Many plant enthusiasts who use drip irrigation and micro irrigation in their landscapes and gardens know that one of the best ways to water plants with just the right amount of water is to use an electronic timer. Mister Landscaper has had various types of electronic timers over the years - each one adding more features as technology improved.
We are happy to announce that we have just added a new automatic water timer (Product Number: MLWT-TIMER). This timer comes fully loaded with tons of great features, which makes it much better than our previous model.
Just for comparison's sake, we listed some of the differences between our new timer and our old one so you can see for yourself if an upgrade would be worth it.
Our new timer can be set to the nearest minute, versus the old one, which was to the nearest hour.
Our new timer has a run time of 1 to 240 minutes, while the old timer could only run from 1 to 99 minutes.
Our new timer has 11 different watering cycles to choose from. The old timer had only 8 cycle choices.
Our awesome new timer has a manual run time of 5 minutes up to 240 minutes. Compare this to the old timer which only had a 30-minute option.
The new Mister Landscaper timer takes 2 AA batteries instead of the hard-to-find 9-volt blocks.
With the new timer, it is much easier to change the battery, with no screws to undo - unlike the older one in which two screws had to be removed.
One of the neatest features in the new timer is a rain delay setting. This allows you to delay 1, 2, or 3 days before a run cycle. The old timer did not have this feature at all, so it is a great add-on for sure.
All of the new features make this new electronic timer a definite plus in our drip irrigation and micro irrigation product line. It allows customers to set their watering times for their landscapes and gardens, then go about their lives, knowing that their gardens will get just the right amount of water they needs. The avid gardener could even go on a vacation and not have to get a garden sitter. Nice.
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
Timers/filters/etc come inside. never had a problem.
For this type of device, I would suggest you look at some of the commercial brands like weathermatic.com that has smart controllers and moisture sensors that can turn a timer on and off. Here is their link: http://weathermatic.com/index.cfm?page=SmartLine
Our timer is more for the convenience of being able to turn on micro sprays and drippers that are hooked up to an outdoor faucet using a battery operated timer under $39.
For the technology you want--and I agree is awesome, it just costs quite a bit more for the equipment, which, in my opinion, is totally acceptable.
Our rain delay is something you have to do manually. You would have to set the 1, 2, or 3 delay, then it would automatically delay the run time by that setting.
Hope that helps!
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
Yes, please bring this timer inside during the winter months!
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
Glad to hear it! Let us know what you think. We're sure you'll love it!
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
I'm no expert by any means, but I think the timer should connect directly to your spigot. Since the water spigot has to be continuously on (letting the timer control water flow to the garden), I would imagine the build-up of water pressure when the timer restricts water flow may possibly damage the connections over time between the spigot and the timer. Of course I could be completely wrong. Your garden sounds great, though!
guess my question was a bit unclear...wondering if you are using a pressure regulator with the drip/mister system now....is it still required with the timer as well?.........
I do use a pressure regulator to make sure I don't blow out anything. When I used soaker hoses before without a regulator, the water pressure would change whenever the water pump cut on and it often led to holes/blowouts in the soaker hoses.
I'm not sure about the construction of Mister Landscaper products, specifically, but other forums seem to all say "Regulators and Filters must not be installed on the line before a timer or valve as they may suffer damage if kept under constant water pressure."
A follow-up... I just saw this on the "Resolve Common Issues" page here on the Mister Landscaper website: "If the valve is mistakenly placed before a timer, and the system is not active, water will leak from the relief holes. Because a faucet must be left open for a timer to work, too much pressure is placed on the valve. If a timer is used, it must always be installed first. "
I sure hope you'll give our timer a try.
@mcsvtedu
Thank you so much for the compliment.
There are water pressure limits: 20 PSI minimum and 80 PSI maximum....You might want to take a look at the "What Goes on First" pdf. It's one of the downloads on website under support
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
You are correct!! Our products are not designed to be under water pressure 24/7 but the Timer is designed for this.
If you are using Drippers only, then we suggest using our 25 Psi pressure regulator MLD-25PR, and if using Micro Sprays we suggest the 50 PSI regulator MLA-58.
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
Almost correct.. Regulators and Filters must be installed after the timer or valve so they are not under constant pressure.
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
I'll pass on your suggestion!
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager
I'll pass on your suggestion!
Daphne
MrL Blog Manager