Recommendations for Outdoor Water Timer

[Abja Roots]

I'm setting up an outdoor crop this year and was interested in hearing how people automated there watering systems for their plants.

I have a large water storage tank with plain water. It has a 1" Poly tube coming out of a manual brass valve at the base. This tube is run down to the garden. When it reaches the garden it's split into separate sections for the different parts of the garden. There are three tiers to the garden since the area is decently sloped. For each tier there is a Red shut off valve on either side of the split, since the main line is run down the middle of the garden.

The line goes from 1" for the main to 3/4" for the plants to a 1/2" drip line with pressure regulators built into it setup as a ring around each plant.

Ideally I'd like to have a solar timer, but powered is not completely out of the question. It seems like most of what I'm seeing is made for a garden hose style connection. I'd like something which is 1", otherwise I'll have to buy a few of them, which is also not out of the question. If they're 3/4" I can place them off the T's to the 3/4" from the 1" main. I'd need 6.

Any recommendations, advice, or tips would be appreciated.

 

[Abja Roots]

I saw something like this.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...alogId=10053&catEntryId=100006711&R=100006711

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-Battery-Operated-Timer-with-Valve-57860/202694591#.Uc-LPcVfv0U

 

[robogro]

hey Abja Roots, if you have electricity use a sprinkler system timer system, if is remote then use the garden hose/battery type. I've use the garden hose/battery type for several remote grows and had no problems and with your volume of water the manifold thing would work great.

cheers

 

[BobLoblaw]

hey Abja Roots, if you have electricity use a sprinkler system timer system, if is remote then use the garden hose/battery type. I've use the garden hose/battery type for several remote grows and had no problems and with your volume of water the manifold thing would work great.

cheers

Hey robo, which ones are you using specifically? I've been using these:
http://www.orbitonline.com/products/Timers/01/01/14/1960/

but recently found that they get stuck open if water pressure is too low. I'm using a gravity fed system and once one of my tanks gets low these dont close...but they work fine with a full tank and higher pressure.

abja, as long as your pressure is good, these ones should work fine and are available at home depot and wal mart.