right get ready for lots of questions today gang ,is this varistrem thingy majik worth buying or is a tap on the hose just as good
Yes, they will help to reduce wasting water as you can adjust the flow to suit your working rate.
2 types are available.
Nat sells a unit that still uses the pump's inbuilt pressure switch and works by slowing the pump motor down so it doesn't work flat out and cycle on and off.
The Varistream was designed for a Shurflo pump originally and is more complicated than Nat's unit. It not only reduces motor speed but also acts as an electronic pressure switch. This does away with the necessity of using the Shurflo pumps pressure switch which was the pumps achillies heal in the early days. Most pumps will work well with a Varistream.
If you go the Varistream route, my advice is to also purchase a 10amp on/off isolator switch so you can switch the whole system off at night. (The new Varistreams are 'live' all the time, even when switched off, so will drain the battery over time.
Although we have always used Varistreams and they have served us well over the years, I would consider the new Spring analogue controller.
http://www.gardinerpolesystems.co.uk/acatalog/info-LIQUIDLOGIC-ANALOGUE.htmlSpruce