a. Examine your Christmas tree stand for screw holes and other places where water can leak out (leak points).
b. Place your tree stand and your EverGreen Helper side by side. On your EverGreen Helper draw a mark that is ½ inch below the lowest leak point on your stand. Never add water higher than this mark. It may help to put tape on your EverGreen Helper and put the mark on the tape.
c. 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.
a. Each year before use, put your EverGreen Helper in your sink. Raise the open end of the tubing above the EverGreen Helper and fill your EverGreen Helper with water.
b. Check for leaks where the tubing connects to the smartBarbÔ.
c. Lower all of the tubing below the smartBarb and check that water easily flows through the tubing. If water did not flow through the tubing, poke the smartBarb opening with a toothpick.
d. Empty the water from your EverGreen Helper.
a. Remember your tree needs a fresh cut of at least 2 inches before going into its stand. Place your tree in your stand and align as you wish. Put your EverGreen Helper in the desired position near your tree. Do not position your EverGreen Helper higher or lower than the water holding portion of your stand. The bottom of the water holding portion of your stand and the bottom of your EverGreen Helper need to be at the same level.
b. Remove odd coils in the tubing. A bend at the smartBarb 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.
c. 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.
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.
a. Use a pitcher to add water to your EverGreen Helper. Stop at the mark you made in step 1. Do not fill your EverGreen Helper above this mark. If you do, water will likely flow out of your stand and onto your floor.
b. To start the water flowing, lift and hold your EverGreen Helper 5 to 6 inches off your floor. Hold for 10 seconds and then put your EverGreen Helper down.
c. After 1 to 2 minutes, check that the water level in your stand has gone up. Use your pitcher and refill your EverGreen Helper to the 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. If the water level in your EverGreen Helper did not go down, refer to trouble shooting.
d. Put the lid on your EverGreen Helper.
a. Now your only task is to keep the water level between the smartBarb and the mark from step 1. Do not allow the EverGreen Helper to run dry and expose the smartBarb.
b. 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 mark you made in step 1.
c. 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 smartBarb (or you are going away for the day) use your pitcher and add water.
d. As an extra precaution, once a day lift your EverGreen Helper (with water near the 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 - Deluxe
Water is leaking
Possible Cause 1: Poor connection between tubing and smartBarb
Solution 1: Push the tubing further onto the smartBarb. A zip tie may be used to secure the tubing onto the smartBarb. Follow instructions in step 4 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 mark.
Possible Cause 2: Leak in stand
Solution 2: A hole in your stand, even with a screw in place, will leak. The mark on your EverGreen Helper must be ½ inch below the level of any hole (leak point) in your stand.
Possible Cause 3: Incorrect mark on EverGreen Helper
Solution 3: Review step 1 to mark water level and check that the mark on your EverGreen Helper is correctly placed.
Possible Cause 4: EverGreen Helper is above the stand
Solution 4: Position your EverGreen Helper so that the bottom of your EverGreen Helper and the bottom of your stand are both 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 a new water level mark 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: Something is on the tubing
Solution 2: Remove what is on the tubing. Follow Step 4 of the User Guide to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 3: Tree debris blocked tubing hole
Solution 3: Inspect end of tubing and remove debris.
Possible Cause 4: Kink in tubing
Solution 4: This is OK. Severe kinks, even at the smartBarb, 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 its 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 just bad. Your tree may have been cut down a long time before it was purchased. Perhaps insufficient trunk was removed to produce a fresh end. After several weeks, even healthy trees may stop consuming water.
Water is flowing out of my stand and into my EverGreen Helper
Possible Cause 1: Difference in level of bottom of stand and EverGreen Helper
Solution 1: Make sure that the bottom of the water holding portion of your stand and the bottom of your EverGreen Helper are at the same level. Follow instructions in step 4 to fill and start water flow.
Possible Cause 2: Temporary difference in water levels
Solution 2: If your EverGreen Helper is held up for too long there is more water in your stand than in your EverGreen Helper. It is OK for the water to flow into your EverGreen Helper.
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 causes:
Possible Cause 1: Your dog is drinking from the tree stand (seriously!).
Solution 1: Show your dog alternate drinking solutions. 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.