the controller has a 24 V AC output for it.
- The Wi-Fi module Rain Bird LNK2, to control the whole system from the Rain Bird 2.0 app.
- One valve per station: you will find the compatible 24 V AC models in our article on solenoid valves.
What if I already know how many zones I have?
If your garden is fully laid out and will not change, a fixed-station controller is enough:
- Rain Bird ESP-TM2: 4, 6, 8 or 12 stations, indoor or outdoor version, upgradeable to Wi-Fi with the LNK2.
- Hunter X2: 4, 6, 8 or 14 stations, IP55 outdoor casing, 3 programmes.
- Orbit Easy Set Logic: 4, 6, 9 and 12-station versions in 230 V.
How do I count my zones?
A zone is a group of plants with the same water needs: lawn, hedge, flower bed, vegetable patch, drip irrigation. Count one station per zone, and keep one or two spare stations for future changes. That is exactly the appeal of a modular controller: you buy what you need today and add more later.
Installing a module
The modules fit into the slots on the controller. The controller’s official manual explains the procedure in its “Installing modules” section: follow it step by step.
Questions about how many modules you need? Email info@arrosagepro.com with the number of zones in your garden.
Official sources: ESP-ME3 controller manual (PDF, French) · LNK2 module guide