DIY 3-Zone Smart Irrigation with Tasmota and a Washing Machine Valve

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My DIY irrigation controller ran flawlessly for three years on ESPHome, but my garden outgrew it. After splitting the drip irrigation system into three zones, a single valve could no longer deliver enough water pressure to the higher parts of the yard. In this video, I upgrade the controller to drive a three-way washing machine valve using an optically isolated four-channel relay board and a NodeMCU ESP8266. I also switch the firmware from ESPHome to Tasmota so each zone can be watered independently.

You will see how to tear down an existing controller and rewire it for multiple relays, why an optically isolated relay board removes the need for a transistor switching circuit, and which NodeMCU pins (D1, D2, D6) are safe to use for relays so they do not trigger at boot. I cover flashing Tasmota on an ESP8266, configuring a Generic module with inverted relays, and setting up ADC temperature on the analog pin for an NTC thermistor probe. There is also an important note on working with 220V mains voltage and a safer 12V DC valve alternative if you want to replicate this smart irrigation build.


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Links and Resources
NodeMCU ESP8266 Board: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4PZVB9L
NodeMCU ESP32 Board: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3J4jFs1
4-Channel Optically Isolated Relay Board: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4S60ke1
3-Way Washing Machine Solenoid Valve: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4oeAkA1
NTC Thermistor Probe: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c2ulFNZF
Cable Glands: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c3npQogd
Previous Video (HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor with Tasmota on NodeMCU): https://youtu.be/9simFNsFohA
Tasmota Firmware: https://tasmota.github.io/docs/

Written Article:
https://www.tastethecode.com/diy-multi-zone-drip-irrigation-with-tasmota-and-an-isolated-relay-board
Instructable: https://www.instructables.com/Tasmota-Irrigation-Controller-Build-With-a-NodeMCU/

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Canon M50 Mark ii - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msvmkJ0
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Tripod - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Eynn5TP
Phone tripod mount - https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oDTOzCe


DIY 3-Zone Smart Irrigation with Tasmota and a Washing Machine Valve
#Tasmota #irrigation #ESP8266 #NodeMCU #homeautomation #smartgarden #DIYelectronics #relay #dripirrigation #smarthome #automation #maker #gardentech #ESPHome #TasteTheCode


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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:51 Why One Zone Was Not Enough
01:40 Altium Develop
02:41 The Optically Isolated Relay Board
03:11 Mains Voltage Warning and 12V Alternative
05:40 Removing the Old Relay Circuit
08:04 Wiring the New Signal Cable
09:14 Safe NodeMCU Pins: D1, D2, D6
13:38 Installing and Configuring Tasmota
15:51 Installing It in the Backyard
17:12 Testing All Three Zones
18:34 Final Thoughts

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