For the past several years I've had Wissco come and blow out our sprinkler system in the fall and turn it back on in the spring. It's actually an expensive process but knowing my abilities, or more like lack there of when it comes to stuff like that I thought it best.
Two years ago there was an independant sprinkler guy blowing out our neighbors system and he asked if I'd like to get ours done. I'd already had Wissco complete the task for the year but said I'd take his card and call him the following year. His price was considerably lower than what I was paying and our neighbors seemed pleased with his work. So this past fall I had Randy come blow out the sprinklers in the fall and saved myself several dollars.
I'd called Randy in March to see if he could come and turn on the sprinklers at the end of April but got his voice mail. I waited for a week or so and hadn't heard back from him so I decided to go ahead and make an appointment with Wissco (there goes that 'patience' flaw again!) A couple days after I'd made the appointment Randy left me a voice mail and said it was probably too cold yet to turn the sprinklers on and to call him back in April.
About a week or so ago I called Randy back to see what he'd charge to come turn the sprinklers on. He said that I could do it and he'd walk me through the process on the phone and that way I wouldn't have to pay for anything. So believe it or not I was able to 'git r done' and the sprinklers were functioning just fine. I was still a little cold and suppose to rain so after the initial test of each zone I opted to leave them turned off for the meanwhile.
It had rained a few times and we'd had some fertilizer put down and the grass was growing as it does in the early spring, very unevenly. The lawn really needed to be mowed so I decided to for go my trip to the gym after work and come home and cut the grass.
I fired up the lawn mower and started on the tree lawn. I always start mowing on the tree lawn. I don't know why....its a habit. I'm cruisin along and the mower bumps into something. I pulled back on the mower and then pushed forward with more force just thinking that perhaps it was a mole tunnel or something that I need to go over. As soon as I did I heard this zzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiippppppppppp. I knew immediately what it was and was sick to my stomach. When I tested the zones for the sprinklers one of the heads didn't retract back into the ground and I buzzed the thing right off. I couldn't believe it. How could I have been so stupid.
So I'm thinkin' so much for saving money on having the sprinklers turned on. Had Wissco come out they check everything thouroughly and the sprinkler head would have probably never been left in the up position. How much was this gonna cost now to have a service call! Probably twice as much as I would have paid to have them come out and turn them on. I could see the $$ signs rolling in my head.
I found out from my son that our landscaper also can service sprinkler systems so I called him and confessed what I'd done. Dan said he'd be happy to come out and make the repair. I haven't gotten the bill from yet but I'm hopeful that it will be less painful than what I anticipated.
See why, when it comes to me, I should let trained people do their job! If were up to me I'd have a yard full of fountains!
Two years ago there was an independant sprinkler guy blowing out our neighbors system and he asked if I'd like to get ours done. I'd already had Wissco complete the task for the year but said I'd take his card and call him the following year. His price was considerably lower than what I was paying and our neighbors seemed pleased with his work. So this past fall I had Randy come blow out the sprinklers in the fall and saved myself several dollars.
I'd called Randy in March to see if he could come and turn on the sprinklers at the end of April but got his voice mail. I waited for a week or so and hadn't heard back from him so I decided to go ahead and make an appointment with Wissco (there goes that 'patience' flaw again!) A couple days after I'd made the appointment Randy left me a voice mail and said it was probably too cold yet to turn the sprinklers on and to call him back in April.
About a week or so ago I called Randy back to see what he'd charge to come turn the sprinklers on. He said that I could do it and he'd walk me through the process on the phone and that way I wouldn't have to pay for anything. So believe it or not I was able to 'git r done' and the sprinklers were functioning just fine. I was still a little cold and suppose to rain so after the initial test of each zone I opted to leave them turned off for the meanwhile.
It had rained a few times and we'd had some fertilizer put down and the grass was growing as it does in the early spring, very unevenly. The lawn really needed to be mowed so I decided to for go my trip to the gym after work and come home and cut the grass.
I fired up the lawn mower and started on the tree lawn. I always start mowing on the tree lawn. I don't know why....its a habit. I'm cruisin along and the mower bumps into something. I pulled back on the mower and then pushed forward with more force just thinking that perhaps it was a mole tunnel or something that I need to go over. As soon as I did I heard this zzzzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiippppppppppp. I knew immediately what it was and was sick to my stomach. When I tested the zones for the sprinklers one of the heads didn't retract back into the ground and I buzzed the thing right off. I couldn't believe it. How could I have been so stupid.
So I'm thinkin' so much for saving money on having the sprinklers turned on. Had Wissco come out they check everything thouroughly and the sprinkler head would have probably never been left in the up position. How much was this gonna cost now to have a service call! Probably twice as much as I would have paid to have them come out and turn them on. I could see the $$ signs rolling in my head.
I found out from my son that our landscaper also can service sprinkler systems so I called him and confessed what I'd done. Dan said he'd be happy to come out and make the repair. I haven't gotten the bill from yet but I'm hopeful that it will be less painful than what I anticipated.
See why, when it comes to me, I should let trained people do their job! If were up to me I'd have a yard full of fountains!
No comments:
Post a Comment