hose timers: the stupidest question imaginable? am I missing something

8 years ago

SO I am a new gardener, and establishing a lawn (quite late in the season, but I did it all myself and underestimated how long it would take to amend the soil, grade, etc.). As such, I'm watering lightly several times a day.

I'm going out of town for about four days and want to make this as easy as possible for my friend to maintain. Thinking about getting a cheap hose timer: battery operated or not, but nothing "smart" or anything.

One thing that I don't understand and I haven't seen addressed wherever I've looked is how the water is turned on. That is, do I have to leave the tap running? I assume there is overflow. Unless you get some complicated unit (think maybe Rube Goldberg), how does the water turn on and off?

This is especially important because I'm in a rental situation where I have no outdoor tap. Running a hose from my kitchen faucet, out the window, around the house, and to my rotary sprinkler. An overflow would be a complete disaster (and probable grounds for eviction).

Could someone explain this to me like a five year old? :) What am I missing?

Also, if there are any good ones that are obtainable for ~$30 or less, that allow for multiple waterings a day, would love a brand suggestion.

Thank you!

Featured Answer

danielj_2009

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

The way a timer works is this: You thread the timer onto an outside faucet at the side of the house. The timer has usually one and sometimes two separate outlets that you can screw a garden hose onto. The garden hose leads to your oscillating sprinkler or whatever you have on the lawn. You turn ON the water at the outside faucet by opening the valve all the way. The timer prevents water from coming out until the timer programming calls for water. The battery powered actuator opens and allows water to flow as programmed.

I would NOT recommend trying to hook an adapter up to your sink and out the window while you are not home. You house pressure is probably upwards of 65 psi and it is very possible that a small leak could develop at the tap...leaking for 4 days and 4 nights. I wouldn't risk it. What kind of house doesn't have a hose bib outside? That sounds like something not built to code. Are you SURE there isn't one out there.

Second point. If I'm leaving for the entire summer (javiwa) I would similarly be very careful about leaving one of those units on for months at a time. First, at $30 they are built kind of cheap. I have one and used it for a new lawn, but I was home every day. Mine developed a leak that had to be fixed or it would have flooded the lawn. I also found that I had to adjust the program after a few days because it was too wet. I would only do what you are planning if I had a neighbor or friend who will check on things every couple of days.

Back to anoukq: How have you been watering your lawn with no hose bib (outside faucet)? Whatever you are doing, I would try to get your friend to do instead. He could possibly keep the lawn in OK condition by watering once a day thoroughly at minimum. Of course we don't know anything about your climate or type of grass so it is hard to comment beyond that. If you are planting a cool season grass anywhere were summers are hot, you lawn might not make it through the summer anyway. Fall is a better time to seed, as you may well know.

Bottom line: no way I'd leave my kitchen sink faucet on for 4 days without anybody in the house in case of a very possible problem.

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Comments (9)

weedmeister
8 years ago
I have two that go on the end of a hose bib. They have a valve in side that turns on and off with the timer.

I'm not aware of any that fit on the end of a kitchen faucet.
anoukq thanked weedmeister
javiwa
8 years ago
I hope I'm not misinterpreting one of OP's questions, as I'm considering a hose bib timer and was also wondering (will be headed out of town over the summer). Once everything's hooked up and the timer schedule is set up, I assume one must turn the water 'on' at the faucet/bib before leaving on vacation. The timer itself determines when the valves are opened to let the water through. Is this correct, weedmeister?
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anoukq
Original Author
8 years ago
Weedmeister: I had assumed one could hook it up to the faucet with an adapter, just as you can with a hose (or to a splitter, which has--I think--the same threading as a hose bibb)? Is that not the case?

And Javiwa, that's pretty much my question, too. :)
javiwa
8 years ago
Something like this or this? Best, I'd suppose, is to find a local hardware store that carries something similar so you can make sure it fits. Good luck.
weedmeister
8 years ago
Unless you find a model with the little magic hand that reaches out to turn on the faucet, you'll have to turn it on yourself before you go.
javiwa
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thanks for all the detail and advice, danielj. I'm not leaving for the entire summer -- two weeks at most. But your point about having someone monitor is well taken. I actually plan on attaching the timer to a micro-irrigation set up just to water a few potted plants, and will run a 'tester' week once I get it up and running (once I find all the parts -- I don't want to buy a kit, only to find that I won't need 1/2 the parts).
anoukq
Original Author
8 years ago
thanks, danielj. it's an old house, at least by Portland Oregon standards, and it might be zoned to not require a backyard hook up because it's a historical landmark. what I've done basically is just run the hose through the window, around the side of the house, tied it up with zip ties, and la la, it's been very easy. I'm actually getting a splitter to make it even easier since two months of digging clay soil and amending it has possibly giving me arthritis here.

your explanation is clear to me now and yeah, it's totally out of the question to have a timer like that on the kitchen faucet so that's what I really needed to know. and as luck would have it, my best friend lives in apartment upstairs. I'm just concerned because I started so late in the season and it will be mid July so I want to make sure that it gets watered even if he forgets for a day or something. though I will emphasize with him that he may not forget LOL.

thanks, very helpful.
Steve
8 years ago
Simplest and cheapest is a hose end timer. Orbit model # 56158 has hose end attachments at each end. If you already are able to attach a garden hose to your faucet you should be able to attach this timer there.