What it does and what to check
A hose-end timer screws onto the faucet and opens and closes the water on a schedule. Check its working pressure range against your faucet: Rain Bird’s Easy to Program timer works from 15 to 90 psi and DIG’s BO9D from 15 to 80 psi. Orbit’s help center gives 10 to 100 psi for its hose timers, but the page for its 62067 timer says 25 to 100 psi, so check the page for the exact model. Melnor says its timers work best between 20 and 80 psi.
What the makers publish
| Timer | Working pressure | Other published figures | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy to Program Hose End Timer (1ZEHTMR) | 15 to 90 psi | Rain Bird | |
| BO9D Digital Hose End Timer | 15 to 80 psi | Up to 6.3 gpm at 30 psi | DIG Corp |
| Orbit hose timers (help center) | 10 to 100 psi | Orbit | |
| Orbit 62067 programmable timer | 25 to 100 psi | Orbit | |
| Melnor water timers | Best at 20 to 80 psi | Melnor |
Where it goes in the line
Put the timer before the pressure regulator: DripWorks says its regulators and Y filters must sit after a timer or valve so they are not under constant pressure. Makers differ on the backflow preventer: DripWorks places it after a battery timer, while Rain Bird’s faucet kit places the timer between the backflow preventer and the regulator. Follow your kit’s manual.
A timer does not prevent backflow
Orbit says its hose-end timers do not have a backflow preventer and that you need to add an anti-siphon valve. See backflow preventers.
Kits that include one
The Epic Starter Kit includes a programmable timer. The Rain Bird GARDENKIT and the Vego Irrigation Kit do not; Rain Bird suggests its 1ZEHTMR timer for automated watering.