On a similar note, I found the Rainbird manual a bit unclear about how the timer handles overlapping start/run times. Say I want all zones to water for 30 minutes each. What if zones 1 and 2 are both set to 7:00am, but zone 3 is set to 7:45am and zone 4 is set to 7:40am? I called the customer help line and strangely the rep was completely baffled by the question. I ended up just trying to avoid the situation by spreading out different watering times, but with the automatic timer adjustments and multiple-times-per-day-watering, I'm still not quite sure how it behaves in reality.

Thanks, tigerdunes... We currently have a Lennox furnace model #G24M. As for size, the inside plate says "rated output: 82,000 BTUH AGA/CGA; 73,000 CGA only"; is this the size? Several of the contractors we've gotten bids from have also suggested a HP, so we are getting quotes on those, as well as solo ACs. I'm not ready to chuck gas altogether, especially given that we occasionally have really cold stretches and I don't want to count solely on a HP...but the combo with gas sounds like a good option. I guess ultimately my question is whether I should take this opportunity to upgrade the furnace to get a variable speed blower in order to make all systems more efficient? And, if so, would it be worthwhile to go with a high efficiency 90%+, or stay with an 80%? Another quandry I'm facing is that all 5 bids we've gotten have suggested a zoned system. The system as it exists covers basement and first level, but the addition of a sunroom 13 years ago has thrown the air flow off to be less that comfortable. The sun room faces south, has 3 walls of windows and 4 skylights, and a vaulted ceiling. At the time, the ac was upgraded to a 3 ton unit, but the manual Js we've had with the current bids show that the addition alone requires a 2 ton unit. We've gotten opinions all over the board whether the ducting is a large part of the problem, though most agree that they would have done a better job of ducting during the addition if they had handled the job. The opinions differ on whether things are worth fixing. I've read threads about the pros and cons of zoning, and it looks like the cost would add $2.5-3000 to whatever else we do with the system. I'm not really picky about temps (we run 77 in summer, 68 in winter simply to not waste resources). It has also been suggested that some manual dampers might be a good first step to see how it balances the cooling load (an imperfect, though vastly less expensive option). Do you have any words of wisdom for me? We haven't gotten all the bids back yet, but assuming they're comparable for similar work, I have a good level of confidence in the Bryant, Trane, and American Standard dealers. Thanks so much for your opinion! -Cider

while i by no means know all the controllers out there those that i do know of are usually designed to prevent what you would like to do. there is a way around it if you want a semi-permanant solution. you take the wires for each station you want to run together and hook them to the same station in the clock. a more permanant way is to hook both valves to the same wire.

Does anything stand out as unusual or impractical? It's almost double the size of an average American house. Your main floor has a large family space plus an away space ... why the whole basement as well? It'll be at least a decade -- and probably another house -- 'til the kids want to be separated from you. One thing we're wrestling with with is our kitchen island size I think you're falling victim to "this is what nice houses have" syndrome. Why do you need a breakfast table (not a nook -- nooks are tucked away spaces) PLUS a large island with seating ... located literally within arm's reach of one another? And I'd venture to guess another outdoor table only steps away. How many eating spaces do you actually need? I'd say choose one or the other ... if you go with the island, enlarge it a bit /make it really nice, not stools lined up so no one can talk comfortably ... if you go with the table, shorten the island to allow for circulation (and don't neglect the space you'll need when chairs are pulled out ... this table is in the center of your floorplan, making it a major thoroughfare. Our breakfast table is 3 1/2' round -- definitely go with a round table in this area -- and it's ideal for 4-5 people. We never put food on the table; rather, we serve plates from the stovetop for casual weekday meals. Don't forget that you want to be able to reach the back door. Currently it sits 6' from the stove so we can move it over at least a foot to 5' away 6' between the stove and island seems to be too much. 4' would be better. Another question is whether the master shower at 5' x 6' is just strangely large. Yes. In my opinion (and I spent several years measuring friends' showers and hotel showers to develop this opinion), showers shouldn't be more than 3 1/2' - 4' wide. Why? Because once you pass that width, you're kind of out in the middle of a too-big space, which feels uncomfortably exposed. If you one day need grab bars, the walls'll be too far apart for them to be reachable. However, this is an easy fix. Just reduce the size of the shower and center the tub on the open wall. Overall, I think a lot of your things are over-optimized. This may not be just as bad as under-sized, but it's a problem. You don't want over-sized ... you want right-sized. Have you measured friends' houses, etc. to see what sizes you actually prefer? The laundry room is on the second floor adjacent to the master bedroom. I'd bump the machines to the left /make it easier to vent the dryer. I personally would leave the laundry room door open most of the time, so I think this is a good spot for a pocket door. I'd also double the window in the laundry room so it would allow more light into the hallway. If you're going with modern front-loader machines, which are pretty deep, this laundry room isn't any too wide. Someone commented on the double doors to the mbr, are there issues with double doors? They seem to be common on mid to higher end houses around here. Again "this is what nice houses have" syndrome. Things that are common aren't necessarily desirable. Double doors require two hands to open ... and the light switches must be placed either behind the door or too far from the door for comfort. And what's the gain? Nothing. Well, if you're working with a small space, you might want your doors to "park" in a smaller area, but that doesn't seem to be a problem ere. In fact, I'd consider a 17' long master. What are you going to do with the space at the foot of the bed? Nothing. It's just empty space. Imagine you put a TV on the wall ... it's 17' away ... too far for easy vision, and you have to turn up the volume. Do pocket doors wear over time? We would prefer to keep them closed so the mud room to kitchen area would be closed most of the time. Yes, they do wear out, and they're harder for little fingers to open. I personally would go with a pocket door here anyway ... because I'd keep the door open most of the time. An alternative: A swinging door. Other thoughts: - I understand that you like to cook (and you will again once the kids are a bit older), but a larger kitchen is in no way a better kitchen. This much cabinetry is going to cost a fortune, and much of it is likely to end up as clutter-space. - Is that a pantry in the middle of the house? Again, this would be a good place for a pocket door. Note that your standard hinged door covers up a big portion of your shelves, meaning you'd have to go into the pantry /close the door to access these items. OR, this might be a place for double doors on swing hinges (swing hinged doors don't require hands to open). - The dining room isn't exactly close to the kitchen -- it's not absolutely ridiculously far, but neither is is conveniently placed. Consider the steps that'll be necessary to transport food, plates, drinks to the dining room. The butler's pantry half-way between is a good place for a buffet set-up ... be sure to include a few outlets there so you can run a crock pot in this area. - Is that empty room across from the stairs a half-bath? If not, it should be! You absolutely need a bathroom on your main living level. - Upstairs you're over-bathed (plus another full bath in the basement and what I think is a half bath on the main floor). You'll run yourself ragged keeping these bathrooms clean /keeping toiletries and toilet paper in them each. And only one of the upstairs baths (the one that shares a wall with the laundry room) looks to be adequately sized /comfortable. The others have minimal sink space, meaning no storage for the kids as they grow older. I'd go with ONE nice-sized bathroom open to the hallway. So much less money, so much less work.