Episode: #9 28/10/2006
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

Using water efficiently in the home garden is a major challenge for most of us but thankfully there are a lot of different ways and new technology products arriving that make it easier to achieve.

Research has proven that using water timers or computer controllers for automatic irrigation is both water efficient and the most effective way to deliver water to your plants. The problem is the fact that they don?t automatically switch themselves off when rain arrives and that can mean over watering leading to unnecessary waste. Research has shown that turning irrigation systems off when raining and immediately there after can save 20% more water again

That is why rain sensors are such a good idea. Usually mounted on the gutter they detect rainfall and turn the clock or tap timer off. Switching it back on when moisture has dried to an extent that the soil needs replenishing. The trouble is whilst they are a great idea you would normally having had to have purchased a professional product that can be expensive and require an electrician to install.

Thanks to good old Australian ingenuity a leading Aussie manufacturer called Holman Industries, has developed a cost effective rain sensor that can be installed at home to a controller or even a tap timer. The good news is you can do it yourself and it is easy.

The sensor is mounted to the gutter. It has 5 different settings designed to cater for different climatic conditions and soil types. The gutter mounting is simple, you just need a ladder and there is 7.5m of multi-strand cable which simply plugs into the controllers base.

The Holman range of controllers which includes professional standard computers with as many as 16 stations as well as simple 2 dial tap timers all have the adaptation for the rain sensor.

If you don?t have an irrigation system and you have a small garden then using a tap timer is a good way to go. They have the ability to start on your nominated watering day, can start multiple times during the day and are simple to programme. Most importantly your plants don?t miss out on a drink when they need it but they are not watered unnecessarily either which can actually be a bigger problem.

For more information drop into your local irrigation or hardware store.

Holman Industries
http://www.holmanindustries.com.au/

Perth Warehouse & Factory Head Office
463 Scarborough Beach Road.
Osborne Park. Western Australia 6017.
P.O. BOX 1538. Osborne Park. WA 6916.
Phone: +61 8 9204 1011
Fax: +61 8 9204 1013

Melbourne Office & Warehouse
94 Northgate Drive
THOMASTOWN VIC 3074