@dalehileman,
It has just occurred to me, friend Peren, that my OP's are often rejected
because they're OP's. I guess if an OP isn't quite up to snuff in any way atall (even if I rewrite the whole message), then Mgmt removes it. Well, as I said, okay, I understand (sorta). So maybe I should post it
here, where it will go largely unnoticed. Alas
Note to Opinion Editors of Victorville, Ca Daily Press: As I had suggested in earlier Letter to the Editor, my suggestions might often seem trivial to most readers. However I think this one, if not adopted by its makers, will greatly benefit owners of a certain water timer, the mechanically-inclined or inventive ones anyway. [This being in line with an earlier letter in which I had encouraged, in addition to all the politics and religion, my occasional trivia valuable to the homeowner.]
[So, Open Letter to correspondent for 'Engineers' at a particular firm (remaining nameless, in order to protect the guilty) making a an excellent water timer except for one troublesome design defect:]
Steve, recently after my 14th failure of the solenoid-valve assembly in my dozen or so units of that water timer [scattered around the property], excellent in every other respect, I have discovered (at long last) instead of the thread-wrap a much easier and perhaps more reliable solution to the leakage problem. The designers' mode of seal of course is where the solenoid assy meets the valve, around the periphery of that clever rubber flapper disk; which however suffers from a sort of incompressibility that makes for a leak when the screw-mating loosens as a result of heat; water-pressure surges; disturbance by cat, dog or clumsy gardener (me); or just plain relaxation of the materials constituting the mating of these two major assy's.
Your 'Engineers' will eventually find a way better suited to the production line but my quick and easy fix is simply to unscrew the valve from the solenoid and sand the mating edge about 0.01" so when it's reassembled the edge of the flapper disk is squeezed tighter between. Another quick approach that pops to mind and might work as well would be a soft rubber O-ring or washer, which would better tolerate environmental factors.
I hope I haven't offended anyone by placing the word in quotes, and if the reason they haven't yet approached the problem is that I wasn't clear in my earlier suggestions, then I apologize most profusely.
Dale Hileman
Apple Valley
[Note to Ed.'s: Really, it's genuine. If you wish, you could send over an Ed. for a quick visit, when I would demonstrate the defect, and tne various means I have suggested for its repair or prevention. in over a dozen units that had failed on its account. In other respects it's a fine unit, easy to program, easy on batteries (owing indirectly to the clever design of that flapper valve, a bit of credit to their 'Engineers,'), reliable and and long-lasting, except for that one problem….]]
Oh a2k Mgrs, if you can leave this'n I'd be much obliged since occasionally I get a response from this sort of stuff, makes a2k more fun
I almost miss your ramblings on my language threads. Almost.
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