Jenny, If I had to guess the problem isn't with the lock gate valve breaking but with debri building up in the seat for the valve and not letting the valve close all the way. To fix it close the valve as far as you can and drain the chamber as much as possible. Than open the valve about 1/3 open to force the incoming water to clean the seat. You may have to do this two or three times to clean the seat enough so the valve will close. Mike

For many of us gardening is simply a pleasure that work and place have denied. In my case my family comes from Oklahoma. My great-great grandparents were farmers and so were my great grandparents. My grandparents moved to California in the Depression and they couldn't get far enough away from dirt farming, as it was called. My grand aunt, whom I visited recently in a rest home and is incredibly close to 100, commented that her mother wouldn't let her do any gardening chores, because she didn't want her daughter to grow up and be a farmer's wife. I and my siblings were raised in the suburbs and we moved constantly to keep up with my father's career. When we grew up we all became professionals and worked in big cities: London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Denver, New York, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Houston, the list goes on. My siblings and I raised our children in big cities while working under extreme stress; growing a tomato plant in a pot on the patio of the flat on the 32nd floor was considered extreme gardening. Now our children are focusing on their children (and yikes! their children on theirs!) and I am focusing on my 5 acres. My sister's concept of gardening is having a few petunias in a pot and ensuring that someone (not her) mows the lawn. My brother lives in the north country where summer doesn't arrive until mid-June. I'm planning 6 8' x 4' raised beds (24" high, because of my back problems) and I'm spending a small fortune hiring young people with broad backs and less-than-ambitious career aspirations to help me keep these 5 acres in check. I am sure that my great grandparents, who spent their entire lives squeezing a living out of this Oklahoma dirt, would think I was nuts taking pleasure out of planting potatoes and feeding the guinea hens every morning. But there you have it. I think that many of us miss what we have never had. It's like the old 1960s television serial "Green Acres": Green acres is the place to be Farm living is the life for me Land spreading out, so far and wide Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside. New York is where I'd rather stay I get allergic smelling hay I just adore a penthouse view Darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue

Thank you for all of the responses. I am embarrased to say that I now realize that what we have on our fence is the magnalatch. However, here is the kicker--I just went out and looked at it and it is installed too low and my boys can reach the knob that lifts up and opens the gate. I did not realize until I opened the link that repair guy listed above that this should have been installed higher. The contractor that built my house also built my fence and apparently also did not understand how this thing worked. So I will have him come back and take it off and reinstall it higher. This will solve the problem. My boys are 5 (twins)--the top of the magnalatch is even with the top of the fence and they can reach it. They had swim lessons last year and are fair but certainly not good. Not good enough for this paranoid mamma. Thanks all. This was more helpful than you know.

An attractive sign may aid in the effectiveness of the lock and latch.