Solar Garden Sitter

Welcome to the Garden Sitter Website!
Home of the world's only
Solar powered, programmable rain barrel irrigation system.

Thank you for visiting our website!

We are a new company and working to bring you information about our unique product
Check out recent installations (lower left) below!
You can see a wonderful demonstration of this product on
Youtube by going there and searching "Garden Sitter" in the search block
OR... by clicking the arrow over there on the right ------->

What is it? What does it do?
The Garden Sitter is a fully self contained solar powered, programmable rain barrel irrigation system. it babysits your garden while you are away... for days or months* at a time. The system operates by collecting its own renewable water supply from captured rain water and its own power supply from the sun. when the programmable timer dictates, the water is sent, under pressure to your garden watering system. The system has been tested by leaving it completely on its own over an entire North Carolina summer, and it did exactly what it was supposed to do...water the garden as programmed! The system is sold delivered and installed to your irrigation system, sprinkler or even garden hose.
* system capacity obviously depends on roof collection size and rainfall. Test system used a 12' x 25' studio shed from May to December and never ran out of water.

The solar powered system provides for irrigation pressure
that is often more powerful than your garden hose.

Will I also save money?

The University of Rhode Island stated that a normal "Rain Barrel" will collect about 1300 gallons of water during the summer season. The Garden Sitter is a twin barrel system so double that to 2600 gallons. Since you use the system in the spring and fall as well as the "summer season" double it again. That's conservatively 5000 gallons a year of water that is clearly better for your plants than hard or treated tap water. Most green products have a cash return over time. The Garden Sitter is no exception. Municipalities charge you for water per thousand gallons. Sewer and/or other fees are often based on gallons of water used. Thats why towns invest in that water meter you probably have out front. Rates vary widely with location. Ask your local utility what you pay in total for every 1000 gallons used. Don't be surprised by the answer. With the Garden Sitter collecting about 5000 gallons a year, your savings start as soon as it rains! Consider the fact that not only are you saving money... you are also not spending it or taking it from your community.

This is the 2012 solar panel frame with the charge controller in front. This unit is the new standard power plant for all Garden Sitters. Pictured above with a volt meter testing this unit at 14.90 volts. Perfect! The charge controller was moved to the front for a quick glance view of the LED lights illuminate as the panel charges the Garden Sitter battery. Still crafted of high quality N.C. Cypress right here in Edenton, NC

Brand new garden sitter installation will care for this King St
garden in Edenton, NC throughout the dry NC summers!

Another Garden Sitter installation in Edenton, NC
getting free water from the rain and free power from the sun!

Enjoy a trip to our sister site where you will find details on our other solar product, the Solar Sitter, a solar powered marine battery charger.

www.EdentonSolar.com

See our NEW & UPDATED Youtube Video!
Click Below!

Built to last outdoors

The components of the Garden Sitter are all hand made
with heavy duty materials, as shown here. Left is the control
box shell that houses the digital timer. It is made of 3/4" thick
North Carolina cypress and heavy grade tinted plexiglass.
The (right) Solar panel post mount with charge
controller are now also built from durable Cypress as well!

The Power Plant ~ Pure solar

The 5 watt solar panal safely recharges the 12 volt power plant. Mounted in the solar panal box, is a 7 amp charge controller, which keeps the battery from draining during hours of darkness. The controller's L.E.D.s give you the charging status at a glance. The red showing the system is operating. The yellow showing charging and the green light illuminates when fully charged. When the green L.E.D. lights up, the controller stops the panel from overcharging the battery.

The internal workings are all constructed with
heavy-duty components. The system is built for long
life in the outdoor environment- with updates and
improvements to the design added all the time!

"At-A-Glance" prototype testing well!

We have developed a shielded "fuel gauge" prototype that is testing out nicely! This accessory will let you check out how much rain water is in the tanks with just a quick glance! The gauge is a shielded tube with a float ball. In this picture you can just make out the ball about 1/3rd of the way up the tube. The production ones will be colored to match the tank and will be an option for both the Garden Sitter system and the basic rain barrels.

Garden Sitter is powering the drip system (60' long) at Halsey's
Nursery in Edenton. The system works great. Visit Halsey's and ask
Art or Anita for a tour of the system!

What will the future bring?

1/31/12- NEW FOR 2012- GARDEN SITTER COMPONENTS! For ease of shipping worldwide, Garden Sitter kits are now available. You provide the battery and barrels, we provide the components and instructions. Email for details.
2/1/12 - The new solar component is the "custom" design pictured on the left.

11/28/11
Oh yeah. New stuff! We have developed a brand new product~ born out of the Garden Sitter idea. Introducing The Solar Sitter!
This product is a 12 volt solar charging system, very similar to the one used successfully to power the Garden Sitter. But it is designed for MARINE applications. Designed to sit securely on a deck of a stored boat, the Solar Sitter will keep the boat battery nicely charged. Since we realize that this is but the first of several new solar products we make here in Edenton, we decided to create a new website for those products. The site is up and running. If you wish to check it out, just click here ----> www.EDENTONSOLAR.com

2/24/12~ We have bought expensive parts in volume. That, plus a new way to purchase the Garden Sitter lowered our prices substantially! Check the prices page.

2/25/12~ NEW LOCAL PHONE NUMBER!!! 252-632-0020 in Edenton

4/5/12- Taking our own advice, we trashed our old PVC watering system and installed a GREAT drip irrigation system. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

5/1/12- We have installed a SECOND SYSTEM for a loyal customer in Edenton. That must say something!

This is the new "Solar Sitter". A sleek design to keep your marine
battery charged! Hundreds of other applications. See EdentonSolar.com