Re: [gardeners] Re: Troubleshooting the water timer
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 06 May 1999 08:53:34 -0500
Bob Kirk wrote:
> > A friend gave me an electric timer for hose set ups, one that he
> > said didn't work anymore. A little trouble shooting showed me a small
> > resistor needed replacing so did that.
> >
> Aha, the old "sacrificial resistor," like the one that they were always
> rumored to have engineered into TI (Texas Instruments) calculators - which
> rule, so don't any non-technical types whose kid is looking for one get the
> wrong idea....
> Sounds like something Better Homes(R) would put in their Wal-Mart timers
> except I've already figured out their particular planned obsolescence scheme
> involves the cheesy plastic clock gears that activate the valve, and can't
> imagine they'd have been willing to pay (read charge) more for a backup
> system.
This wasn't a Better Homes(R) timer. If it had been I would have just tossed it.
Bought a Better Homes spray nozzle for the hose once, one of those you dial the
spray you want into it. Lasted about two uses and started coming apart. Don't
think they were designed to take the pressure of our water system or any
pressure above about 10 psig.
George, who also repairs washing machine timers on occasion.