Sunday, March 9, 2008

When It Rains...it Leaks!

Since it's getting ready for our regular grass to begin coming back, I thought it was time to add that sprinkler that was missing in our backyard system. I had a landscaping company come and give me a free estimate which sounded totally reasonable to me, so I told them to do it. Since they were here, I asked how much more it would be to trim our hybiscus bushes--the price was right, so I added that on too.

As the guy was getting ready to leave, I asked him if he would look at our drip system since I didn't think that it worked and we hadn't been able to figure it out. He was happy to give it a look and went over to our sprinkler box. When he turned on the system, the box made a rather loud humming noise which it has always done since we've lived here. He told me that it shouldn't be making any noise and that the wires were probably in need of replacement. We went through the programming of each day and noticed that the box displayed--Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Now, doesn't that sound about like the perfect week? Two Saturdays in there? Ahhh yeah. Great for a lifestyle, not great for a sprinkling system.


The cost of replacing the box is not something that I wanted to add to the list and it isn't urgent at the moment, so it didn't get done. However, right after he turned off the sprinkler system, which had been running for maybe two minutes, he noticed that there was a leak right next to our house. We decided to check it out further, so I walked closer and he turned the water on again and the water bubbled to the surface about like the oil gurgles through the ground in the Beverly Hillbillies show. Oh no! What am I supposed to do about this? My man, the landscape guy, does these repairs too! Happy day--add it to the bill.

That's when we turn around and notice there's another leak at the end of the driveway--even worse than the leak by the house. Ahhh, all those mornings last summer when Derek would leave for work, he'd comment on how we must be watering our lawn too heavily because there was always a ton of water in the street. Question answered. Oh yeah, that water bill I got for $150 dollars last November, after I had stopped watering the lawn--that explains that too.

Did I mention he found another leak in the backyard by our shed? My, oh my. What the heck, just go pluck some of the cash off the money tree we planted in the backyard and come back tomorrow and fix the leaks, add the sprinkler, fix the broken sprinkler and trim the hybiscus.


Saturday morning, we all, Derek me and the kids, got up and ate a delicious waffle breakfast prepared with love by yours truly and then we went outside to pull weeds in our front lawn. Derek also edged the lawn. I realize most of you can't even see your lawns through the snow and we're pulling weeds! Our HOA is very picky on two points--weeds and parking in the street. Don't do either or they're likely to come by and post some sign in your yard decrying your terrible negligence. We'd been warned so we had a mission to get weeds pulled and since the landscaping guys were coming, we anticipated a beautiful new yard by the end of the day.

Well, after the first three leaks were repaired, a funny thing happened. Let me explain it this way. When you have a leak, water is not being distributed like it should to all the other places where your underground pipes connect. Once you fix a leak in one spot, you may discover that you have leaks elsewhere that you didn't realize were there because water was never reaching those other leaks. That's right--two more leaks for a grand total of FIVE leaks that had to be fixed.

You know what, the leaks didn't cost that much to be fixed considering how much money I paid in water bills last summer. The two neighbors came out and sympathized and said that a sprinkler system here only lasts about ten years--this house is on its twelfth year, so I guess we were lucky.

I just have to say that there must be some incredible prayers that were answered and blessings that were provided to us while we were in school because since we've moved we've had our TV break, our phone break, one of our cars need major repairs, the other car had to get new brakes, Ryanna had six cavities and some other items I'm blocking right now. Please, let's not have anything else break in the next six months...our money tree is out of season.

14 comments:

Kelli said...

Do you have a Home Depot card, because I do. I suppose it should come standard issue with owning a home.

You should of had Derek call Jarom about the sprinkling system. They are super easy to fix. Plus, if Derek fixes it, then it cost less, and then you get to go shopping. It leaves everyone a little happier.

DONNA J. said...

Welcome to the world of owning your own home! Makes you wonder why anyone would ever want to own rental income property...'cause you'd have to fix those things too. Aaarghghg!!! The good news is that sprinkler systems are pretty easy to work with...the new box with valves and timer (depending on number of zones) should run you somewhere in the neighborhood of less than $75. Home Depot has a six zone Orbit timer on sale for $25 right now and the valve system for under $40. The wire isn't cheap but it isn't expensive either. Maybe in your spare time, you could start up a sprinkler repair business...haha.

Sherm is also a great resource for sprinkler and drip systems. Our dog, Lexi, ate most of our drip system this winter. Not only that, she ate the coaxial cable to the satellite dish (twice). She also ate the grapes, a tree, the corner off of her dog house and five rocks (the size of egg yolks) that she ralphed on the carpet in the family room. She is a mix between a Golden Retriever and Border Collie. So we figure that she'll chew 'til she's two and shed 'til she's dead. Good luck!

Lara Neves said...

We've had major issues with our sprinkler system, too. And since we're renting we're not paying to get it fixed, but the landlord isn't either. Oh well. :) I'm glad you got your stuff fixed and I hope it lasts another ten years for you!

Oh...and where can I buy a money tree? I'd really like to plant one...I'm sure the landlord wouldn't mind too much.

Jenn Toon said...

I'm with Lara! Where did you find the money tree? Seems everyone is sold out these days!!
Glad you got it all fixed. So not cheap to get anything done on a house. And if you don't have the time to fix it - then you have to get someone to do it. UG!
Hope your rain brings a rainbow soon!

mmhamblin said...

I guess it's true what they say, "When it rains, it pours!"

wackywilsons said...

The price you pay for beautiful winter grass...that is something that is NOT done here in El Paso, surprisingly. I have only seen it ONE time, on the side of a road by a store. EVeryone else just leaves their dead, yellow grass for months. Next year, if we have it landscaped by then (I hope!), we will definitley do the luxurious winter grass thing too...

Lacey said...

Sounds about right! I want to go back to school!!!

Mariley Johnson said...

I can't say that this blog makes me want to jump right up and buy a home! But, you know eventually we will and we'll jump right on the wagon with you. Until then, good luck.

Heather said...

Sorry about all the leaks. It kind of made me glad I am renting right now!

Erica said...

Way to take initiative and get it all done at once!! Now you can just sit back, sip your lemonade and bask in your warm weather. Can't put a price on that right?? Winter grass?? Dang I am living in the wrong place. I only know the white stuff that comes in winter and sticks to my lawn for seemingly months on end.

Julie said...

So my husband and I should not be complaining so much about lugging hoses and sprinklers all over our yard in the summer? LOL! Oh, and where did you order the seeds for that money tree? I totally need one!

DKAZ said...

Oh dang, I was hoping you'd save a bit of money for us, our medical bills last year were a nightmare. I'm sorry to hear all of that though, you must've been freaking out.

JenW said...

oh man, i hope the money tree comes back soon:) kendall's dad calls our honda a "blessing-mobile" and says that the day he graduates Alice will die for sure....we'll see, she's tough so hopefully she'll hold together...i know the feeling, we had so many things break all at once a couple of months ago...sigh...i hope nothing else goes that way for you right now!

Marielle said...

amazing how those things always happen at the same time.

I agree with what you said about blessings while in school. I was grateful our Dodge Spirit was still kickin' when Scott graduated. It got us through half of his bachelors and all his masters without a car payment. It wasn't cool that the a/c went out when we moved here in June '05 but at least it was running.

Marielle