NASTY Firmware bug in the Bunnings Holman Water Timer

[David L. Jones]

There has been recent talk about the Holman water timer from Bunnings
(and I've been singing it's praises), so this may be relevant to some
people.

I have found a bug in the Holman CO1905/6 programmable water timer
that will not switch off the timer at the correct time.

I have a program set for 10 minutes duration each day, and I have
found it works fine under normal operation. But the other day the
"Budget" water saver mode was accidentally set to 1% instead of
default 100% (the wife was playing with it), and I discovered that the
water now switches on but doesn't switch off! Luckily I was home at
the time and noticed it didn't switch off.

Watching the display when it does first switch on it displays 000
minutes left (to be expected, as 1% of 10 minutes rounds to zero), but
it proceeds to switch the water on anyway and then it stays on and the
timer rolls over to 255 minutes and proceeds to count down from there.
I have not checked if it then switches off after the 255 minutes, but
presumably it would.

So obviously there is a bug in the firmware that does not stop the
timer when it first switches on if it set to 0 minutes due to the
"budget" feature.

A very nasty bug which can waste a LOT of water (255 minutes worth)
when people expect the "budget" feature to *save* them water.

Looks like the programmer has been sloppy and has not done a zero
check at the start of the timer loop before it gets to roll over.

I have emailed Holman technical support about this and we'll see what
happens.

Dave.

 

[Suzy]

There has been recent talk about the Holman water timer from Bunnings
(and I've been singing it's praises), so this may be relevant to some
people.

I have found a bug in the Holman CO1905/6 programmable water timer
that will not switch off the timer at the correct time.

I have a program set for 10 minutes duration each day, and I have
found it works fine under normal operation. But the other day the
"Budget" water saver mode was accidentally set to 1% instead of
default 100% (the wife was playing with it), and I discovered that the
water now switches on but doesn't switch off! Luckily I was home at
the time and noticed it didn't switch off.

Watching the display when it does first switch on it displays 000
minutes left (to be expected, as 1% of 10 minutes rounds to zero), but
it proceeds to switch the water on anyway and then it stays on and the
timer rolls over to 255 minutes and proceeds to count down from there.
I have not checked if it then switches off after the 255 minutes, but
presumably it would.

So obviously there is a bug in the firmware that does not stop the
timer when it first switches on if it set to 0 minutes due to the
"budget" feature.

A very nasty bug which can waste a LOT of water (255 minutes worth)
when people expect the "budget" feature to *save* them water.

Looks like the programmer has been sloppy and has not done a zero
check at the start of the timer loop before it gets to roll over.

I have emailed Holman technical support about this and we'll see what
happens.

Dave.

Immediate and Allisonesq answer is "Don't let wife play with timer" but
seriously thanks for this. Am very happy with mine but haven't played with
percent thingy.

 

[Glenn]

There has been recent talk about the Holman water timer from Bunnings
(and I've been singing it's praises), so this may be relevant to some
people.

I have found a bug in the Holman CO1905/6 programmable water timer
that will not switch off the timer at the correct time.

I have a program set for 10 minutes duration each day, and I have
found it works fine under normal operation. But the other day the
"Budget" water saver mode was accidentally set to 1% instead of
default 100% (the wife was playing with it), and I discovered that the
water now switches on but doesn't switch off! Luckily I was home at
the time and noticed it didn't switch off.

Watching the display when it does first switch on it displays 000
minutes left (to be expected, as 1% of 10 minutes rounds to zero), but
it proceeds to switch the water on anyway and then it stays on and the
timer rolls over to 255 minutes and proceeds to count down from there.
I have not checked if it then switches off after the 255 minutes, but
presumably it would.

So obviously there is a bug in the firmware that does not stop the
timer when it first switches on if it set to 0 minutes due to the
"budget" feature.

A very nasty bug which can waste a LOT of water (255 minutes worth)
when people expect the "budget" feature to *save* them water.

Looks like the programmer has been sloppy and has not done a zero
check at the start of the timer loop before it gets to roll over.

I have emailed Holman technical support about this and we'll see what
happens.

Dave.

I have a six station programmable one (same as yours?). Very
impressed also but I discovered a different bug where it waters for
one minute less than it says it's going to. Not a major issue and I
can't remember exactly how I got it to do it but think it was just
from normal program cycle. There QA is obviously light on.

G

 

[eddie]

I have a six station programmable one (same as yours?). Very
impressed also but I discovered a different bug where it waters for
one minute less than it says it's going to. Not a major issue and I
can't remember exactly how I got it to do it but think it was just
from normal program cycle. There QA is obviously light on.

G

they must have got it produced in china !
now you know why bunnings is selling it
just another "made in china" reseller selling crap.

 

[David L. Jones]

they must have got it produced in china !
now you know why bunnings is selling it
just another "made in china" reseller selling crap.

No, they are actually Australian made, and presumably Australian
designed as well.
They are very well made and designed, apart from the firmware bug that
this.

Dave.

 

[David L. Jones]

There has been recent talk about the Holman water timer from Bunnings
(and I've been singing it's praises), so this may be relevant to some
people.

I have found a bug in the Holman CO1905/6 programmable water timer
that will not switch off the timer at the correct time.

I have a program set for 10 minutes duration each day, and I have
found it works fine under normal operation. But the other day the
"Budget" water saver mode was accidentally set to 1% instead of
default 100% (the wife was playing with it), and I discovered that the
water now switches on but doesn't switch off! Luckily I was home at
the time and noticed it didn't switch off.

Watching the display when it does first switch on it displays 000
minutes left (to be expected, as 1% of 10 minutes rounds to zero), but
it proceeds to switch the water on anyway and then it stays on and the
timer rolls over to 255 minutes and proceeds to count down from there.
I have not checked if it then switches off after the 255 minutes, but
presumably it would.

So obviously there is a bug in the firmware that does not stop the
timer when it first switches on if it set to 0 minutes due to the
"budget" feature.

A very nasty bug which can waste a LOT of water (255 minutes worth)
when people expect the "budget" feature to *save* them water.

Looks like the programmer has been sloppy and has not done a zero
check at the start of the timer loop before it gets to roll over.

I have emailed Holman technical support about this and we'll see what
happens.

Dave.

Update.
I finally received a reply from the MD of Holman (only after emailing
directly). They have known about the problem for about 3 months (after
4 years on the market) and hope to have a fixed product on the shelves
in around 8 weeks.
They have offered to replace my timers.

Dave.