home improvement turns into science fair projects?

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JR.
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by JR. »

New data points... My improved gutters and downspout drains are fully operational, I can see rain water from one downspout drain pipe dribbling directly into my front yard french drain and out to the front rain ditch. So new water down in my crawl space is not coming from roof run off but coming from the local subsurface ground water. My yard is well saturated with rain water.

I now resolve to add automatic turn on/off.... For almost the same price as an after market add-on level switch, I can buy a new sump pump with automatic switch built in.... I can buy a new 1/2 HP sump pump with switch, two for around $40... My current 1/4 HP sump pump is at least 25-30 years old so long in the tooth.

While I feel bad about discarding appliances that still work, I feel worse about spending almost that much money to upgrade the old soldier with automatic switching, that may die any day now.

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mediatechnology
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by mediatechnology »

I would go for a new pump and keep the old one as a spare or use both.

Pulled up a topo: Looks like you're at 320 feet in a low spot. You get a lot of runoff and groundwater from the north?
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by billshurv »

mediatechnology wrote: Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:47 pm
Pulled up a topo: Looks like you're at 320 feet in a low spot. You get a lot of runoff and groundwater from the north?
Is that a polite way of saying 'you live somewhere that is trying to return to swamp'?

UK is very moist at the moment. The ground was saturated before xmas and the rainy season is still due. where I live is 61m above sea level and where a sizable river meets the Thames that then oozes its way to london. AKA flood plain. I am fed up cycling through 4" water where the road has flooded and the alternative route is a 3 lane road full of idiots who can't use their mirrors.
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by Radardoug »

Out here in Northern NZ its just the opposite. Drought has just been declared. I've had to buy two topups of water so far, and I've never had to buy water here in 20 years. Its a bit of a worry. But then the Aussies are getting it worse, fire and then flood!
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JR.
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

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mediatechnology wrote: Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:47 pm I would go for a new pump and keep the old one as a spare or use both.
already on order...
Pulled up a topo: Looks like you're at 320 feet in a low spot. You get a lot of runoff and groundwater from the north?
I didn't need a topo to figure that out... :lol:
runoff.jpg
The front pipe almost completely underwater is 3' diameter...
rain.jpg
This is actually the improved after picture... You can see why my silt buckets are tied to a nearby tree... otherwise they would end up way down stream.

Since I cut that swale connecting my back ditch system (that does not drain well) to the front ditch system that does drain well, I have reduced flooding and standing water in the neighborhoods east of me... During very heavy rain runoff the water coming down the mid side ditch flows out the back system. After the water level drops some the water flows from back to front. After a serious rain fall, water keeps coming down the mid and back ditch for several days. I suspect its pretty swampy uphill from me releasing water slowly.

We have another flash flood watch forecast for tomorrow night... The good news is it will surely stop raining the minute my new improved sump pump arrives so I can spray my pecan trees with neem oil to kill insect eggs after everything drys out... You can't spray when windy or when rain is expected

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terkio
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by terkio »

I see, the place is humid.
Pecan tree.
I know of a Pecan tree that gives very poorly but was good before.
Could that be because of insects ?
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JR.
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

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terkio wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:47 am I see, the place is humid.
A common pattern is to draw warm humid air up from the gulf of Mexico, then when the next cold front comes through all that moisture precipitates out, "like a cow pissing on a flat rock". :lol: These major cold fronts can also generate severe weather events, there was a tornado in the next county south of me last week. I'm OK because tornados are attracted to mobile homes and I have a brick house.

Pecan tree.
I know of a Pecan tree that gives very poorly but was good before.
I have several Pecan trees but only recently became serious about their care. Last year I used tree spikes fertilizer, and spread some zinc.
Could that be because of insects ?
Yes, insects are one cause for weak, corrupted crops. The year before last I killed 5 squirrels helping themselves to my pecans, this last summer none. I installed security cameras to catch the squirrels in action and they appear to be camera shy... OK with me. I did get a squirrel in my scope sight this week, but while thinking squeeze I jerked the trigger and missed... the squirrel was moving and left the area promptly. Also OK.

One remedy for insect control is spraying while dormant with horticultural oil... I am using neem oil I already have on hand this time. The oil kills insect eggs that were wintering on the tree. Later in the season there are other sprays for mites, fungus, case borers, etc. My trees are old and tall so it is questionable how high up I can spray... I bought an attachment for my pressure washer, I figure spraying even the bottom half of the trees should be better than nothing.

BTW Pecan trees need lots of water, so my damp yard is actually an asset during the growing season. Last summer I blocked my front yard french drain so the trees could keep the water.

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mediatechnology
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by mediatechnology »

I didn't need a topo to figure that out... :lol:
I know you know that but is the groundwater water coming from the north?
It was a question...

I have a similar problem here. We're built on an escarpment and water flows under the front beam wall, through a channel, and out under the back beam wall on its way to the creek about 50 feet downhill and 350 feet south.

My father cut that channel probably 50 years ago and when it became clogged I realized how important it was. One day I looked down from an "upstairs" window and there was water pouring out from under the basement door. It was about a foot deep inside the lower (unfinished) basement.

I keep that channel open now and it hasn't flooded since.
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JR.
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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

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mediatechnology wrote: Wed Feb 12, 2020 9:39 am
I didn't need a topo to figure that out... :lol:
I know you know that but is the water coming from the north?
It was a question...
Sorry, water flow is from uphill (which is north) to downhill (south) of me... Major river a few miles east of me is Chunky river. Even though interstate 20 is elevated mostly higher than old 80 I have seen I-20 closed down by chunky river flooding (one time in recent decades). Ironically perhaps when that happens they detour the traffic over to old 80 for one exit, so right past my house.

I don't see the names on the map for the creeks south of me, but since I have been paying attention they drain well after heavy rains (so far)... At least my front rain ditch system drains well... I have seen the front 3' diameter pipe pretty much full and flowing strong, so lots of moving water. Alternately there is often standing water in my back ditch system.

My 6" drain pipe from mid-side to front (buried below the swale), pulls a lot of water out of the back system for days after it rains... In fact that side of town does not drain well... but drains better since my improvements. 8-) I could stand to trench out my mid to back rain ditch, over the years it silts up and prevents far back water from getting to my buried drain pipe... Messing with silt in the ditch contributed to clogging my old buried pipe with silt so I am less aggressive about messing with them when water is flowing.

My immediate neighbor right behind me had water inside his house from flooding roughly once a year... Since I cut the swale to move the excessive rain water runoff out into the front system, he has not experienced any water inside his house... They were so appreciative that for years they would send me a huge Christmas basket full of fruits and treats every year... I finally convinced them to stop doing that, I am not big on gifts, and the implicit reciprocation they infer.


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Re: home improvement turns into science fair projects?

Post by mediatechnology »

I think its Potterchitto Creek at 310 ft MSL about 1-1/2 miles due south.

https://proaudiodesignforum.com/images/ ... 00_geo.pdf (Due to the size of the pdf it takes awhile to render at any zoom level.)

Your water goes out onto the Hwy 80 drainage system?
It looks like if it weren't for Hwy 80 your water would have no place to go.
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