Manufacturer and product safety

Manufacturer: Stemp Systems, owner Tobias Stemp, Büchlbergerstraße 12, 94121 Salzweg, Germany, support@stemp-systems.de

Product: HydroCommander, model HC-4 — automatic watering for four zones with Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz). Set of control unit, 12 V plug-in power supply, four soil moisture sensors, four water distributors, hose and accessories; pictured above. The model and serial number are on the rating label on the underside of the device.

Safety information — all warnings from the user manual, condensed:

• Use: The device pumps clean, cold tap water or rainwater from an open, unpressurized container to potted plants and beds, for household use, indoors and outdoors; only the device itself must be protected from rain. Not permitted: any other liquid (such as fertilizer solutions, pesticides, cleaning agents, oils, solvents, food, or warm or hot water), drinking water, food processing, animals and aquariums, connection to a pressurized water line, modifications to the device, and repairs not carried out according to our instructions.
• ⚠️ Warning — electric shock and fire: Place the power supply and the outlet where they cannot get wet — never below the water container or the hoses. Use only the supplied power supply or an original replacement, only in dry indoor locations, plugged into an easily accessible outlet protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI; in Europe: residual current device, RCD, 30 mA). Do not cover the power supply and do not operate it inside closed containers. Touch the power supply and plug only with dry hands, and always pull the power supply itself, never the cable. Unplug the power supply before working on the device, the hoses or the sensors. Do not use a damaged device, power supply, cable or plug, and do not use a device again if water has entered it. Do not open the device on your own.
• ⚠️ Warning — water damage: If the water level in the container is higher than the device, water flows through the device even when no pump is running, and the container can drain completely. Always place the device above the maximum water level of the full container, and check the height again whenever you move the device or the container. After setting up and after every change, check all push-fit connections for leaks during a test run and keep an eye on the system for the first 24 hours. When you are away, operate the system only where escaping water cannot cause damage.
• ⚠️ Caution — pumps start automatically, also at night and while you are away. Before working on the system, switch on Maintenance mode or unplug the power supply. Never point open hose ends at people, animals or electrical equipment.
• ⚠️ Caution — children: This appliance can be used by children aged from 8 years and above and persons with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge if they have been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the appliance in a safe way and understand the hazards involved. Children shall not play with the appliance. Cleaning and user maintenance shall not be made by children without supervision. Close supervision is necessary when the device is used by or near children. Keep packaging material and small parts away from children — risk of suffocation and choking. Secure open water containers against access by small children.
• Avoiding property damage: The device is not weatherproof — protect it from rain, splashing water and frost, and operate it at 5 to 40 °C (41 to 104 °F). Place it on a stable, level surface, not on radiators or other heat sources, and do not place objects on it. Route hoses and cables so that nobody can trip over them and nothing gets kinked or pinched. Suction height at most 3 m (10 ft), discharge height at most 3.5 m (11 ft). Do not clean the device with solvents or abrasive cleaners and never rinse it with water.
• Water and hygiene: The pumped water is not drinking water. Algae and germs develop in open containers: clean the container regularly, rinse the suction filter and empty the system before longer breaks.
• Residual risks: Water escapes if a connection comes loose. In a power failure, with an empty container or a clogged filter, the plants are not watered; sensors that are placed wrongly or dirty give incorrect readings. Check the system after every change and before longer absences — the device does not replace regular checks of your plants, the system and the water supply.

The complete user manual comes with every device and is available as a PDF at hydrocommander.com/en/anleitung.

Updates: You receive software updates for the device and the app, including security updates, free of charge for at least five years from delivery of the device, and for devices from the Kickstarter campaign at least until December 2032. The device and the app show new versions; an update is installed only when you start it. Without a Wi-Fi connection, the device shows no update notices.

Your readings stay with you. HydroCommander stores readings, histories and settings on the device; the app reads them on your Wi-Fi. No readings reach us unless you switch on remote access via the cloud. You can view everything on the display and in the app, export it as CSV or PDF, retrieve it through the local interface or via MQTT, and delete it with “Factory reset”. What exactly is recorded, where it is stored and for how long: “Device data” sheet.

Repair & spare parts ·Device data ·Manual (PDF)