- Examine your Christmas tree stand for screw holes and other places where water can leak out (leak points).
- Place your tree stand and your EverGreen Helper side by side. On your EverGreen Helper draw an upper mark that is ½ inch below the lowest leak point on your stand (see 1b). Never add water higher than this upper mark. It may help to put tape on your EverGreen Helper and put the mark on the tape.
- On your EverGreen Helper draw a lower mark about where the cut bottom of your tree is in your stand (see 1c). The cut bottom of your tree usually sits on a sharp protrusion above the base of your stand. This lower mark cannot be below the barb. Do not let the water level go below this lower mark.
- Determine how you will use the fat twist tie to secure the tubing to your stand. It is easier to figure this out now, rather than under your tree. Do not secure the tubing to your stand.
- Each year before use, put your EverGreen Helper in your sink. Raise the open end of the tubing above the upper mark and fill your EverGreen Helper with water to the upper mark.
- Check for leaks where the tubing connects to the barb and where the barb connects to the bucket (see 2b).
- Lower all of the tubing below the upper mark and check that water easily flows through the tubing (see 2c).
- Empty the water from your EverGreen Helper. Trust us, you want to empty it.
- Once your tree is in your stand and aligned as you wish, put your EverGreen Helper in the desired position near your tree. Do not position your EverGreen Helper higher or lower than your stand. The bottom of your stand and the bottom of your EverGreen Helper need to be at the same level.
- Remove odd coils in the tubing. A kink at the barb is OK. Slide the open end of the tubing into your stand until the open end is at the bottom of your stand, below the bottom of your tree. Make sure that the open end of the tubing is not pointing up (see 3b).
- Keep the open end of the tubing at the bottom of your stand and use the fat twist tie to secure the tubing to your stand. Be careful not to pinch or bend the tubing; just secure it (see 3c).
Tempting though it is, skipping ahead to this step usually leads to a dry tree and/ or water on your floor. Please start at step 1 above.
- Use a pitcher to add water to your EverGreen Helper. Stop at the upper mark (made in step 1). Do not fill your EverGreen Helper above the upper mark. If you do, water will likely flow out of your stand and onto your floor (see 4a).
- To start the water flowing, lift and hold your EverGreen Helper 5 to 6 inches off your floor. After the water level has dropped about an inch, put your EverGreen Helper down (see 4b).
- After a minute or two, use your pitcher and refill your EverGreen Helper to the upper mark. This time you do not have to lift your EverGreen Helper. The water level in your EverGreen Helper will go down as water flows into your stand. If you wish, put your finger into your stand to check that the water is near the top.
- Put the lid on your EverGreen Helper.
- Now your only task is to keep the water level between the two marks you made in step 1
- For the first few days, expect your tree to be very thirsty and rapidly consume water. Three or four times a day (especially morning and evening), grab your pitcher and add water to your EverGreen Helper, stopping at the upper mark.
- After a few days your tree will consume water less rapidly. You may only need to add water to your EverGreen Helper once a day. Whenever the water level in your EverGreen Helper is at, or near, the lower mark (or you are going away for the day) use your pitcher and add water.
- As an extra precaution, once a day lift your EverGreen Helper (with water near the upper mark) up 5 to 6 inches for 5 seconds. This forces water through the tubing and discourages air gaps from blocking the flow of water to your stand.
Disassembly and Storage
Disassembly and storage. Let’s put your EverGreen Helper away for next year.
- Keep the tubing in your stand and untie the fat twist tie. Keep the fat twist tie for next year.
- Partially remove the tubing from your stand. Before it comes all the way out, close the open end of the tubing with your thumb. Remove the tubing from your stand and hold the open end of the tubing above your EverGreen Helper.
- Keep the open end of the tubing above your EverGreen Helper and take your EverGreen Helper to your sink. Empty the water.
- Leave the tubing and barb attached to your EverGreen Helper. Removing either of them is likely to damage your EverGreen Helper.
- Allow your EverGreen Helper and its tubing to dry before storing.
Solutions to Possible Problems
Water is leaking
Possible Cause 1: Poor connection between barb and EverGreen Helper
Solution 1: Unscrew the barb, replace the teflon plumber’s tape and reconnect the barb to your EverGreen Helper. Follow Step 4 of the User Guide above to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 2: Poor connection between tubing and barb
Solution 2: You may need to push the tubing further on the barb. This can be facilitated by pouring (or running) hot water over the barb and the end of the tube. The hot water will soften the tubing a bit and make it easier to push it further up the barb. A zip tie may be used to secure the tubing to the barb. Follow step 4 in the User Guide to fill and start water flow.
Water is spilling out of my stand
Possible Cause 1: Overfilled EverGreen Helper
Solution 1: Do NOT fill your EverGreen Helper above the upper mark.
Possible Cause 2: Leak in stand
Solution 2: Even with a screw in place, the screw holes in your stand are not water tight and will leak. The upper mark on your EverGreen Helper must be ½ inch below the level of any hole in your stand.
Possible Cause 3: Incorrect mark on EverGreen Helper
Solution 3 : Review Step 1 in the User Guide to make sure that the upper water level mark on your EverGreen Helper is correctly placed.
Possible Cause 4: EverGreen Helper is above the stand
Solution 4 : Position the bottom of you EverGreen Helper and the bottom of your stand on the floor.
Possible Cause 5: Are you, perhaps, using a new or different stand this year?
Solution 5: When you change stands you will need to make new upper and lower water level marks on your EverGreen Helper to match the new stand. Go back to Step 1 of the User Guide, do not pass Go! and do not collect $200.00.
Water level in my EverGreen Helper is not going down
Possible Cause 1: Open end of tubing is higher than the cut bottom of the tree
Solution 1: Reposition the tubing so that the open end is at the bottom of your stand and has not curled up higher than you intended. You may need to untie and resecure the tubing in your stand. Follow Step 4 of the User Guide to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 2: Cut bottom of the tree is above lower level of water in the stand
Solution 2: Remark the lower water level on your EverGreen Helper. Follow Step 4 of the User Guide to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 3: Something is on the tubing
Solution 3: Remove what is on the tubing. Follow Step 4 of the User Guide to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 4: Kink in tubing
Solution 4: This is OK. Even severe kinks will not stop water flowing to your stand.
Possible Cause 5: Air bubble in tubing
Solution 5: Air bubbles can usually be removed by filling your EverGreen helper to the the upper mark and then lifting your EverGreen Helper about 6 inches for 5 seconds. Follow Step 4 of the User Guide to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 6: Tree is dry
Solution 6: Some trees are harvested as early as September; some trees are just bad. The tree lot expects you to cut several inches off the base of your tree to reveal a fresh end. After several weeks, even healthy trees may stop consuming water.
My EverGreen Helper needs lots of refills
For the first few days this will most certainly be the case as a new tree is very thirsty. That said, we have also noted the following other possible reasons for this issue:
Possible Cause 1: Your dog is drinking from the tree stand (seriously!).
Solution 1: Show your dog alternate drinking solutions and make sure the lid is on your EverGreen Helper.
Possible Cause 2: EverGreen Helper is too small for size of tree
Solution 2: Use a larger EverGreen Helper or use two EverGreen Helpers with one stand.
Water in my EverGreen Helper is gross
Possible Cause 1: Age (or, this could be the dog again?)
Solution 1: Discolored water will not affect function.
Tubing changed color
Possible Cause 1: Age and use
Solution 1: With use, the tubing will discolor. This will not affect function.