Idiot cable company came out to bury a cable and managed to cut EVERY SINGLE CABLE for my backyard sprinkler system.

This is the second time this happens. The first time it happened was when the guys installing our generator cut every single cable. This system is cursed.




Sorry for the dear diary post but, dang it, I needed to vent.

Unless it's your cable and you are friendly with your neighbors you could accidentally cut it while fixing your system.

Yeah, it's my cable. Neither my neighbor nor I have AT&T… but the problem started when AT&T cut my cable when they were burying a line for the neighbor behind me. They cut my Xfinity cable. Xfinity had to put in a a new cable for us. The dude who came out to bury it didn't give a crap what he might be cutting. He just buried the cable.

I'd be ticked that your sprinkler company didn't bother to bury the wires more than an inch underground.
We install in the trench with the mainline & it's at least 6" deep.

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it's at least 6" deep.

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Since I know this is going to be said, might as well be me that does it.

You might be right. But my "company" is some Mexican dude who also puts up our Christmas lights. He also fixes the professionally-installed system on the rest of our 1 acre lot.

I would start by reconnecting the white wire.

Kidding...looks like a PITA.

He reconnected the white wire. And all 9 red wires. That did the trick!

If it makes you feel better I rented a trencher to put in a French drain and I cut two sprinkler pipes. I even knew they were there. Just got on a roll and right through them. Thankfully it's just a little PVC cement and some couplers, but that didn't stop me from staring at it for 10 minutes wondering if it could somehow fix itself.

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He reconnected the white wire. And all 9 red wires. That did the trick!

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You almost certainly have to rewire at the terminals in the controller to get the stations to sequence up where they were prior to getting cut. Hopefully your technician did that for you!

No. I just made a new map. It was more efficient. All the zones were programmed the same so it wasn't a big deal.

Seems like we've been here before

combat wombat said:

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He reconnected the white wire. And all 9 red wires. That did the trick!

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Thats a MexiCAN, not a MexiCANT.

He is DEFINITELY a MexiCAN. He is a trusted advisor!!

Mas89 said:

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combat wombat said:

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He reconnected the white wire. And all 9 red wires. That did the trick!

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Thats a MexiCAN, not a MexiCANT.

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My favorite line from that movie....

Get a repair estimate then file a police report.

Texas Penal Code:

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Sec. 28.03. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner:
(1) he intentionally or knowingly damages or destroys the tangible property of the owner;
(2) he intentionally or knowingly tampers with the tangible property of the owner and causes pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person; or
(3) he intentionally or knowingly makes markings, including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the tangible property of the owner.
(b) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (h), an offense under this section is:
(1) a Class C misdemeanor if:
(A) the amount of pecuniary loss is less than $100; or
(B) except as provided in Subdivision (3)(A) or (3)(B), it causes substantial inconvenience to others;
(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the amount of pecuniary loss is $100 or more but less than $750;
(3) a Class A misdemeanor if:
(A) the amount of pecuniary loss is $750 or more but less than $2,500; or
(B) the actor causes in whole or in part impairment or interruption of any public water supply, or causes to be diverted in whole, in part, or in any manner, including installation or removal of any device for any such purpose, any public water supply, regardless of the amount of the pecuniary loss;
(4) a state jail felony if the amount of pecuniary loss is:
(A) $2,500 or more but less than $30,000;

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There's no defense in this section for a public utility.

Seems a bit strong...but something about the username

Did you notify the cable company you had an irrigation system before they started running the line?

Just FYI as you proceed with repairing, either by yourself or hiring someone be sure they use waterproof wire connectors (required by state regs) and have them install a small valve box where they make the splices as it will help troubleshoot future electrical problems with the systems operation as well as give you a marker where the cable runs for future reference

Does that apply if it's in a utility easement?

Apache said:

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I'd be ticked that your sprinkler company didn't bother to bury the wires more than an inch underground.
We install in the trench with the mainline & it's at least 6" deep.

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OMG...we have THAT in common too?

Growing up my stepdad had a landscape company and had a license to install sprinkler systems, I spent summers digging the ditches in areas where we couldn't get the ditch witch in. To this day I can probably get most of a system installed if its on the old Rainbird system, I don't know what has changed since those days but I can glue PVC pipe with the best of them.

And you are correct, those wires should be a hell of a lot deeper.

agnerd said:

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Does that apply if it's in a utility easement?

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This wasn't the utility easement… it was from the box to my house.

91AggieLawyer said:

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Get a repair estimate then file a police report.

Texas Penal Code:

Quote:

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Sec. 28.03. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. (a) A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner:
(1) he intentionally or knowingly damages or destroys the tangible property of the owner;
(2) he intentionally or knowingly tampers with the tangible property of the owner and causes pecuniary loss or substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person; or
(3) he intentionally or knowingly makes markings, including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the tangible property of the owner.
(b) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (h), an offense under this section is:
(1) a Class C misdemeanor if:
(A) the amount of pecuniary loss is less than $100; or
(B) except as provided in Subdivision (3)(A) or (3)(B), it causes substantial inconvenience to others;
(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the amount of pecuniary loss is $100 or more but less than $750;
(3) a Class A misdemeanor if:
(A) the amount of pecuniary loss is $750 or more but less than $2,500; or
(B) the actor causes in whole or in part impairment or interruption of any public water supply, or causes to be diverted in whole, in part, or in any manner, including installation or removal of any device for any such purpose, any public water supply, regardless of the amount of the pecuniary loss;
(4) a state jail felony if the amount of pecuniary loss is:
(A) $2,500 or more but less than $30,000;

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There's no defense in this section for a public utility.

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That escalated quickly.

Lawyers gone lawyer!!

combat wombat said:

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No. I just made a new map. It was more efficient. All the zones were programmed the same so it wasn't a big deal.

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If it wasn't a big deal, why you *****in about it on Texags?

We didn't make a big deal of keeping pre-cut zone 1 as repaired zone 1.

I know what you meant, I was just being an ass.

DargelSkout said:

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I know what you meant, I was just being an ass.

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Success!!

combat wombat said:

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DargelSkout said:

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I know what you meant, I was just being an ass.

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Success!!

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Honestly might've been easier to switch the wires versus changing the map

I didn't have a map yet… the system was recently installed and there wasn't a printed plan.

Then the company illegally didn't provide you with an as built drawing

Is that Texas law? I live in Montgomery County and Montgomery County does not permit or inspect irrigation systems.

Again, as previously stated, it's "some Mexican dude."

Oof more legalities as he might not be licensed. Multiple things that could be turned into TCEQ for them to never look at or do anything with because they have a couple kids trying to handle all claims for entire state

Yeah, I pretty much don't care. I don't live in an incorporated city. This is tied onto an existing system. Let's call it an expansion; we needed a new controller because we have so many zones. We have a backflow preventer - what more do they want?

combat wombat said:

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Yeah, I pretty much don't care. I don't live in an incorporated city. This is tied onto an existing system. Let's call it an expansion; we needed a new controller because we have so many zones. We have a backflow preventer - what more do they want?

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Ah okay, then it was a modification. No permit, as built, or oversight required. Only legality would be a non licensed irrigator selling irrigation work. You're good.

We don't KNOW he's unlicensed. We just didn't care enough to ask