Weatherproof "button"
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From: D Yuniskis on 6 May 2010 17:23 Joerg wrote: > D Yuniskis wrote: > > [...] > >> As stated elsewhere, I'll bury the sensor *in* the wall above >> the "faucet" and let the magnet drape over it. I'll nudge >> the magnet out of the way to "call for water" (i.e., "UNpush" >> the "button") and let it fall back into place (gravity -- no >> springs needed, etc.). Even if the magnet gets "stuck" >> out of place, the controller won't care as it can act on >> "transitions" and not "state". > > Now if you are willing to bust into the wall that makes things easier. I already had to in order to mount the "new" bibs. Since I wasn't limited to *having* to put them in the exterior walls of the house (as is most commonly the case), I took advantage of putting them out a bit further into the yard so we could get better coverage with shorter hoses (since the hoses eventually need to be "stored"). This also keeps water away from the house/foundation (unlike faucets mounted on the exterior of the house). And, keeps the running water noises "out" of the house! > We have a switch on the inside at one spot, can be set from within the > house to do nothing (it's default) or trigger this or that. On the > outside you see nothing, just wall. But one spot on the outside wall can > be pressed down a bit to push the switch via a rod in the back. It > doesn't get much more unobtrusive than that, there is no way it can be > seen because it blends perfectly into the wall features. The switch can > never see any harsh weather either. > > And no, I am not going to say where it is :-) My folks put shutoffs for the outside water *in* the house when the house was built. Never really understood why (water is plentiful, there). I've had to take some measures to keep standing water *out* of the vertical rises of the pipes to safeguard against freeze damage (the irrigation lines automatically drain when I turn off the master valve so there is no water above freeze line). Perhaps that was the reason for my parents' shutoffs (though I can never remember them being turned off in preparation for winter!)
From: Joel Koltner on 6 May 2010 17:23 "D Yuniskis" <not.going.to.be(a)seen.com> wrote in message news:hrvaud$i34$1(a)speranza.aioe.org... > <grin> I refuse to *own* one -- and the land line is never > answered. I don't like folks bothering me at *their* convenience! Do you at least have an answering machine? The logical extent of no one ever answering their phones is that we'd just all leave voicemails for one another, at which point I expect you might be better off with e-mail... or even Twitter... :-)
From: Joerg on 6 May 2010 17:33 D Yuniskis wrote: > Hi Joerg, > > Joerg wrote: >> D Yuniskis wrote: >> >>> I use a WiFi PDA to do that -- no need to rely on the phone >>> company for it's delivery! :> But, I don't want to have >>> to carry it with me all the time -- *especially* when out >>> in the yard. >> >> Then you are probably too old. > > Without a doubt! :> > >> So am I. Youngsters carry their portable electronic gizmos with them >> all the time. I'll never understand that. > > Can you spell "lonely"? ;) > > I also can't imagine any sort of portable device standing > up to the sort of abuse it would experience if I carried it > on my person all the time. E.g., felling trees, digging holes, > doing carpentry, etc. My eyeglasses have *glass* lenses > because plastic ones scratch in no time at all (my glass > lenses actually have deep scratches in them, presently) > Where can one get non-prescription "magnifier" type glass-lens eyeglasses? The Dollar-store or Costco kind. I just need 1.5x to 3.5x, depending on whether reading or soldering 0402 stuff. So far mine are all plastic and yeah, they do scratch quickly. Scratches are ok for my lab bench SMT glasses but not for the weaker ones I use during CAD work. >> Where's my cell phone right now? Oh, alright, in the nightstand. > > <grin> I refuse to *own* one -- and the land line is never > answered. I don't like folks bothering me at *their* convenience! > And, I prefer communications where both parties *think* about > what they are saying (instead of just "immediately responding"... > like in a voice conversation). Wow, you are more hardcore than I am. I do answer every landline call when I am here, no screening. Except during meals, bible study or prayer but then we call right back. Cell phone, that's only on during travel, walks or hiking. I held out until about four years ago, finally needed one for business. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 6 May 2010 17:35 D Yuniskis wrote: > Hi Joerg, > > Joerg wrote: >> D Yuniskis wrote: >>> Hi Joseph, >>> >>> JosephKK wrote: >>>>> Controlling the duration, etc. is easy -- it's just another >>>>> "channel" on the irrigation controller. The tough part is >>>>> providing a means ("button") for the user to tell the >>>>> controller, "please begin irrigation cycle for circuit X". >>>> >>>> On mine it is just go to the irrigation controller, turn the knob, >>>> push a >>>> few buttons, and return the knob to the normal operation position. The >>>> new uC based irrigation controllers can be very nice to use. Spend >>>> 20 X >>>> as much and control it from your home PC as well. >>> >>> The "user interface" for my home automation controls is a >>> touchpanel (actually, there are several of them) -- located >>> *in* the house. I have a WiFi PDA that I can use to access >>> it from "wherever" -- but, that means carrying the PDA with >>> me to any of those "wherevers". >>> >>> For common things like "I just planted this shrub/tree", it's >>> easy to just pick a predefined schedule and install it for >>> that "irrigation circuit" (i.e., the hose running *to* that >>> new planting). >> >> We just hang a hose to the next drip system loop, with an excess of >> flag drippers at the new plant and later when the roots have caught >> reduce that number. > > I plumb however many flags are required for the plant's > "mature size". Put lengths of 1/4" poly on the ends of the > emitters to get the water to the (freshly-planted-size) > root ball (these can gradually be "rotated" outward as the > roots get established -- until they can eventually be removed > entirely). > > But, fresh plantings need water *every* day (most of the zones > here run once or twice a week -- except for the hanging > plants that get a shot twice each *day*!). Rather than > changing the schedule for everything in that zone, it's > easier to just drag a hose over for "supplemental irrigation" > for these first two weeks. Putting an electric valve in series > with it saves me the trouble of turning it on every day for > those first few weeks (then every *other* day, etc.) > With all the planting you guys are doing it might make sense to run a separate "new plantings only" zone and then tap from there :-) >>> For other things like "I need to use water to wash my utensils", >>> I just want to be able to push a button *there* (where the water >>> is located) and get the water that I want. >> >> When I wash my utensils I try to remember to turn the hose bib back >> off when done :-) > > Yes, but you don't have to "do something special" to get water > *to* that bib to begin with! :> Can you just leave the master valve energized the whole time while working in the yard? -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 6 May 2010 17:38
D Yuniskis wrote: [...] > My folks put shutoffs for the outside water *in* the house > when the house was built. Never really understood why > (water is plentiful, there). > A neighbor found out the hard way why that would have made sense: Vandals connected a hose, shoved it through a roof vent, turned it on and hightailed it. Major damage, water was running out of the front door. [...] -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM. |