Fixing the Leak

When we got home, there was a lot to deal with.  I think that will always be the case when you are away from your home for 1 1/2 years.  There was a mountain of mail to sort through (a neighbor threw away all of the junk mail as it came, but there was a pile of other mail to go through.)  That generated all kinds of problems to deal with: car inspections, underpaid property taxes, jury duty for both of us, car repair recalls, other bills, etc, etc.)  We also both had to set and go to doctor, eye doctor, and dentist appointments and have lab and screening tests.  Our home, though well cared for while we were gone had repairs that needed to be done. And all this to be done while dealing with extreme jet lag!  We had four plumbing issues to deal with.  I say we, but it was really Ken who took care of them, one by one.  By far the most worrisome was an obvious leak near our front outdoor spigot.  A hole and small pond had developed there.  Those caring for our home and yard had noticed it over a year ago.  They could see on the water meter that a small amount of water was always running. 

Ken sought expert advice, then decided the only way to find out was to start digging.  So, one morning he turned off the water and started digging.  He dug and dug and dug.  It was over 100 degrees that day. He finally got down to where the main water line and the pipe up to the spigot met.  He then had me watch while he turned on the water.

And, sure enough, there was the leak- right at that intersection.

Our friend, a professional came over and cut and replaced the pipe where it leaked.  We watched it overnight, and determined the leak was fixed.

Ken filled in the hole the next day and reseeded the grass.

This was leaking for a long time.  We know we were blessed:  It never got bigger, though it leaked for over a year.  It was in a place that could be reached without destroying the concrete.  The water never reached the house or caused any damage in our basement, etc.  Ken was able to do most of the work himself, saving us a lot of money.  We know we were blessed.  And that completes the major repairs and concerns.  It was the last big one.  Maybe it's time to go on another mission?  Um, no.