Red LED Lamps

ELEMENT:

Red Light Emitting Diodes

AIM:

The Red Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are connected to Full Stop drainage sensors buried in the garden that measure the amount of moisture in the soil. A picture of a Full Stop drainage sensor is located in the bottom right of the page.

The Full Stop drainage sensor are 200m in diameter, and two are buried at a depth of 300mm in the front garden of the Helathy Home.

When the garden has been fully watered the drainage sensor switch closes an electric circuit and the LEDs attached to the verandah post light up. This way the residents can avoid using excess water on the garden, which drains below the plant root zone. Such overwatering readily occurs in the dune sand on which the Healthy Home is built.

Light Emitting Diodes were used because they are bright enough to see in full sunlight and use very little electricity (at 3 Volts). Each LED powered by 2 AAA batteries.

Click here for Technical Detail.