Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[DaveOmak]

My garlic is sprouting! There are little green spears shooting up. They are about three inches tall.
Now, what?

Harvest it next June/July....

 

[ozexpat]

I have never grown garlic but may have to. There has been a price fixing scandal here and it's super expensive.

The fun of living in the tropics. You know those hoses that are under the sink to connect the valve to the faucet? The ones that have chinese finger torture/cuffs of woven stainless steel mesh surrounding them that last a life time?

Last night I was working on some food prep on the kitchen counter top when I heard a sudden sound of water hitting the under side of the sink. Water was free glowing onto the kitchen floor. I went out side and isolated the valve but atleat 20 gallons of water was in the house. One of those made in USA hoses had rusted and blew a hole.

I need to ensure we turn the main valve to the house off when we are away...

I also need to buy a 40psi pressure limiting valve/regulator.

 

[ozexpat]

The supply hose arrived and is installed. No body had heard of a pressure limiting valve so I have to buy one in USA.

It's basically like the gas regulator on a barbeque propane tank. I can't measure the water pressure but it varies from a dribble to the shower pinning you to the wall. When it peaks it is more than triple town water in LA. It has even blown apart some polypipe compression fittings.

I loaded up on plywood, rebar and some sewer pipe as well.

The guys finished the extra chamber fit the septic and created an opening. Not a pretty job. Still, they did it without complaint. They put the concrete lid on it today.

Tomorrow we have to clear the debris from the main pipe that has been allowed to sediment.

I put a boat load of enzyme producing bacteria in the system.

Ahhh the joys of rural living.

 

[MistyMountain]

Ick, septic issues are not fun. We had one this past summer. We *thought* our septic was on the edge of the driveway where the sycamore trees are. After some test digging and referring to a rough sketch with measurements that could have had any number of possible locations on the wall of the utility room DH started digging in the driveway. Yup. They put in the driveway. Under crumbling pavement and 8" or so of gravel on top of that. We just had a family member visit with his tractor trailer loaded down. He missed driving over the septic system by inches. We've had an interesting summer/fall here on the homestead.

I tell ya, that John Deere tractor has paid for itself ten times over by now.

 

[ocap]

I found a water pressure regulator valve in the RV section of my wally world (several years ago).

 

[MistyMountain]

I found a water pressure regulator valve in the RV section of my wally world (several years ago).

They do carry them there! You may need to hit a more specialty RV/Camping store if you want to deal with different water pressures, though. I remember when I went to buy one that they had several options, one claiming to regulate the pressure but still give enough for an "amazing" shower. I have a couple extra out in our camper, I'd toss one your way if I could!

 

[perchie.girl]

The supply hose arrived and is installed. No body had heard of a pressure limiting valve so I have to buy one in USA.

It's basically like the gas regulator on a barbeque propane tank. I can't measure the water pressure but it varies from a dribble to the shower pinning you to the wall. When it peaks it is more than triple town water in LA. It has even blown apart some polypipe compression fittings.

I loaded up on plywood, rebar and some sewer pipe as well.

The guys finished the extra chamber fit the septic and created an opening. Not a pretty job. Still, they did it without complaint. They put the concrete lid on it today.

Tomorrow we have to clear the debris from the main pipe that has been allowed to sediment.

I put a boat load of enzyme producing bacteria in the system.

Ahhh the joys of rural living.

I had to have a pressure regulator put on my house here in Santee. The water pressure was so high it was turning the faucets on..... The actual mechanism isnt cheap and it required a plumber to install because I had no clue. It was a big brass thing.... Hopefully you can get a pvc one I do know they make them.

If at all possible Do you think you could buy a water storage tank and run the city water to that.... Then put a roebust water float valve on that.... Let the pressure do what it wants. Then run a booster pump from the water tank to provide water pressure to the house?

This is what I am planning for in the future for my own house. I have a very low producing well. Good pressure from the well pump but the well goes dry within a few minutes so the pump saver switch shuts it off. I can relieve the stress on the well pump by trickle feeding a large water tank.... I already have a 3000 gallon one for watering the livestock. With my well issues it takes ten days to fill that tank. BUT If I kept it full by trickle feeding it and plumbed it directly to the house I would have water for all. I already put a booster pump on the big tank and It will send water out of all the hose bibs so strong its like city pressure.

Here in the states... specifically San Diego County you can get those big tanks for around 1000 dollars. Mine is Galvanized but they make HDPE ones.... The green kind.

So this septic system you modifiied is this for your house or the piggery? From what I have been told by my septic guy that they need no added enzymes because all that is needed for a septic system comes from the gut.... The deal is our waste contains a lot of fat. when the enzymes do their job they leave the fat in particles. those make their way into the leach field and plug the leach field .... eventually.

For what its worth Soap contains a considerable amount of fat.... Bar soap that is.

deb

 

[ozexpat]

The pressure regulator I need is similar to the RV versions but will have to handle high flow rates.

The septic is the house unit. It was a completely sealed system with a single baffle. I brought it up to code. It is now working fine.

I only add bacteria as it can go months without a delivery of human gut bacteria.

We are building "palpals" today. Little fences to go around fruit trees to stop the animals from destroying them before they can grow.

 

[ozexpat]

The palpal prototype has been made. We set up the saw with a block to make a stopper so no measuring was required. We turned 30 dimensional 1*3*8 into 90 32" lengths in about 30 minutes.

The uprights are 2*2 with one leg on each side 50" and the other 70" they will become a cuboid box 32*32*40 around each tree.

I will post photos on the weekend!!!

 

[scottcaddy]

The palpal prototype has been made. We set up the saw with a block to make a stopper so no measuring was required. We turned 30 dimensional 1*3*8 into 90 32" lengths in about 30 minutes.

The uprights are 2*2 with one leg on each side 50" and the other 70" they will become a cuboid box 32*32*40 around each tree.

I will post photos on the weekend!!!

It's already friday, so's 1 more day

Thanks OZ

Scott