►FLUSHED!!!!◄ Idiot Alert

[Ray]

OK, so being pretty handy, and traveling on occasion, I hooked up a lawn sprinkler timer to open a solenoid valve and overhead drench the plants while I'm away. While I was at it, I rigged an RF remote control so I can do that if I'm too lazy to get out to the greenhouse and hand water. A quick click of the key fob-type controller and the rains come forth. I wait about 30 minutes and click it again, and it's off. It's that last sentence - coupled with apparently declining memory - that "caught me".

Turned it on about 9 am Saturday while working at the computer.

Forgot all about it.

Until 3 am.

That means there were about 5 hours of continuous flow, plus spritzes for the next 13. Thank goodness my RO system has enough capacity to keep the pump cool - it was cranking and cranking to rebuild pressure in the tank that whole time....

Plants all look pretty good though.

 

[fibre]

OMG!

 

[nikv]

Good thing we didn't have to build an ark for your orchids!

 

[Shiva]

I would never ask you to install a sprinkler system in my house.

 

[Ray]

That was, fortunately, in the greenhouse. They were getting fed at about 50 ppm N the whole time.

I'll bet the lawn downhill from the GH is about to look fantastic!!!!

 

[gonewild]

Problem is in a week your plants will look better than ever and then you'll have to "forget" at least once a month. :clap:

 

[littlefrog]

Might have to mow three times a week for a while!

 

[cnycharles]

i'm glad i'm not the only one that forgets to turn off the sprinklers in the greenhouse!

 

[SlipperFan]

You just gave your orchids a taste of a tropical monsoon, Ray!

 

[NYEric]

What a great idea....:crazy:

 

[TyroneGenade]

Leaving the water running is a common problem among people who keep multiple fishtanks as well. I have cleaned many a carpet and one garage.

 

[Ray]

I used to keep tanks, and bought a water changer that added a stream and siphoned at the same time. A friend got one and split the hoses so he could use that water on his plants.

He fell asleep while doing that once, and flooded his own carpet and that of the apartment next door. He was asked to move.

 

[bigleaf]

Thanks for sharing. I also keep a reef tank. To conserve water I would drain the waste water into washing machine when I make RO water. Couple times I would forget to turn off water and it would overflow from machine machine. This is only a problem in the winter when good waste water is 1:10. Now that in the summer month. Ratio is 1:5 due to Warner temperature

I would talk to Siri on iPhone to set an alarm for 2 hours. Alarm sound is set to dog barking. My dog Pylo will go wild when alarm sound.

 

[biothanasis]

Oooops, it is annoying when something similar happens. But eventually is was not too bad!!!

 

[John M]

We should all give our plants a good flushing like that now and then. But, it is better if you plan for it and not just let "old-timers" make it happen!