Sometimes we go on trips and we are probably worried about who will water our house plants in our absence. Or maybe some friends have a garden or villa that is far from their home and watering the plants there is sometimes a hassle. Of course, we may not be one of these friends and instead we have beautiful and fresh plants at home that we want to be watered on a regular schedule and on time. If we are one of these groups, it seems that we need an automatic watering timer. But which one should we choose? This was a question that was on our minds in 2016, before we founded Smart Irrigation™. A watering timer that, first of all, has high quality construction. Because no one wants to see their plants damaged. But the price should also be reasonable. Apart from the price, there are other things. It should be easy to install and adjust. Even the timer should have a beautiful appearance. It should have various capabilities and programs for watering. It should not face problems when there is no electricity! And finally, there is one important issue: it should be waterproof. So we worked and researched for a long time. So far, we have reviewed more than 20 different American, German, Italian, English and Chinese systems and timers. We have visited famous and reputable websites that have timer rankings. In the end, we chose Orbit. And for one simple reason. Because it answered all our questions!
Orbit Irrigation Products, Inc., headquartered in Bountiful, Utah, USA, is a leading manufacturer and supplier of irrigation products for the residential and commercial markets and has been in business since 1986. Orbit’s core product line includes sprinklers, controllers, timers, misters, drip irrigation equipment, electric valves, nozzles and irrigation tools. Orbit distributes more than 2,000 types of products to 40 countries on 5 continents. The company’s factories are mostly located in China, with a few in Taiwan and one in the United States. As for the watering timers, all of them are manufactured in China and Taiwan, with the exception of the Wi-Fi model (B-Hyve). For more information, please visit Orbit company page on Wikipedia or visit Orbit Company Official Website.
The Orbit Buddy watering Timer has a 3/4-inch threaded inlet and a 3/4-inch threaded outlet. So installing this timer is very easy and does not require any special expertise or knowledge. In this video, you will see how to install the Orbit Buddy watering Timer between the tap and the hose.
Setting the watering program for the Orbit timer is very easy and is done in 5 steps. First, we set the current time, then we set the watering start time, then we set the watering duration, after that we select the watering intervals and finally, we set the hand to AUTO. In this video you will see how to set the watering program on the Orbit Buddy watering timer.
The Orbit Buddy watering timer works with 2 alkaline batteries. Its manufacturing technology and high quality of the timer mean that it will not need to be replaced for more than a year. So please remember, when a year has passed, replace the timer battery. That is, pull out the back door of the timer and replace the new batteries and tighten the door back in place. Our recommendation is to use alkaline batteries. The price difference between normal and alkaline batteries is very small and they are easily found in most stores and even supermarkets. Of course, you can also use the normal type, but we recommend using alkaline batteries due to their longer lifespan and more reliable performance. Also, please be careful to use standard (non-rechargeable) batteries and never use rechargeable batteries.
When you program the timer, all irrigations will be carried out according to the program, but if you would like to irrigate manually in addition to the program, this is possible. To do this, first make sure that the hand is on AUTO, then press the MANUAL button. Now you must use the positive and negative buttons to select a time between 1 and 240 minutes for the irrigation to be carried out. For example, if you select 20 minutes, then the irrigation will be carried out for 20 minutes. Once the irrigation has started, if for some reason you would like to stop the irrigation after a while, this is also possible. Just move the hand to OFF. You will see that the irrigation will be stopped. To re-enable the scheduled irrigations according to the usual program, set the timer hand to AUTO.
When it rains, it might be better to temporarily deactivate the timer. Because usually the water has reached the plants and trees enough and there is no need to water again from the timer. But how to temporarily deactivate the timer? To do this, first make sure that the timer hand is on AUTO. Then press the positive button. You will see that the number 12 appears. If we press the positive button again, the number 24 appears, and if we press it again, the number 36 appears. For example, if the number 36 appears and we release the timer, the timer will not have any activity for 36 hours and if it was supposed to run a watering turn, it will not run. After 36 hours, the timer will automatically activate and resume its activity. But one problem! We may regret after deactivating the timer and want to activate it again! Do we have to wait 36 hours!? Fortunately, no! Just set the hand to OFF and return it to AUTO mode. That’s it. The timer is activated again.
The Orbit watering timer is resistant to rain and snow. So don’t worry about rain and water penetrating the timer! However, our recommendation is to put a protector on it or install it in a place where rain does not fall on the timer. Of course, such a recommendation is only for your safety and greater confidence, otherwise the manufacturer never made this recommendation. However, based on our work experience, we have found that customers who protect the timer from rain and frequent sunlight, experience a longer lifespan. Especially in tropical regions where the midday sun is very scorching.
The Orbit Buddy timer has a metal filter (mesh) in its inlet. You may have question that how often must to clean the filter. It depends on the quality of the water in your city. If the water you use contains salts, it is better to clean the timer filter after a year. Of course, this is very easy. Just take out the timer filter located in the timer inlet, wash it with water, and put it back in place. Some colleagues install a separate filter before the timer inlet, which, by the way, in addition to being a very correct thing to do, you will no longer need to replace the timer’s internal filter. Of course, there is no sensitivity to this issue and there is really no need for a separate filter. But we must remember to clean the timer’s internal filter once a year. That is, remove the filter from the inlet and wash it with water so that if there is mud and small particles accumulated on it, it can be cleaned.
In some areas, water freezes completely in the winter and even reaches a temperature of minus 15 degrees. All automatic watering timers are sensitive to freezing water. That is, if the water freezes in your city in the winter, be sure to disconnect the timer from the tap and store it indoors. After the freezing period is over, reinstall the timer on the tap and hose. But what is the reason? Basically, when water freezes and becomes solid, any expansion and contraction of it causes damage to the internal solenoid valve of the timer and may even break it. Currently, all companies that manufacture watering timers have included a freezing symbol on their timer boxes and consider failure to observe it to void the device’s warranty.
The Orbit Buddy 1 outlet timer is produced in multiple model numbers, colors, and even different models. For example, model number 62061N is for the United States, or model number 94162 is for Europe and is an international model. In between, there are also different color schemes. Deep green, pale green, silver, and blue. For example, the same model 94162 is produced once in pale green and again in silver. There is no difference in the performance and quality of the different colors and models as far as we have researched and emailed. Even the 62061N model, which is only for the United States, is still produced in China. As we have previously told our friends, most American companies produce their products in China for various reasons, especially economic reasons. Usually, market players are well aware of this issue, and sometimes there is sensitivity to this issue among loved ones who are planning to buy American products and watering timers for the first time.
Yes. But provided that the water pressure inside the tank does not drop below 1.7 bar! This was the engineering answer to the question. But let’s make it clearer. Automatic watering timers have a solenoid valve inside. This solenoid valve opens and closes with the command of the timer’s electronic board, allowing or not allowing water to pass through. But the point is that the solenoid valve requires a minimum water pressure to operate. Of course, it is a very low pressure. But it is necessary! City water pipes always have the right pressure and water timers work well on them. Tanks, tankers and water barrels are also fine if they are continuously connected to the city water pipe, and the timer can be installed on them. Also, if the barrel or tanker is not connected to city water; we can solve the problem of lack of water pressure by installing an automatic pressure booster pump (automatic home water pump) before the timer input. In general, the Orbit Buddy timer operates in a water pressure range of 1.7 bar (25 psi) to 6.9 bar (100 psi).
Many friends ask the question: does the Orbit irrigation timer reduce the incoming water pressure or does it not change it? Or, for example, some friends ask how many trees can this timer water? To find the exact answer to this question, in addition to e-mails and Q&A with Orbit experts, we also did some practical work ourselves. Their result was that the Orbit watering timer Buddy model does not perform any function to reduce water pressure. In fact, the Orbit timer has a large and very high-quality solenoid valve inside, which in terms of pressure performance is no different from a regular yard valve! So we conclude that if the city water pressure in your place of residence is low, then the water output from the timer will also have low pressure, but if the water supply in your home or villa has high pressure (for example, 5 bars), the water output from the timer will also be high. In fact, using the Orbit timer to water your home trees is exactly the same as if you had used an extra valve! And using an extra valve usually does not reduce water pressure, so friends, don’t worry about it.
