Save Money with a Water Timer
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
In San Antonio, we are on water restrictions. In fact, I can’t think of a time recently when we weren’t under water restrictions. Our aquifer is at 638 above sea level. The highest it’s been is 703, but that was back in 1991-1992, which was 35 years ago. So, managing your water to stay within limits and keeping your grass alive is a hard line to follow. And that’s why I wanted to talk about timers.
About 2 years ago, I set my sprinkler out in my back yard, went to turn the water on during my watering day at 7pm. I then went back inside the house, started cooking dinner, settled down for a really good movie, and then fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up and stumbled my way into the kitchen to fix a cup of coffee. Well, my home is a garden home, so it’s small. And if you have water on, you can usually hear it inside the house. And once I realized … yes, you are hearing water running, I remembered that I had turned the water on the previous evening. It was then that I decided I needed a timer for my outdoor faucet. It was especially drilled home when I received my water bill.
So, when I started looking at timers in my store, I was blown away by all the different timers that we have. We have 7-day timers, 2 station timers, and one that you can control with your phone. All of those require batteries. I wanted something simple. We have a mechanical water timer that works like a simple egg timer that you might use in the kitchen. I attached it to my outdoor faucet, attached my hose, and then placed my sprinkler right where I wanted. Then I turned the timer for 15 minutes, turned on the water, and then went inside my house. And sure enough, it was about an hour before I thought about the water. Went outside, water was off, and I had not watered too long or wasted any water. So, I moved my hose to the next area I wanted to water and went about my business, knowing that my timer had my back.
If overwatering is a problem for you, I recommend a simple water timer. The one I used was a Do It Best model, and it costs less than $16.00 and doesn’t require batteries or a college degree to set the time.
Now to the email……
Question: I inherited this little table that I love because it holds so many memories of my grandmother. I want to use it in my bedroom, where I have my morning coffee. However, it has been used a lot, and there is a piece missing from the leg. I guess I could just turn the leg to face the back so you wouldn’t see it, but I want to honor my “Grammy” and fix it like it was for her. Is there a simple way to do that?
Answer: Sure, it might take a couple of steps and a few products, but I promise it will be simple. Place your piece on a table at a good working level. Clean the leg area to be repaired with paint thinner on a rag. Then use a wood repair epoxy. There are many, but for what you are going to do, I would suggest JB Weld KwikWood. It comes in a small cigar-shaped container. Open the container and, wearing gloves, pinch off a small amount. You will notice that the outer edge is dark and the inner core is light. Kneed it together until the color is uniform. Apply the putty and place it firmly into place. After 60 minutes you can sand. It can be stained and then varnished. If you have any questions, call me at the store.
Question: We are going to have a new toilet installed. And I want to use the caulk that you said will not mildew. Also, can I use this caulk in the bathtub area?
Answer: The caulk you want available for the installer is Sashco Clean Seal. It will not mildew. It comes in a smaller tube size that will be perfect for the toilet area. Just purchase 2 tubes, 1 for the toilet and 1 for the tub. You will never have a mildew problem.