GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Granity · 19-09-2012, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake

On Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:03:02 +0100, Timothy Murphy
wrote:

I've set up a Hozelock automatic watering system in a garden in Italy,
but it seems that after some months there is a small drip
where the timer is screwed onto the tap.

What is the best way of preventing this?

A guess - did you buy the unit in the UK and install in Italy? If so,
the chances are the Italian weather has proved too much for something
designed for the UK climate. Italy gets warmer and has different
temperature fluctuations.

A "small drip" indicates that either the plastic fitting or the rubber
seals have deteriorated. Brass fittings would be better but whether
the Hozelock system could be adapted to use them is something only you
can decide as only you can see the system in situ.

PTFE tape on the tap might be a solution. More drastic would be the
use of a mastic (silicon) seal but this would effectively glue the
system to the tap.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

You are not supposed to connect the timer directly onto the tap but use a short piece of hose between the two because of the vibration in the timer due to water flowing through the pressure reducing part of the system, I didn't discover this until I heard the vibration in the water pipe in the kitchen.
Mind you this was about 5 years ago so it may well have changed since then.