Have you ever purchased a digital timer for your lawn and found that the best watering times seem to be set way too late in the day? If so, then you probably were disappointed by the results. Did you put in the time to enjoy your lawn while it was getting watered? The sad truth is that most people seem to forget about watering their lawn until they are standing under a pile of weeds trying to figure out how to get that pesky plant to grow properly. You know that feeling right? Trust me, it’s not very pleasant.
The reason why I say this is because there are two types of timers on the market today: battery operated and digital timer units. The difference between these two units is rather simple. The battery operated seem to work better when using shallow pools and for larger areas that need more frequent watering. The digital timers on the other hand seem to work the best for larger areas, such as a lawn.
How can you tell which of the two best watering timers to buy? The first thing that you should look for is an irrigation timer with an automatic orbit. These little guys are excellent at determining the exact amount of water that is needed for any given area of your lawn. If you have an irregular lawn you’ll find that an automatic orbit system will really help you determine the proper amount of water you need to give your lawn.
Now, if you don’t have an irrigation timer then your only real option for best watering timers is to purchase a link tap or a sprinkler timer with an automatic irrigation cycle. With a link tap, all you have to do is connect the hose to a timer that is either on a timer arm or on a link that extends itself throughout your lawn. No matter what style of sprinkler timer you decide to go with, however, one thing that you should remember is that you need a constant water source to make sure that your plants stay healthy. You also need a way for people to know when you water your lawn so you should always have a way to tell people when you need to water your lawn.
The best watering timers come with a large LCD screen and a large, easy to read, green back-lit dial for you to use with your hands for planning your watering schedule. What you should look for in a large LCD screen is one with large clear letters and numbers so you can read them easily and quickly. If the water pressure drops, the numbers will show it so you can adjust the settings accordingly. Having a large LCD screen that you can read is important because of the large font on the liquid-filled reservoirs.
There are three basic types of timers on the market. There is the traditional manual over-watering timer, the automatic under-the-sink or undersink watering timer, and the tank-less or solar-powered lawn irrigation timer. Most automatic timers can monitor the sprinkler system and adjust their timing based on the amount of water in the tanks. Manual over-watering timers can be set to turn on as soon as someone walks through the door, set to come on for 15 minutes, and then turn off after they are done walking. They might have a timer that turns on automatically at certain times during the day, such as when the sun is at its peak.
Your tank-less or solar-powered hoses should have a long hose to allow for a good flow rate of water. A longer hose helps prevent over-watering. If you are buying an automatic timer, check how far it goes up to the faucet to make sure that it will reach your garden safely. Make sure the hose timer includes an alarm, if possible, so you know when it’s time to empty your tank. An under-the-sink or undersink hose timer is a little cheaper than a tank-less timer, but you need to run water for a longer distance. If you have a hose timer with a sump, make sure that you keep the depth of the sump sufficient to allow water to drain from your hose, as this can cause the timer to malfunction.
Check to see what type of timer will give you the best overall watering time and setting. Some timers adjust their watering cycle by adjusting the water pressure. Other timers work more mechanically, for example, by adjusting the adjustment knob. Timers will allow you to choose a range of watering depths. You might want a timer with a light that you can see, or a timer that displays the current time and depth of water. You might also consider a timer with timer safety that turns off the system when someone approaches the water fountain or sprinkler head.
