Listen to Egghead, and don't tap into the supply before the meter. You've never seen flooding before until you've gone and done something like this. Ok, and about the original question. There are generally three reasons someone would recommend teeing off an external spigot, and a couple of reasons why it is a bad idea. (1) The person doing the install is just too lazy to actually make the initial point of connection to the main water line (downstream of the meter). If this is the case, what other shortcuts is he going to take during the installation of your irrigation system? (2) Contractors who aren't licensed irrigators will use this trick sometimes to avoid having to tie into your main water line which you are required to be licensed to perform. (3) The person doing the installation just doesn't know any better. Again, is this the person you want installing your system. Perhaps that is why their price was so reasonable. REASONS NOT TO: (1) Water Hammer! Ever heard the pipes rattle after someone has flushed a toilet and once it finally filled up and the toilet shut off, the pipes rattled? That's what is called water hammer. When something like an irrigation valve, or toilet valve quickly shuts off, the water that was moving through the pipes at a fast rate of speed suddenly hits a dead-end street. The noise you hear is the sound generated by the water slamming into the now closed valve and causing the pipes to vibrate from the sudden impact. Not good at 4:00am when your dead alseep. (2) Piping in irrigation systems are sized in accordence with pressure loss and flow. Every foot of piping generates a certain amount of pressure loss per linear foot. Too much pressure loss and the sprinkler head that requires, let's say 30 psi at the nozzle in order to operate properly, will have insufficient water pressure and may not be able to spray the intended distance. Also, a general rule of plumbing and irrigation is to stay below 5 fps in flow velocity. We have some friction loss charts on our website which can give you a starting point at determining pipe friction loss, and when it's neccessary to increase in pipe size. CLICK HERE to check them out. Sorry to not be of more help, but a person could write a book trying to explain irrigatin hydrolics. Curtis Here is a link that might be useful: EvergreenSprinklers.com

Hi Tamara, there is no right or wrong answer to your question. It all depends upon how quickly you want/need them to reach maturity. If you let them flower, you can more quickly check the accuracy of their identities. So, letting them flower initially, at least once, so you can make sure they are what they are supposed to be, might be of benefit for you. Due to your being in a colder, harsher climate, you may want immature plants to develop faster so they are hardier for winter. Preventing them from expending as much energy flowerig as posible can easily build them into much more developed specimen rather quickly. Usually, the larger, more mature a plant is where weather is harsher and colder, the easier they make it through. Kim

Lennox (Dave Lennox) makes two direct vent see through gas fireplaces that are heater rated and will throw out very good heat. www.lennoxhearthproducts.com Look at the following two models: Elite - EDVST or Merit Plus- MPDVST. The Merit Plus is the smaller of the two.

Company A has chemically sealed Schedule 40? LOL. That means they are glued and normal. Just make sure it's all hard pipe. Put 2.5" suction on the drains. Especially important for the spa. By keeping the returns open a little, a separate pool return in the spa can be eliminated as well as the dedicated 2 HP pump. Just use the pool pump for the spa. Its can go up to 2 HP also. If they bring in a heat pump, they'll more amps brought in. Company B likes to glue their plumbing fittings too! Shocking! You might think its an industry standard, And you'd be right! Heheh. Same issue with the drains, go to 2.5" pipes. Why only 6 jets? Why not an E-Pump? Only the spa will need it. The pump is normally slowed and run a little longer so it saves power in pool circulation. How big is the DE filter? I don't see that there is a controller. Since you're lighting it, putting in color LED fixtures in makes sense. Why is the 100W quartz in the spa and not a colored LED? A 12 year warranty has to be specific to them. Find out ahead of time what isn't covered. Both companies: Salt it. Its easiest to care for. Scott