BajaNomad - Mothballing a home in Baja

Mothballing a home in Baja

Sharksbaja - 7-10-2006 at 01:44 PM

I always wonder what I left open, on or undone when I exit Baja. It seems I always forget something. It's always a diffent scenario each time I leave. This time the power was down like it always is in Mulege. Mostly tho it isn't a prob in the manana;. Usually just the city water is off :lol:

So when the power comes back on....wham, so does that air conditioner or anything else. This really sucks if you are 500 miles away when you remember. :no:

I have a routine but it's based on real-time, not Baja time.

Now, do you other part-timers have a similar scenario or do you turn off everything and let Mother Nature take over. Since our city pressure is so low one usually boosts the pressure with a pump and tank. So when I leave I switch back to low city pressure. With that said it's necessary to ascertain if you can run a vacant household on 10-20 psi.
I have a drip system that works quite well on low psi. While inventing a no-clog emitter my dad realized a necessity to incorporate the ability to function at very low pressures. In-line regulators keep the pressure at 20psi max. The emitters flush particulates upon line charging and shutdown. This means that any dirt or sand that gets past the line strainer will be purged while turning on and off. This is a good thing where there seems to be fine residual sediment in the city water supply. When the pila is used via the pressure assist the problem of dirt is much less.
I was looking at pics of before and after with my system. It is amazing how fast and furious things grow down there.

Turning off the power also turns off security and controllers and valves so importance is placed on battery back-up for programmers etc. The biggest problem w/ my whole system comes from overzealous residents or people hired to water adjacent property. While the cats away...... :rolleyes:

Iam wondering if others have similar setups that allow them to return to a flourishing yard? It is helpful to have a person(like Bruce and family) look in on yer place regularily to ck on status. :smug:

Paulina - 7-10-2006 at 01:50 PM

We turn off everything and let Mother Nature take her course, at least we THINK we've turned everything off....It usually hits us past the point of no return that something MIGHT have been left undone, or still done, or half way turned off, or "I thought you turned that off"... We have mostly cactus, so no worries about watering. It's the leakage in the house that we worry about. We do have good neighbors with a set of keys to keep an eyeball on things. Without them we'd be in another worry bracket. If we could only turn off those big red water bugs that like to live in the bathrooms we'd be cruisin'....

p<*)))><

Sharksbaja - 7-10-2006 at 01:54 PM

"If we could only turn off those big red water bugs"

I know, but you have to completely drain the toilet dry in order to rid them completely. Poison just doesn't always last that long. :no:

Paulina - 7-10-2006 at 01:56 PM

I'll do that next time. I also find them in the shower, so they must also find water down in the drain there as well.

Reeljob - 7-10-2006 at 02:18 PM

TRY CLOROX IN ALL THE DRAINS AND VEGTABLE OIL IN THE TOILETS. PREVENTS EVAPORATION.

Paulina - 7-10-2006 at 02:20 PM

I spray the kitchen sink with WD40 to keep it from rusting, but never thought of what you mentioned.

bajalou - 7-10-2006 at 02:20 PM

Great idea Durango - will try in on my next vacation from Baja

"They don't call em Waterbugs"

Sharksbaja - 7-10-2006 at 02:49 PM

fer nuttin'! :lol:

Quote:

Originally posted by Durango
TRY CLOROX IN ALL THE DRAINS AND VEGTABLE OIL IN THE TOILETS. PREVENTS EVAPORATION.

Does this really work?? I realize bleach will discourage anything living....till it disapates. But how long will it be beneficial. The bugs seek out the water. Will they just go crazy with that oil on top? :lol:

Diver - 7-10-2006 at 02:58 PM

Your toilet trap, sink, shower and tub drains will always hold water until it evaporates. Then the buggers come in from the sewers.....yuck !

One of those rubber drain covers with a rock on top works well for the shower drains and sink drains. Compression test plugs also work if you can find the right size. Toilets compression plugs are tougher to find but are the only way to ensure nothing in and nothing out.

.

Reeljob - 7-10-2006 at 03:16 PM

Put clorox in toilets then about half cup of veggie oil. the oil will float on top of the clorox/water.

same for the traps. The oil will prevent evaporation.

wornout - 7-10-2006 at 06:55 PM

I use a checklist to shut down the house for extended periods. Then when I am driving away, I just call Bajalou to fix whatever I forgot to do. Usually I shut down the big inverter and put my water timer on one of those 300 watt ones. My pump is a Surflo 12v. Haven't had any bugs come in from the drains but then again, I worked one summer for a crop duster and still have some induatrial strength secret sauce for pests.

greybaby - 7-10-2006 at 08:47 PM

Having left our house in Cantu last September and not having a chance to get back there until probably this fall, I hate to see how much dirt has settled there. We did have friends from here visit it once but they have no concept of what it means to really turn everything off. If you've never lived there it just doesn't compute.

Thankfully, we have a wonderful neighbor, Moises, who pays our power bill for us and keeps a watchful eye. Has even run off would-be buyers who have been brought by a "friend" to sell it to them. Got the ejido and police involved to tell them they weren't welcome. Now that's why I love Baja. The nationals who will do anything for you just because you're their friend. How I miss it there!

jerry - 7-10-2006 at 11:12 PM

i have a different situation but i do use a 9 volt timer on my plants for irragation its programable for day of the week and duration and time got it at wally world about $25.00 it goes tight on a spickot to a T then to the orange plastic tube buired aslong my plants i plug the ends off and use a big fish hook to poke just the right size holes to acomadate the kind of plant im wateringhas worked well for the last 3 yrs oh i put a plastic bucket over the time to prevent sun dammage
i have a friend check it once a week to make sure its working and the holes havent pluged and chack for banditos they also hire a local on a one time basis to trim the plants ever 2 months or so its been working great so far knock on wood (knock Knock)
in have a moterhome and i drain all tanks close the valves put all hoses in the badaga close all windows and doors and vents
flip all the breakers at the meter ,the mains in the box breakers at the plug in and in the moter home park the vehical in front of the bagada door cramp the locking steering wheel so it cant be move from in front of the door very easy double lock the gates and catch the taxie to the air port

when i get back i have to clean every surface because the dust in baja can go right throu glass and solid steel
i have had weavals but no cookaratchases or other bugs inside so far in 11 years its not sucure by any means but it just makes it harder for the bandiatos so they go to the pidgons insted
have a good one

Sharksbaja - 7-11-2006 at 12:17 AM

Yea, I'm always seeking the ideal scenario...plants happy, no varmints, low dirt accumulation.. and arrive with utilities ready and functional. :biggrin:

It's hard to have security w/o power tho.

Bruce R Leech - 7-11-2006 at 06:15 AM

Sharksbaja I checked your house yesterday and all is fine.

David K - 7-11-2006 at 07:00 AM

Tell me about that emitter Sharks...

I started with the Global Flapper Emitter in 1980, then the Agrifim Iso-Flo emitter after '86 (both self-flushing)... Now using the PC Plus (turbulent flow/PC emitter) for single point irrigating. Mostly use Netafim PC emitterline for landscape drip irrigation (emitters every foot pre installed in the tube).

Bruce R Leech - 7-11-2006 at 07:15 AM

these things that Sharks has are really good . you can pump mud in to them and they wont plug. I have been in irrigation all of my adult life and I have never seen anything like these units.

El Camote - 7-11-2006 at 10:47 AM

This is a great topic. The water in the toilet bowl always evaporates and leaves nasty rings but I figured leaving any source of water available just encouraged the bugs and critters. I'll try the bleach/veg. oil solution. I always find several baby scorpions caught in the kitchen sink strainer, often still alive. They can live forever w/o food or water it seems.

Made the mistake of leaving a half-full 5 gal. jug in the water cooler. Arrived back after several months and continued to drink the water until I realized a slug, snail or similar had attached itself to the inner wall of the water container. Yeccch!

Have also found a variety of critters floating in the cistern including a complete rat. Man, did it stink after I fished it out.

I do like wornout and shutdown the inverter and 12v water pump, especially since there's a faucet and outlets outside. Hardest thing to remember is to securely lock every door and outside cabinet. Last trip down, removed the car cover from the Baja bug in shreds. Didn't even last a year - and that's under a carport! Desert sun is brutal. I've had tires with lots of tread left, develop huge cracks and go flat from the sun torture.
Also, PVC plumbing fittings, especially in the trailer, need to be replaced every few years.

bajalou - 7-11-2006 at 11:39 AM

One thing that heps the PVC outdoors is to paint it. Keep the UVs from hitting the pipe.

Plastic and the sun...no bueno

Sharksbaja - 7-11-2006 at 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajalou
One thing that heps the PVC outdoors is to paint it. Keep the UVs from hitting the pipe.

The PVC extruded flexpipe was manufactured exclusively for my dad's company. He utilized UV inhibitors and we bury it where possible. Using the emitter with nipples for spaghetti tubing and his patented slotted insect stoppers complete burial is possible. For rodent control and water-seeking critters he incorporated a non-toxic chemical to discourage nibblers :lol:

Painting outside pvc is a good idea. Crystalization occurs rapidly in the open sun where uv is high..
I use low flow/ low pressure 12v diaphragm valves coupled to a programmer with batt backup.

Camote, man you have your share of critters. Funny thing is, you'd think that big palapa of ours would rain down alacrans but I've only found two little ones in over 2 years.

Sharksbaja - 7-11-2006 at 12:20 PM

Bruce, you da man, thanks for the help. Ever a chance you movin' back to Mulege in the future??

I know, you haven't even left yet! See, you're already missed. :yes:

Alacr?n Grande

El Camote - 7-11-2006 at 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja

Camote, man you have your share of critters. Funny thing is, you'd think that big palapa of ours would rain down alacrans but I've only found two little ones in over 2 years.

That's because the big mamas are hiding under your bed, waiting to snuggle up when you go to sleep! :wow:

Speaking of biggies: Several years ago made the first trip down in the fall and we were all excited because we were going to continue on south, to Bahia Concepcion, for a 2 week, 40th birthday celebration for this pedo viejo. In all the excitement, birthday boy overdid it on the celebration and found himself and the dog staring at the pulsating walls after his better half had wisely called it a night.

I look down and see the biggest, fattest alacr?n crawling towards me from the back door shouting caucasoidal racial slurs in Spanish and swinging his pincers in a provoking manner (OK, this part is open to interpretation).

Our curious pup was about 6 ft away on the sofa and, fearing for her safety if she decided to inspect it, grabbed the closest large object, my #12 shoe, and sent his entrails spraying across the floor and 2 feet up the wall. In the morning, I would have thought this scenario the by-product of a demented and fermented mind except the evisceration was still stuck to the wall. :barf:

Biggest scorp. I've seen down there since.

Yer crackin' me up

Sharksbaja - 7-11-2006 at 10:33 PM

Are you saying one rewally came at you w/ pincers flexing? :lol:

Where the heck do you live? :lol:

David........ they were manufactured under the name TIP inc (Technical Irrigation Products} it was a subsidiary of Salco Products. They dealt mostly with Saudi Companies in the 1980s but Rain-Bird and Toro were also customers. Whatever happened to them I could care less... my dad got the screws put to him. But I gotta lot of nice inventory. Never had a use for it in Oregon. :lol:

Capt. George - 7-12-2006 at 02:53 PM

have any of you ever really smelled moth balls?

jerry - 7-12-2006 at 03:15 PM

its too hard to keep hold of there little wings;

Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Capt. George
have any of you ever really smelled moth balls?

I used to mothball my gas way back when.

Jerry....

Capt. George - 7-12-2006 at 05:36 PM

the real answer is:

how did you get your head between their legs!

Sharksbaja - 7-12-2006 at 11:44 PM

Hey thanks for the insightful contribution to this thread. BTW how are your houseplants doing while you're away....do you have houseplants in Baja? :biggrin:

Capt. George - 7-12-2006 at 11:49 PM

I'll bite. No, I do not have houseplants.

Why do you ask?, he says.

Sharksbaja - 7-13-2006 at 12:19 AM

The shark thinks the subject line connotation was misconstrued. :biggrin:

Capt. George - 7-13-2006 at 01:00 AM

no houseplants in Punta Abreojos

when we leave FL all plants go in the ground

you in US or Baja now?

we head to Baja end of month, yeehah.

Our landlord's kids take care of the watering, and "neighbors" check on them.

vgabndo - 7-13-2006 at 09:12 AM

Our problem is most often ratas y ratones. Our shower goes to grey water drain, and a rat drowned in the line when we returned and starting bathing. I couldn't snake him out and we was pretty ripe before he "flowed" away. I had to redesign my filter, and now it is rodent proof.

One year we left sticky traps on the kitchen counter. We returned to find lots of perfectly preserved skeletons in starved postures of torture. Traps are more humane, I think.

I've given up on making the cabin mouse proof. Mexican mice evolved from a sci-fi movie, and I'm convinced they can walk through walls.

In the largest alacran competition, I offer the following recently posted photo. The size 8 footprint along side makes a pretty good guage. This old girl was a smidge over 6" long streached-out and measured from claws to telson.

sticky traps

Bruce R Leech - 7-13-2006 at 09:41 AM

last time I used sticky traps we got up in the middle of the night hearing lots of cat noise. the traps had done there job well and the cat was trying to cash in on the easy pick ens and had no less that three traps with a total of five mice stuck to all sides of his head.

needles to say he was running around like a cat with sticky traps stuck all over his head. :lol:

Sharksbaja - 7-13-2006 at 12:07 PM

:bounce:

Now DATS funny Bruce!!! :bounce:

vandenberg - 7-13-2006 at 12:09 PM

Talking about Alacrans living in Palapa roofs. When living in Tripui in the 80's I had ,one evening, while watching TV, an about 4 inch one drop from the ceiling and land right on my watchamacallit. Being in swimming trunks, that really got my attention. I also, with a flyswatter, flipped a large one that was cruising through, and that sucker turned around, lifted itself up looking 3 times its size, and came after the swatter. However they look tougher then they are. You can readily kill them with a flyswatter.
They do look scary though and when stung, do hurt. I know. Got stuck in the tip of my ringfinger and it felt like someone put it on a hotplate on full heat.

Scary lookin' things

Sharksbaja - 7-13-2006 at 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg
When living in Tripui in the 80's I had ,one evening, while watching TV, an about 4 inch one drop from the ceiling and land right on my watchamacallit.

Whatchacallit?......... the alacran that is. :lol:

Bruce

vgabndo - 7-13-2006 at 12:27 PM

The image of your poor cat STILL has me giggling out of control! :lol:

Raccoons in the waterfall?

Sharksbaja - 7-13-2006 at 12:41 PM

I kept finding piles of odd looking scat in the dry pool atop our little waterfall to the spa. I thought "man these are some odd wimps". Then I started finding some on a portion of our garage roof where there is shade all day long. One early morning I spied the culprit. Coons, and fat ones at that. I had no idea they inhabited Baja.

Ya never know in Baja. I think they keep the vermin down. Say.....do they eat scorpiones? :?:

jerry - 7-13-2006 at 11:46 PM

im not sure about the coons eating but they best be carefull i was invited to dinner one time and not knowing i can tell ya first hand it tasts a little oily but a lot like turkey and id eat it again but id add some BBQ sauce them little ribs work good for tooth picks too :yes:

Sharksbaja - 7-14-2006 at 12:34 AM

Yea, coonskin hats are a dead give-away! :lol:

Jerry I might feel like I'm eating a dog with hands! :biggrin: