AiS: The Most Expensive Sprinkler in Town

Seven years ago when moved into our house, we had the water supply line to the house replaced. For seven years, we've had about 50 feet of excess PEX pipe from that project sitting in our crawlspace. It's probably $35 worth of pipe.

Can you guess what my husband did with it?

Hint: It involved a drill. And a few inexpensive connector pieces from Lowe's.

There really is nothing my husband loves more than using his drill and scrap material around the house to create something. And it's a big bonus for him if there's a trip to Lowe's involved. It's like living with the male version of Heloise, actually.  (Incidentally, my grandmother, who loved Heloise, was closing chip bags with clothes pins 50 years ago and they all laughed at her. Don't know why I felt like throwing that in there, but there it is. RIP Wacky Jeanne. Love you, lady!) 

The "sprinkler" is about 50 feet long and can be dragged around the yard and placed in any configuration. It can be positioned in standing loops or laid flat on the ground or hung from a tree branch or a hook in a tree. It's also lightweight, so even the kids can drag it around. Of course, it totally ticks off my bossy first born when anyone other than him moves it. Whatever, dude. WHAT.EV.UH.

So, anyhow, enjoy the photos and don't laugh at my husband. Fifty years from now, everyone will be doing this.

Owen approves ...

... but he's hanging on to that golf club, just in case.

A drink from the sprinkler.

The boss man is moving the sprinkler.

Owen shakes a stick at it. Fiona tests the stream.

 

 

An alternate configuration.

Now, over the years, we've wasted money on various sprinklers and backyard pools. The sprinklers never lasted the season, worked properly or provided good coverage and, to boot, scared the hell out of the kids. And every year we'd get a pool that would just have a hole in it by the end of the summer. So this year, we've got a PEX sprinkler and we turned the Clifford sandbox that we found on the side of the road a few years ago into the kids' pool. (They just toss the sand out anyway. I was getting REALLY tired of saying  "Sand stays in the box.")

Cost: less than $10 for hose connectors at Lowe's. (I don't count the cost of the pex piping because it was  "found" materials.)

Benefits: Lawn, garden AND kid watering.

Score!