HOLMAN WX8 Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller User Guide

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Introduction

The WX8 Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller allows anyone with a smartphone and Wi-Fi access to control their irrigation from anywhere on the globe. Each solenoid is connected to your WX8 via a cable. To water a ZONE, the WX8 sends an electric current to the solenoid coil. After the RUN TIME has expired, the electric current is discontinued and the valve closes. The WX8 then automatically opens the next valve in the sequence, until all ZONES have been watered. For more information on the WX8 Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller, visit www.holmanindustries.com.au/wx8-wifi-irrigation-controller

Please read these instructions in full before proceeding with setup
Some screens in this guide may differ slightly depending on your mobile device and Holman Home app version

Key Features

8 watering ZONES
3 START TIMES where ZONES can be allocated to each START. In addition, Holman Home provides the ability to setup TAP-TO-RUN watering scenes and AUTOMATION watering scenes for your STARTS and ZONES
7-day watering schedule L Permanent memory L Real time clock
POWER SUPPLY:
This unit runs off a 240V 50/60Hz single phase outlet, drawing 30VA at 240V AC
Weatherproof outdoor housing with lid
No electrician required for installation
Compatible with master valve or pump relay
Rain sensor capable input
Compatible with EVIE Sensor (sold separately)

Manual operations:
SYSTEM TEST, SINGLE ZONE or MANUAL START; A, B or C
Smartphone operation
2.4GHz Wi-Fi compatible

Mobile Device System Requirements

Android 4.4.2 and above or, w
iOS 12.0 and above

Overview

Third Party Rain Sensors

This is to detect rainfall and automatically suspend watering,resuming after the sensor dries out
Remove the link connector between C and R, and replace with 2 wires from your rain sensor as shown below

In this installation the common is not cut – but used as a shared terminal for the rain sensor and your existing common wire
Rain sensors can also be installed where one rain sensor wire is on the common terminal, the other wire connects to the shared station common wire:

Pump Connection

Your WX8 doesn’t provide mains power to drive a pump. It does provide a low voltage signal to actuate a relay, enabling the contactor and the pump

Do not attempt to drive a pump starter directly from the controller
Pump start is provided by connecting one side of the coil from a suitable relay to the MASTER VALVE/PUMP START (M) output of the controller and the other side to the controller common
Unused stations must be connected back to the last used station to prevent running against a closed head if run times are incorrectly set

Setup

Initial Setup

Download Holman Home to your mobile device via the apple App Store or google-play Google Play

Open Holman Home on your mobile device
You may be prompted to allow notifications–the app can still function if you choose to opt out
Tap SIGN UP
Read our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and tap AGREE if you wish to proceed

Follow the prompts to register a Holman Home account with your email address

Control your garden from anywhere in the world, day or night, with Holman Home Wi-Fi control.
Enjoy complete control of your irrigation and garden lighting, wherever internet access is available.

Ensure your country details are correct at this stage

You may be prompted to allow access your location. This allows the app to show weather information will still function if you choose to opt-out

Pairing Using EZ Mode

The Home Screen should now appear and you should be able to add devices to your Holman Home by tapping ADD DEVICE or PLUS
To find the WX8 Irrigation Controller, tap GARDEN WATERING

Then tap the WX8 icon to start searching for your Irrigation Controller
This begins the Wi‑Fi pairing process with your WX8. Follow the prompts on your mobile device to complete the pairing process

Pairing Using AP Mode
AP mode can help where you have more than 1 network name, or use a guest network.
We recommend this for mesh systems and Wi-Fi 6 modems.

Before You Start:

Turn off mobile data

Turn off ‘auto join/auto-reconnect on your 5gHz network
Connect your device to your 2.4gHz network
Turn the dial on your WX8 to the AP position

Press and hold the START button on the WX8 for 5 seconds, the AP light should now flash red slowly
1. Tap ADD DEVICE or PLUS in your Holman Home app
2. To find the WX8 Irrigation Controller, tap Garden Watering
3. Then tap the WX8 icon to start pairing
4. Enter your Wi-Fi information, select next
5. Tap EZ mode at the top of the screen
6. Select AP mode from dropdown menu
7. Confirm the slow flash
8. Connect (join) to the WX8 hot spot and follow the in-app prompts to complete pairing

Status Screen

After completing the Wi‑Fi pairing process, your WX8 will be available on the Holman Home device screen. Tap this for advanced watering controls
The STATUS screen shows:
- The current controller state – watering or not watering, you can press STOP during a watering to stop the program
- Whether STARTS are enabled or disabled
- The battery status (9V back up memory)
- Dial Position
  - If the dial is in the OFF position this will disable the STARTS. The Dial
    Position text will be red [e]
  - If the dial is in the AP position, the Dial Position text will be red with an alert.
  - It is best practice to have the dial either on RUN or OFF
  - Install a 9V BATTERY to clear the battery message
Tap MORE… for detailed
DEVICE INFORMATION
- On the DEVICE INFORMATION page the status of the rain sensor and rain sensor type (hard wired or EVIE) can be viewed g. If you are not using a hard wired rain sensor, but your hard wired rain sensor is reporting as wet, you may have accidentally removed the bridge. This will stop watering —return the bridge to correct this

Operation

Manual Watering by Zone

Tap MANUAL WATERING to access MANUAL WATERING by ZONE or START
Select a ZONE to water

Tap beside the ZONE name to open the MANUAL WATERING time selector
Scroll up and down to select the manual run time
- ZONE Run times can range from 1 minute to 3 hours and 59 minutes

Press SAVE to update
Tap ▶ to start watering

Manual Watering by Start

Tap MANUAL WATERING to access MANUAL WATERING by ZONE or START
Tap STARTS to see start options for the use of your program manually

Select the START you wish to run (START A, B or C)
Tap ▶ to start the program

Starts

Tap STARTS to access program settings
Tap a START (START A, B or C) to enter the program settings

Enable the START
Tap the START TIME line to set the start time.
Select the time by scrolling up and down the screen. Tap OK to confirm

Tap the Days line to set watering days
Select your watering days (green days are on, white days are off), and then tap Next
To add a ZONE to the START, tap the ZONE CHECKBOX to select it, then tap beside the ZONE name to open the Set Run Time window

Scroll your finger up and down to select the time, tap OK to confirm
Repeat for each ZONE in the START.
Tap SAVE to update the WX8 with this schedule.

To set STARTS B and C, follow steps 2-11 again
- If any part of the START has been changed, but not saved, a warning screen will pop up. You can choose to SAVE or DISCARD your changes

Example of all STARTS being used

Additional Information

Device Information

Tap the cog at the top right of the page to access additional information
THIRD PARTY CONTROL—Information on GOOGLE and ALEXA set up.
DEVICE INFORMATION—Includes:
- Virtual ID (for technical support)
- IP address
- MAC
- Time zone of the device
- Device signal strength
TAP-TO-RUN AND AUTOMATION—short cut to view tap to run previously set for your WX8 via scene automation.

CREATE GROUP—N/A for this device
CHECK DEVICE NETWORK—additional diagnostic tool when Wi-Fi is weak.
SHARE DEVICE—share the WX8 with another Holman Home user.
OFFLINE NOTIFICATION—toggle on to get a notification when the device has been offline for over 30min.
HELP CENTER—In app hints,tips and instructions. Automation suggestions are available here.
Remove Device
REMOVE DEVICE – tap here to remove the WX8 from your Holman Home app.
DISCONNECT to reconnect with your settings intact
DISCONNECT AND WIPE DATA – restore to factory default.

Rain Sensor

EVIE (Evaporative Intelligent Eco Rain Sensor)

Your WX8 is compatible with our EVIE Sensor. Refer to the sensor manual for setup help. EVIE Sensor will already be connected if it was included with your WX8 package

EVIE will report as wet using a red cloud indicator on the STATUS page. In this example EVIE is reporting as wet.
- STARTS are disabled during this time.
  Please refer to the in app Help Centre for EVIE work arounds (i.e. patio watering)

Pairing WX8 to EVIE Sensor
If for some reason the EVIE Sensor has been disconnected from your WX8, Holman Home will show this in the DEVICE INFORMATION screen [a].

The following instructions highlight how to re‑pair your EVIE Sensor to the WX8:

Bring your EVIE Sensor to your WX8 Irrigation Controller so that you can operate both devices simultaneously
On the EVIE Sensor, unscrew the lid [b] to open and check there are two CR2032 batteries [c] installed
On your WX8, turn the dial to OFF
Press and hold START for 5 seconds until the LEDs of ZONE 1 and 2 both flash, alternating between red and blue (for 20 seconds only)
- The next step must be completed in the first 20 seconds while the LEDs are still flashing
- If you run out of time it is possible to attempt the process again
On the EVIE Sensor, press and hold the internal button [d] until the WX8 LEDs of ZONE 3 and 4 are alight
- If the pairing succeeds, these LEDs will be blue
- If the pairing fails, these LEDs will be red
After pairing is successful, on the WX8, turn the dial to RUN to exit the pairing mode
Wait at least one minute for the Holman Home to show EVIE Sensor is connected to the WX8 in the DEVICE INFORMATION screen [e]
Follow the instructions for CHECKING YOUR EVIE SENSOR as listed overleaf
Re-install your EVIE Sensor as per the INSTALLATION instructions overleaf
- For additional pairing help, please visit https://www.holmanindustries.com.au/ to access additional support pages or contact our Customer Service team

Please visit the following for additional support:
https://www.holmanindustries.com.au/product/wx8-wifi-irrigation-controller-withevie-sensor
https://www.holmanindustries.com.au/product/evie-evaporativeintelligent-eco-rain-sensor/

Troubleshooting

Unable to Restore After an Outage
After an extended outage (either power or internet) your device may have been unable to reconnect (self restore). If it is offline in Holman Home, then it needs to be physically checked.

Please check the AP light on your controller:
L If the AP light is blue then your WX8 is ok.
L If the AP light is red this means your WX8 has become disconnected.
L If the AP light is purple/pink this means your WX8 is having hardware issues, it may come back into pairing mode, but it may not – please attempt reconnection.

Please be assured while disconnected your WX8 would still be running any STARTS you have set and would be able to manually water with no issue, but any Smart scenarios you have setup would not be working. Also any changes you have made via the Holman Home app since the outage will not have saved.
To get your WX8 connected again it will need to be removed from the app and re-added.

After doing this process you will need to review any Smart scenarios you have setup and you will need to rename any changed ZONE names. Any STARTS already setup should be remembered when the WX8 is re-added.

To Reconnect After an Outage

On the WX8 move the MAIN DIAL to the AP position and then press START
The AP light should now be flashing red quickly
In the Holman Home app choose the WX8 and then tap the pencil icon (top right). At the bottom of this screen choose REMOVE DEVICE, then *Disconnect
- If you accidentally press Disconnect and wipe data then you will reset your WX8 and lose all settings. It will be like setting up your WX8 from new
From the Home Screen press PLUS
Choose Garden Watering on the left side and then the WX8
Follow the instructions on the app to re-add the device
Once your WX8 has been re-added the AP light should be blue. On the WX8 remember to move the MAIN DIAL to the RUN position
If you’re having any issue getting into AP mode, or the light is stuck in purple/pink please contact us for further assistance.

General FAQs

Symptom	Suggestion
*WX8* cannot connect to *Holman* *Home*	When adding your *WX8* to *Holman Home: 1. Confirm your WX8* is powered ON 2. Confirm wifi AP on your *WX8* is flashing RED 3. Confirm both your *WX8* and smartphone are within Wi-Fi range 4. Make sure the network functions of your Wi-Fi router and smartphone are unblocked; firewalls can block certain ports 5. Confirm your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) has been entered correctly, including spaces. Note this is case sensitive 6. Confirm your Wi-Fi network password has been entered correctly 7. Confirm your *WX8* is connected to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network (not 5GHz), enable the broadcast and do not allow the Wi-Fi network to be hidden 8. Confirm your Wi-Fi router encryption method is WPA2-PSK and authentication type is AES, or both are set to automatic. 9. If the number of connected devices to the Wi-Fi has reached the amount limit (usually 16 to 50 devices), turn off other Wi-Fi devices and configure again 10. If your Wi-Fi router enables the MAC address filter, remove the device from MAC filter list and make sure the Wi-Fi router is allowing your *WX8* to be connected 11. Make sure that the Wi-Fi router has the DHCP service enabled. If it is not enabled, the address will be occupied. 12. If your modem features Wi-Fi 6, or you are using a mesh network, set up a 2.4gHz guest network for connection.
*WX8* was connected but wifi AP is now RED or OFF after mounting in desired position	This indicates a lack of Wi-Fi signal. You will need to move your *WX8* and Wi-Fi router closer to each other
wifi AP LED is OFF	Your *WX8* cannot connect; check your Wi-Fi router
wifi AP LED is RED	Your *WX8* cannot connect to the cloud server; check your internet connection as you will not be able to control watering with *Holman Home*
No LED lights on	No AC power, or a blown fuse or transformer. Check fuse and transformer output. Turn power on
Single zone not working	Faulty solenoid coil, or break in field wire. Check solenoid coil (a good solenoid coil should read around 33 on a multi meter). Test field cable for continuity. Test common cable for continuity
No automatic start	Setup error, rain sensor is wet, MAIN DIAL is in OFF position, or blown fuse or transformer. If unit works manually then check the setup, rain sensor status or MAIN DIAL position. If not then check the fuse, wiring and transformer is supplying 24V AC (measured on a multimeter)
Buttons not responding	Please contact our Customer Service team
Multiple zones watering at once	Possible faulty driver triac, incorrect field wiring or broken or lost common wire in field. Check wiring and swap faulty valve wires on the controller terminal block with known working ZONES. If the same outputs are still locked on, please contact our Customer Service team
Pump start relay chattering	Faulty relay or pump contactor. Find an electrician to check voltage on relay or contactor
Rain sensor not working	For third party sensors, this could be faulty wiring or sensor. Check rain sensor information on *Holman Home* and check the wiring on sensor. For our *EVIE* *Sensor, refer to the sensor manual provided for troubleshooting If the EVIE Rain Sensor* battery run flat while wet, the *WX8* will be locked in wet mode, disabling STARTS. *EVIE* must be fitted with new batteries, and read dry, to resume watering.
Test function not working	Test function will not work unless appropriate ZONES have RUN times allocated to STARTS A, B or C in *Holman* *Home*

Resources

For additional resources, please visit www.holmanindustries.com.au/wx8-wifi-irrigation-controller

Á Your WX8 is designed to be operated via your device with the Holman Home app. Without this, your WX8 will have limited functions

Always ensure you are running the latest version of Holman Home on your device to avoid limiting its functions
Additional resources are also available via the in app Help Centre. These can help with creating automations for your WX8. Automations can be used to water when a rain sensor is ‘wet’, or to create ‘Tap-to-Run’ short cuts. Data from Holman Home weather stations can be also used for automations.
Automations rely on a consistent Wi-Fi signal strength of at least -70dBM (ideally -60dBm) – when signal is weak (-80dBm or lower) or intermittent automations may not work as expected.

Warranty

3 Year Replacement Guarantee
Holman offers a 3 year replacement guarantee with this product.
In Australia our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

As well as your statutory rights referred to above and any other rights and remedies you have under any other laws relating to your Holman product, we also provide you with a Holman guarantee. Holman guarantees this product against defects caused by faulty workmanship and materials for 3 years domestic use from the date of purchase. During this guarantee period Holman will replace any defective product. Packaging and instructions may not be replaced unless faulty.

In the event of a product being replaced during the guarantee period, the guarantee on the replacement product will expire 3 years from the purchase date of the original product, not 3 years from the date of replacement.
To the extent permitted by law, this Holman Replacement Guarantee excludes liability for consequential loss or any other loss or damage caused to property of persons arising from any cause whatsoever. It also excludes defects caused by the product not being used in accordance with instructions, accidental damage, misuse, or being tampered with by unauthorised persons, excludes normal wear and tear and does not cover the cost of claiming under the warranty or transporting the goods to and from the place of purchase.

Should you suspect your product may be defective and need some clarification or advice please contact us directly:

1300 716 188
services@holmanindustries.com.au

11 Walters Drive, Osborne Park 6017 WA

If you are certain your product is defective and is covered by the terms of this warranty, you will need to present your defective product and your purchase receipt as proof of purchase to the place you purchased it from, where the retailer will replace the product for you on our behalf.

We really appreciate having you as a customer,and would like to say thank you for choosing us.
We recommend registering your new product on our website. This will ensure we have a copy of your purchase and activate an extended warranty.

Keep up to date to with relevant product information and special offers available through our newsletter.
www.holmanindustries.com.au/product-registration/

FAQ

How do I pair the WX8 controller with the EVIE Sensor?
To pair the WX8 controller with the EVIE Sensor, follow these steps:

Access the sensor pairing option in the controller settings.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the pairing process.

What do I do if my controller is unable to restore after a power outage?
If your controller fails to restore after a power outage, follow these steps:

To reconnect, ensure the power supply is stable and restart the controller.

Documents / Resources

HOLMAN WX8 Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller [pdf] User Guide
WX8 Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller, WX8, Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller, Irrigation Controller, Controller

References

User Manual

HOLMAN WX8 Wi-Fi Irrigation Controller

Product Usage Instructions