Rain Shut Off Devices for Automatic Lawn Sprinkler Systems

Automatic sprinkler system controllers are programmed to go on and off on a certain day and at a certain time. The controller does not know if it is sunny and dry outside or raining. For this reason every lawn sprinkler system should have a rain sensor.

The rain sensor determines whether or not enough rainfall has occurred in order to skip an irrigation cycle. There are three basic types of rain sensors. They all serve the same purpose: keeping your system from over-watering the turf or your garden. How does it do that? The electrical connection between the sensor and your sprinkler system controller is interrupted when a certain amount of rain triggers the device. The sensor breaks the electrical connection so that electricity cannot flow to either the sprinkler valves or to a pump start (if your system is on a well without a pressure tank).

One type breaks the connection by weighing the water in a rainfall collection cup. The problem with this type is that leaves, sticks, or the occasional lizard will find its way into the collection cup and therefore turning off the system.

The next type uses electrodes to determine how much water is in the collection cup. This kind of rain sensor device also has a system problem of collecting things other than rainfall in the collection cup.

The most common type of rain sensor used by professionals is the expansion disk device. This kind of sensor does not use a collection cup; instead rainfall causes cork disks to expand. This device uses a pressure switch to break the electrical connection. These can be adjusted in increments of to the desired rain fall setting. This adjustment is usually set to turn off the sprinklers after of rain has fallen.

The most important aspect of installing a rain sensor is where to place it. It should be installed in an area that is unobstructed by trees, roof over hangs, or anything else that might block rain from getting to the sensor. If it is a wired sensor, placement is generally near the sprinkler controller. The wires should be connected inside the controllers valve wiring panel. This allows for easier electrical trouble-shooting of the system as the sensor can be easily disconnected.

In the last few years, FM wireless rain sensors have become very popular. Although they are more expensive than the wired devices, the ease of installation and increased placement options offset the cost. Most wireless units come with by-pass switches built into the device. Some digital controllers also offer by-pass options for both wired devices and wireless rain sensors.

No matter the type of rain sensor type that you choose, all rain sensors offer many advantages over not adding this detector to your automatic sprinkler system. Some of the immediate and long term benefits include:
Saves Money. Whether you pay for city water or spend electricity running a pump, the money you save over time will more than pay for the rain sensor.
Extends Sprinkler system Life Span. Irrigation systems are made up of moving parts. If the system parts are utilized less frequently (during the rainy season), they last longer.
Protects Water Resources. By limiting the over use of your sprinkler system, rain sensors reduce excess water run-off that carries fertilizers and pest control chemicals into our shared water supply.
Conserves Water. Less water is wasted when less supplemental water is needed for your turf and in your garden.

How much money can you save with a rain sensor device?

It will vary based on your water source (city, re-claim, or well) and where you live (water costs, electrical rate, climate). Here is one example that demonstrates the benefits listed above:
Seminole County, Florida.
system Description:
Designed to irrigate a quarter acre of grass and programmed to apply of water every time the system runs.
This schedule would equal 6,788 gallons per irrigation cycle.
This system (on City Water) pays $2.30 per thousand gallons.
Every time the rains sensor interrupts a sprinkler cycle, you would save $15.61

According to a recent study in Florida, the use of a rain sensor device averaged a 45% savings in water for single-family residential water usage.

The next time you see a sprinkler system running in the rain, you now know it doesnt have to be that way. Rain sensors are affordable solutions to conserving our water, protecting our water resources, and saving you money.

Craig Borglum CIC/CID/CLIA is a Certified and Licensed Irrigation Specialist in Central Florida. More information and articles on how-to irrigation solutions, click on sprinkler repair. A comprehensive Lawn Sprinkler Repair DVD is available at http://www.IrrigationRepair.com

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Choosing A Cruise

So, you want to go on a cruise! Its exciting, its fun and its your way of enjoying the great life. But how do you make the choice of where to go, when and with whom? There are so many choices with respect to cruising nowadays that it can be very confusing. Here are a few tips to consider helping you decide which cruise is right for you.

Listed below are few examples of the types of cruise you may wish to take:

1. Mediterranean cruise
2. caribbean cruise
3. an Alaskan cruise,
4. a cruise down the Amazon or Panama Canal
5. a Transatlantic ocean crossing
6. South Pacific or Hawaiian Island cruise
7. River cruises (the fjords in Norway, the Danube in Europe, the Nile in Egypt, the Mississippi in United States)
8. Polar cruises to see the penguins in the Antarctic
9. Russian waterways cruises
10. Galapagos Island cruises
11. New Zealand or Australia

Each can be very appealing but are also very different.

1. The first thing to consider in taking one of these cruises is when you want to gothe time of the year can dictate the type of cruise. Some cruise ship lines do not offer cruises to the Mediterranean in the winter months, but transfer their ships to the warmer waters of the caribbean. Alaskan cruises only run in certain months also due to weather conditions. Ocean crossing cruises (Transatlantic) take place only as the seasons change so that cruise ship companies can reposition their ships to match the high seasons tourist industry.

2. You also have to decide on the length of your cruise. A typical choice is a 7-night cruise, but you can take cruises from 3-4 nights to over a month in length, or more. The length of your vacation time available may limit you, but taking a cruise for the first time may also be a consideration. Limiting your cruise to a manageable shorter cruise may help you decide whether a longer cruise at another time may be more advisable. In other words, do you get seasick? Do you like the variety of visiting different ports? Do you wish to simply stay at one destination and relax? Do you like the busy atmosphere of the many activities on a ship?

3. Next, the ports that you wish to visit can be a great part of which cruise is the right choice for you. Have you always wanted to visit Tortugas, the Bahamas or Cayman Islands? Here is your chance to get a taste of it. Make sure that one of your chosen destinations is on your cruise itinerary, and there are endless choices of various itineraries available. Cruises are great ways to experience various places. Then you can decide which destination you would like to see more of on a future vacation.

4. Another consideration in choosing a cruise is the amount of time you wish to be At Sea. For a Transatlantic voyage you are at sea for many days at a time, which limits you to being within the confines of the ship at all times. This can be a bonus if you dont want the hustle and bustle of visiting different ports, but it can also be a downside if you want a lot of variety on your vacation. Some cruises offer very little time at sea, being in a different port every day, and this flurry of activity can be too overwhelming for some vacationers. I would recommend a bit of bothfor a 7-night cruise a good happy medium would be 2 days at sea with the other days stopping at various ports of call.

5. Once you have narrowed down your choice of cruise to when and where you wish to visit, the next hardest choice is the cruise line and size of ship you want to use. The size of ship can dictate the cruise line, as some cruise lines offer significantly larger ships than others. Some cruise lines only use smaller, more intimate ships for smaller groups of people. Other cruise lines offer huge ships with passengers in the thousands. You must decide whether you like a small personal touch or like the larger groups. (We found that even on a larger ship, there were still areas where we could go to get away from the crowds. Crowding on the huge ships was not a problem at all.)

6. Fitting the cruise line to your individual personality is perhaps the most important factor in determining your cruise enjoyment. There are many different types of ship lines that cater to varying personalities. Of course, the disney Cruise Line caters to families, but others such as Carnival Cruises cater to more of a party atmosphere for adults, or Norwegian focuses on a more conservative group. Discuss with your travel agent which cruise line fits you best. Cruise lines also offer themed or special interest cruises, such as an art collectors cruise, golfers cruises or culinary class cruises. These may be great to fit in with the interests in your life-style.

7. Once you have found the best itinerary for you on the cruise line that suits your personality, at the best time of year for you, there are still other choices you need to make. Some cruise lines offer freestyle cruising, which simply put means that you dont have a set dinner time at a set table, but you can choose to eat whenever you wish. On most cruises, however, you have a preset dinner time at an assigned table. You can choose an early dinner (usually around 6-6:30) or a later dinner time (7:30-8:00). In choosing your dinner time, take into consideration your off-ship excursions. You dont want to have to rush back from your shore excursion just to get back in time for dinner. You also usually have a choice of how many people you wish to sit with (usually from 4 to 8 -10 people at a table.) Our travel agent suggested a table of 8 on our cruiseshe stated that if you were at a table for 4 and you didnt get along with the other couple you were stuck, but a table for 8 offered more chance of finding congenial soul-mates.

8. Shore excursions can also be a major part of your cruise experience. There are many different shore excursion packages available, from visiting butterfly farms, swimming with dolphins, exploring ancient ruins, to snorkelling or scuba diving. Of course, if you wish you do not need to go on any shore excursions. You can simply choose to stay on-board and take advantage of the ships amenities, or you can simply walk around and visit or shop in the port-of-call.

Choosing a cruise can seem overwhelming, but the main point is to suit the cruise to what you want to get out of the experience. If you want a whirlwind of activity choose a party cruise line with that in mind. If you want a more relaxed atmosphere, choose more time at sea. If you want to sample various cultures, choose a destination-rich cruise. Different types of cruises offer at of those things, and more. Hopefully the above has given you an idea in the choices you need to make to get the most enjoyment out of your cruise. Happy cruising!

To read travel reviews on various locations mentioned in this articles, visit: www.vacationtravelquest.com.

Denny Phillips writes about what she loves - travelling, cooking and art. To read more articles by Denny, visit: http://www.vacationtravelquest.com or http://www.goodcookingcentral.com.

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