Ace Flowmaster Water Timer Automatically Shuts Offt

by Ace

Product Features

• ACE FLOWMASTER WATER TIMER
• Connects to water faucet w/swivel.
• Automatic shut off.
• Continuous on feature.
• Measures 100 to 1600 gallons per hour.

Product Details

• Item Weight: 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000H5T74S
• Item model number: 101A
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,545 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)
  • #27 in Patio, Lawn & Garden > Plants & Planting > Watering Equipment > Hose Timers

Product Description

Ace Flowmaster Water Timer Automatically Shuts Offt Measures Exact Amount Of Water At Any Pressure On/off To Use Like A Faucet Measures 100 To 1600 Gallons Per Hour Boxed Discovery Con, Nbr, Sup, Hwu All items sold new in original packaging

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the one to get, August 29, 2008

By 

Charles Peterson (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ace Flowmaster Water Timer Automatically Shuts Offt

Most "water timers" simply measure the time, this one actually measures the amount of water. What you are really interested in is not the time, but the amount of water applied to your lawn, etc. Since the pressure varies from one time of day to another, merely measuring the time will give you an inconsistent amount of water from one time to the next.

This one also shows the time, but it's approximate. It is fairly close for the maximum flow rate with an oscillating sprinker, but will take longer with a nozzle or small sprinker. The instructions give much more detail on this and help you calculate the number of gallons you need.

It's also convenient that you can set the number of gallons to more than 2 hours worth. To put down an inch of water over the maximum range of an oscillating sprinker takes more like 3-4 hours. Most cheap water timers only go to 2 hours, which means you have to set them twice.

Finally, if you want to run a soaker hose for several hours, you can set it to a small number of gallons that will be sufficient for the task (which you can figure out by experiment). If the soaker gets damaged (such as if a dog comes by and bites it) it will then shut off fairly quickly instead of running at maximum flow the whole time.

This is really the kind to get, though apparently most people haven't figured that out yet, and I couldn't find this model in any local stores.

My only complaint is that it would have been nicer if they expanded the scale below 200 gallons for doing soaking. You can set it down to about 50 gallons, but it's not marked.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sensible Way to Water, January 17, 2010

By 

Big Al "Alan Rivière" (Southwest, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ace Flowmaster Water Timer Automatically Shuts Offt

This ACE timer is based on water flow, not time. The idea makes eminent sense, because it is the volume of water that goes into the plants that counts, not how long they have been watered. It is easy to install; the user simply connects the timer between the hose bib and a water hose, sets the dial to the volume desired, and turns on the water.

The dial is divided into two sections--the "Unmetered Flow" and the "Metered Flow". The user may turn the dial only in the clockwise direction, until it reaches the "Unmetered Flow" section. Here the timer works just like a faucet. He/she can turn the dial in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction, between the "Max." and "Min." marks, to adjust the volume of the water. Continue to turn the dial clockwise to the "Metered Flow" section. Here the user sets the volume desired, only in the clockwise direction, from 1600 gallons to 100 gallons. The dial is marked in gallons, liters and the approximate number of hours required to deliver the volume, based on a flow rate of 6 gallons per minute.

Before using this timer, it is important for the user to understand the mechanics of this flow timer. It has a paddle wheel powered by water flow, which, in turn, drives the gears that shut off the water valve. If the flow is too low to power the paddle wheel, the timer will not shut off. Many complaints about timer malfunction are probably related to low flow. If the user has to restrict the flow of water, like when using a soaker hose, he/she should turn down the water UPSTREAM of the timer, i.e. above the inlet of the timer, like at the hose bib, never downstream, below the outlet of the timer. No matter what the user does, there is a point where the flow is too low to power the timer. He/she will have to experiment a little to find out what works and what doesn't. Some very low flow drip system may not work with this timer at all.

In conclusion, this is what I like about this water timer: (a) it is based on volume, not time, (b) the price is very reasonable, and (c) it is very easy to install. This is what I don't like so much: it may not work with low flow drip systems. This is what worries me: I read a lot of complaints regarding leaks due to shoddy workmanship of the timer. However, I used this timer only for a few times, I cannot speak to its durability.

Footnote: The ACE Flowmaster Water Timer turns out to be the exact model as the Melnor/Gardena 101 Flowmeter Water Timer, also sold here at amazon.com. The Flowmaster is apparently made by the same manufacturer under the ACE label. Follow the link to that web page and read up the other reviews. Melnor/Gardena 101 Flowmeter Water Timer

Update: A second timer I obtained leaked badly at the inlet, right after installation. So, buyers, beware.

More update: My experiments showed that this timer worked well at a flow rate of 2 gallons/minute. You may even get away with 1 gallon/minute. Anything less than 1 is iffy. This timer may not work with a drip irrigation system regardless of the flow rate, due to restrictions downstream. I tried it on my drip irrigation system with thirty 4-gallons/hour emitters. The flow rate was 2 gallons/minute, according to calculation, but the timer refused to move.

Another update: I found that the dial of this timer might break off when I turned it from the "Unmetered Flow" section to the "Metered Flow" section, with the water on. The sudden increase of water pressure on the mechanism was apparently too much for the cheap plastic parts. So now, I always turn off the water and drain the timer whenever I set the dial.

1.0 out of 5 stars Broke the first time I used it, July 8, 2010

By 

EndH8 "Kathy" (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ace Flowmaster Water Timer Automatically Shuts Offt

The dial broke off the first time I tried to use it. I turned it clockwise just like the instructions said and I was gentle with it. The post between the dial and the timing mechanism simply broke in two and the dial just twisted off. Very poor design. Don't waste your money.