If you are my age you might remember the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. Who can forget that enormous, stainless-steel model of the earth, the Unisphere?
Or the premiere of the injection molded dinosaur, otherwise known as the Sinclair Dinoland Waxy-Plastic Dinosaur?
Automatic Underground Sprinkler System
At 9 years old, I was intrigued by the incredible technologies of the future being displayed. This was better than going to the zoo! Here was the future, with all its flashing lights, right before me. I was impressed by a display containing the marvel of the landscape; an Automatic Underground Sprinkler System.
There, behind a brightly-lit plastic panel, was the future of watering your lawn. I can still remember it like it was yesterday.
- An electric timer able to turn water on and off at the will of the person who set it.
- 24 volt zone valves that would start and stop the water at the command of the electric timer.
- Sprinkler heads that popped up over the top of the green plastic grass within the display and sprayed water.
I thought to myself – “Wow…. Wouldn’t that be something to have some day?” Fifteen years later at the age of 24, I was installing those very same sprinkler components.
The zone valves were still the same light green color, with a stainless steel cover plate and screws. The sprinkler heads were still black plastic, able to pop out of the ground and spray water over the top of the grass, irrigating the driest lawn. And the controller, calling the shots from a distance, telling everything when to turn on and when to turn off.
As a child I was mesmerized by this future marvel. A short few years later I was installing and servicing them!