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I recently moved to the land of hurricanes (aka Florida), and while unpacking, found my trusty old Bedol water clock. I have had this thing for what seems like a decade - although I'm guessing it's more like 5 years. :) Anyway, considering I now live in Florida, and was thinking about all the things I need to do a little differently to prepare for weather emergencies now, it occurred to me that THIS is a perfect little addition to any household.
Moving takes a lot of energy, and outfitting a new place in an area that is a lot different from what we've been used to is taking a bit of a different mindset for me. It's also not an overnight effort to get ourselves completely ready to face hurricane season.
Getting Ready for Weather Emergencies
For example, we've still got to get our portable gas-powered generator, and it's pretty high on the list (and we WILL get it as soon as we've got a little more cash). And as much as our own household is beginning to purchase equipment that will be more conducive to emergency preparedness in the south than up north (e.g. we're planning on a few more solar powered items here, and we need to stockpile a LOT more water here), it is definitely not a "weekend warrior" task to get fully prepared.
So, finding this cool water-powered clock in my boxes of stuff was a bonus!
Really? A Clock that Runs on Water?
Yes, it really does! When I first bought the Bedol, I did think it was going to be more of a novelty than a truly functional piece of equipment. It was one of those purchases I simply couldn't resist.
As it turns out, it's actually pretty handy. You can move it from room to room without any worrying about cords OR sunlight (since it's not solar powered).
What you DO need is good ol' tap water. When the face of the clock begins to dim (mine goes about 5 weeks), it's time to put fresh water in.
While I speak from experience with the Bedol clock, if you have another brand or design, you'll have to follow their directions regarding changing out the water. I would imagine that while the general mechanisms are similar, each actual model is likely to be different.
What type of water runs the clock?
If ever there was a time to simply use tap water with all its chemicals and what-have-you, now is the time. Evidently it's the electrons in the water that help complete the circuit inside the clock. So, water like distilled water wouldn't likely work as well.
Pros and Cons of a Water Powered Clock (Primarily the Bedol Water Clock)
Since this isn't likely to be one of the fanciest gizmos in your home, the list of pros and cons isn't complicated.
Pros
- It's simple to keep charged: Just keep it filled with water, and change it as needed.
- The clock makes for a pretty cool science experiment if you have school-aged kids around.
- It's lightweight.
- Some models have alarm features (mine does).
- They are QUIET.
- It's about as eco-friendly a product as we've seen!
Cons
- There is no back-light on the display of the Bedol models. I'll have to look at some others (I'll add more here in this post when I locate some).
- The alarm is pretty quiet; I don't think I would personally depend wholly on hearing it.
- You do have to change the water every month or so (brand and model dependent - follow the directions).
Bedol Water Clock Review Video
Have a look at the following video. You see in my list of "pros and cons" above, that some of these are discussed here:
Final Thoughts
Anyway, I wanted to show you the Bedol! Now, remember - since I first got my water clock, there have been more that have come on the market, so I'll post a few more for you here soon! But I wanted to get this little review up while I was thinking of it!
There's no reason why you wouldn't want to have an alternative to electric and solar powered products around!
