I've spent the day wrestling with my sprinkler system. I have a timer-controlled system that in general is very good. It has 8 different circuits; 3 in the front and 5 in the back. The 5 in the back are all in one group along the back side of th house; reasonably easy to get to.

They've been in there for a while, though, and I am now having to replace backflow vales and control solenoids. Unfortunately, I can't seem to get official "Richdel" (the anufacturer of the sprinler valves) replacement parts - I end up buying "generic" solenoids from Home Depot. They are the same form factor but the mechanical interface to the valvel body internals are slightly different.

I had some problems today replacing a couple of solenoids and backflows. The wiring is getting a little weak; the PVC covering on the solenoid wires is soft and puffy. Add the fact that the grease cups the wire nuts are in are breaking down and this means the solenoids don't fire when the voltage is put to them.

So I was trying to replace solenoids by simply removing and replacing, but it wasn't working. I finally dug out the wiring harness and wrote down all the circuit wire colors and I'l re-wire the whole mess tomorow. Fresh wire, fresh grease cups, a whle set of solenoids. Should be fine.

Also, the cats have taken to their cat beds finally; they were both in theirs this afternoon when I came up there to see what they were up to. Eventually Fig stretched out and was laying on the carpet with his rear legs still inside the bed. Very funny.