Hi Scott,

Netro's algorithm is based on expert gardening knowledge, one of which is to avoid watering equally everyday and instead to water less frequently but deeply. Netro waters your garden only when the soil is dry enough in order to draw more oxygen into the roots, leading to a lusher landscape. By default, we allow the moisture level to deplete to a low level (recommended by EPA) before next watering and that is why you might see longer watering duration than the original settings on your old controller.

To reduce watering, you can choose "eco" mode through settings->zones->specific zone number->smart zone-enabled->Mode.

Thanks,
Netro Support