A geyser in my neighbor's back yard
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
Eugene, Oregon
June 28, 2016 10:11am CST
It was very warm here yesterday. I went out in the back yard to refresh the water in my bird bath at about 5:30 PM. Right about that time, my neighbor, Janet, turned on a sprinkler in her back yard, creating a horizontal geyser that shot across at an angle into my yard. The angle is important, since, if it had gone straight, it would have nailed me with a fire-hose strength stream of cold water.
That would not have been all bad given the temperature of the air, but what a cold, wet surprise I would have had. I tried to help her get it turned off, but while I was looking for heavy pliers, she found the tool she needed and controlled the flow. It turns out to be an elbow pipe break in her underground sprinkler system and won't be too hard to repair for someone who knows what they are doing. That does not describe me when it comes to any kind of pipes.
16 people like this
14 responses
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
28 Jun 16
That I did, and it was quite pleasant. That chilly surprise would have been a very funny thing to watch if it had happened.
5 people like this
@TheHorse (205693)
• Walnut Creek, California
28 Jun 16
@JamesHxstatic Watch, perhaps. But experience?
4 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
28 Jun 16
It would have been a cooling shock to my system.
3 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
29 Jun 16
Oh goodness, glad you didn't get wet!
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jun 16
The wet would have been a surprise, but I had not thought about flying pieces or pipe.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jun 16
Oops, it was PVC so no real worries, lol.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
28 Jun 16
i bet such 'twas most shockin' 'n thankfully ya didn't get't directly. ya sound like the hubs'n the plumbin' department. if'n he 'twas to start such a project, he'd break more than he fixed.
i'd a geyser'n my backyard 'bout 6 years 'go. put a new pump'n the pond 'n went out to work horses. all sorts'f commotion 'twas comin' from the calves 'n horses, dogs were goin' off, etc. i stopped what i was doin', turned 'round to find water shootin' 'bout 30 foot into the air. seems the pond pump'd a faulty fittin' (so's they told me when i called...'n they promptly sent me a repair kit free'f charge) 'n blew the end off. the fish t'weren't too happy, their water supply quickly depletin' coz that pump ran 'bout 1200 gallons per minute!
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
29 Jun 16
@JamesHxstatic 'twas a sight to behold 'n i nearly drowned tryin' to get to the plug to cut't off :) those poor dears were freakin' out!
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jun 16
Wow! That is a lot of water all at once! No wonder the animals were sounding off.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jun 16
Her daughter's friend got it fixed this morning. Thanks!
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
28 Jun 16
My parents house had a sprinkler but it didn't have underground pipes.
It was just attached to a hose and the hose went to the outside tap.
Not as flashy as underground pipes but way easier to fix when the pipe broke
4 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16533)
• China
29 Jun 16
Oh ,your neighbor carried out an artifical precipitation for you .It is a good job she got it fixed soon.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40053)
• Laguna Woods, California
29 Jun 16
Wow! That must have been a shock! Glad it was quickly controlled.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jun 16
Me too, it is not good to over water a neighbor.
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
29 Jun 16
This is always exciting. Had a similar explosion in a sprinkler line. After the water was turned off, it wasn't too hard to fix. It is great luck to have this happen when peop,e are home, otherwise 
2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
28 Jun 16
A bit of excitement in your neighborhood. It's been fairly warm here, too.
3 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
28 Jun 16
I would just end up making it worse if I tried to fix that.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Jun 16
I break things a lot better than fix them.
2 people like this
