Today was a very productive day working in the yard. The cold weather kept me in far too long recently. I wanted to be outside.
The temperature was perfect with a bright blue sky and little wind. One of my first chores was hooking the hoses and sprinklers up again. I had unhooked everything to prevent freezing, or so I thought.
The first hose leaked like a sieve from the faucet and hose connection. So, I put that task on hold until my husband could figure it out. Then, I turned on the automatic irrigation system to give the lawns and trees a good soak.
Three out of the five stations had problems. One had a head that was completely busted off, shooting water like the Bellagio fountain. Another station has an underground leak and a head that won’t shut off.
Finally, the last station had two heads that were stuck. Being early in the season, this is fairly normal for a system that is 35 years old in some areas. However, it also required a trip to two box stores for sprinkler heads, hose parts, washers and so on.
I dug up the heads and my husband installed and adjusted the spray distance and width. My neighbor Roni loaned me her short-handled drain spade which simplified the job. I can’t believe that in 35 years of digging up irrigation heads and lines I have never had one of these great tools.
In the end, turning the irrigation system on was an all-day task. But happily the yard is being watered as I write this. Roni and I were talking about the difference in our yards.
I tol.
