A New Skill

Well great, I have a new skill to add to my resume.  Head drip system fixer!

Here in Arizona we don't have sprinkler systems that water the lawns because our lawns are gravel.  We have what's called a 'drip system'.  It is a system of plumbing pipes that run all around your yard underneath the gravel.  Attached to those plumbing pipes will be tiny quarter inch water lines that peek above the rock and are placed to provide water to specific plants and trees.  It basically 'drips' out of the tiny water line for an hour or two each day providing a much needed drink to those plants.  

These pipes and hoses are famous for bursting, especially in older homes.  They get dried out and also the sharp gravel rubs on the pipes and eventually everyone ends up with a leak.  Usually it happens when you are away for the summer and who ever is looking after your house fixes it.  

Thankfully, I've successfully avoided dealing with the drip system for 5 winters now.  I mean, come on, I have to deal with everything else, can't I get a break on this one thing?!?!  Unfortunately, all that changed this morning.....a day before I am leaving to go home.  When I went out to get the morning paper, I found a note on my door telling me that I had a leak out front.  A good Samaritan riding her bike at 7:00am when the drip goes off happened by my house and spotted it.  NO!!!!!

Truth to tell, I kinda knew it was there......had noticed it a week ago but was in denial.  I just thought I would let my summer caretaker fix it for me.  But no, I had to face it because dad found out and started obsessing over getting it fixed and he was going to fix it himself come hell or high-water.  So at 9am this morning and 90 degrees, dad and I are out front trying to figure it all out.  I was hoping it was just a bad emitter cap and changed it, whew, that was easy.  Too easy.....it wasn't the problem.   

So....after having to find the book on how to manually operate the drip system, (I hate to read how to fix things, I just want to do!) we turned it on and found out that an underground pipe had sprung a leak.  Shovel in hand, I dug out the gravel around the suspected area and sure enough, the pipe had dried out and was spewing water all over from many, not just one, tiny pinprick size leaks. 

  (Here is where I had to cut a 5" piece out of the leaking underground plumbing hose)

 

Now....let me just say, all this is happening when I should be packing the truck for the trip home, getting dad and me packed, cleaning out the fridge....well, you get the idea.  

Off to the hardware I go to buy hose and coupler caps.  Dad thinks he needs to go with me, but even though he taught all he knew to my 3 brothers, dad didn't raise no dummy daughter.  I 'can' learn to figure things out even when I don't really want to!  The hardware store had just what I needed and lo and behold, I was able to fix the leak before dad even knew I was back!  He was amazed.  And so was I, and I don't know why I ever dreaded tackling that monster. 

 Here I am inserting the coupler onto the old hose that wasn't leaking.

Notice of course, that in honor of going home, I just had my nails done yesterday!!!   GRRRR.

 And here is the finished job!

And...there was no damage to newly done nails!!

So I can now proudly say that I can fix an Arizona drip system....ok, maybe just a little leak on one, but I CAN do it!!   I am woman....hear me roar!!!

 

And....this is my last post for a couple of days until we get back home and settled in.  Don't forget about me, I WILL be back!

Bye for now,

Karen