After power-washing the whole back-side walkway at the Low Granite Outcropping and clearing away the built-up slippery algae and moss (with our used, $35 Generac 2300psi washer), the valve-box on the downhill side of the house filled up with water. It was enough effort just to get the power-washer to run properly, even with fresh gas it was surging, and so we called it a night.
We thought it was all the down-stream flow that filled it, coincidentally.
When I was told it was full again, I got a small pump and pumped it out – and then after the next cycle of watering it re-filled. Oh great. The valves again? So we re-pumped and it’s likely the whole array is another piece of toast.
And there are some other things to fix. The wiring and the actual house cut-off valve.
We’re going to re-do the whole mess – and it is a mess with various hodge-podge repairs evident over time.
And some cheap, post-hole cement was used to patch the concrete sidewalk when they installed the propane tank for the cook-top.
Never properly done, we’ll cut it out and re-do that, floating it properly and using sidewalk cement not just ditch-filler.
Dig We Must
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Perhaps this might be time to take an overview of the water requirements of the property.
Well, if not done already. Artificially supporting greenery that doesn’t belong in CA, to start with, and maybe cut back on the total amount of it.
Alternatively, could you dig out that bog, and build an underground grotto/storage area for water? A large container that you could then portion out over the hot times to keep your plant menagerie looking healthy? And, a backup source for you in bad times? Would it even be legal?
Hi Will! Indeed my wive has been particularly aggressive with watering requirements, removing a thirsty bunch of non-native (and pink- yeesh!) azaleas, and replanting with ground-cover manzanitas as we have torn out plants and leveled yard-areas with tanbark. Proximity of neighbors on the other side of the trees, and the steep slop prevents doing anything big under there, more pics to come.
Oh joy… Such is the life of the Nth homeowner… fixing ALL the ‘fixes’ that came before…
This one is gonna be really bitchin! Also Professional-Grade, or at least Commercial Grade instead of Squirrel Grade. There were a LOT of pine-tree roots wound in there we had to cut and peel back.