Hello, this is the DH to help explain the situation. Because the property slopes down from the front, the rear yard doesn't drain, plus we get run-off from adjoining yards and half the gutter downspouts drain in the backyard. In the past during bad rain storms, the entire backyard floods to within a couple inches of water entering the house (the door sills are low as we have a slab foundation, not a raised wood foundation). To cure the problem, in 1988, I put in a french drain line with three collection catch basins in the rear yard and a exit catch basin at the sidewalk. This 4" line slowly filled with silt after a few years from soil in the run-off, not from soil invading the pipe perforations. The frnch drain worked so poorly that I had to dig a ditch through the dirt sideyard to help drain the backyard during storms as the french drain wasn't adequate. It is hard to use my small sideyard to put the waste containers and other things when there is a dirt ditch in it. Then I installed a sump pump to augment the french drain and it helped significantly to remove rain runoff. With the re-landscaping we are doing now, I added a second sump pump to pick up water at the lowest spot in the yard. The back yard needed major revamping as we added a pergola, a location for a fountain, etc. so I had a chance to dig up the french drain. It was at least 80% clogged. Clearing it with a garden hose was hopeless so I just dug it up and threw it away. The 210' my wife referred to is the side lot fence line. The section I plan to change from dirt to hardscape is 55' long by 7' wide. I have installed a water line for two hose bibbs in this area, plus new electrical for outlets, both sump lines run through this section and I am added new surface drain catch basins with 3" diameter drain pipe running to the sidewalk. Also buried very deep is the natural gas line to the swimming pool heater. I'm not very worried about there being a problem with all the utilities that will be buried under the new hardscape, but we have had problems such as the original french drain clogging and needing replacement. Installing concrete in this sideyard of 55' by 7' will give me a dry, mud-free area for 3 large waste containers (garbage, recycle, and green waste). The sideyard is 11' wide overall, but the existing concrete walk isn't adequate especially where it jogs around the air conditioning compressor. I plan to use my Weber gas BBQ on the new hardscape, that's why I added water and electrical. This walk way is how people enter our rear yard without going through the house. So the trade-off of installed concrete, which is about $1200, or putting in pavers and 2x or 3x the cost depending on the price of the paver bricks. If there is a problem with the buried utilities, or I want to add something else underground, removing pavers is DIY. But removing and fixing concrete is Not DIY at my age and condition. I like the idea of pavers also because they are more attractive to me than concrete, even with an exposed aggregate finish. The chance that I would have to ever get back underground is very remote, but in the 25 years we have owned this house, we have had to dig through this area four times (pool utilities, french drain, and twice for sump lines). This is the fifth time we are digging up this area to install drains and such mentioned above. For those of you who wonder what I will do if it is a bad rain storm and the power goes out, rendering my two sump pumps useless, I have the sump pumps on the same GFI breaker and I could add a cut-over switch and small generator to address this possibility. So my DW thought we should ask on the forum for advice on concrete vs. pavers, in case we have overlooked any factors to make a decision. Knowing cost is a factor always, just let me know what you think as if concrete and pavers cost the SAME. Hope this lengthy explanation helps. Thanks.

Just applied silicone to solar lights on 5' sections of PVC pipe (eliminated the stake section of the lights). After spraying the PVC with black paint, they look like metal. Can't remember if the paint was flat or satin - did the project for a friend. Several folks thought it was a new line of solar lights. Of course, you could make drapery rods out of them - that was the basic idea I worked off of. Other ideas - make an arbor; or put 4 together like a tepee (spray paint green?) and top with copper tubing in the shape of a ball and grow English Ivy, or wisteria; or you could make one of those expensive pieces -see: http://www.kinsmangarden.com/p/fullpage.php?page=65&session=1197173 I just read a post on gardenweb - someone asking how to make one themselves. You could make several in varying heights and make a real statement.

While many people do use a snap cutte on smaller diameter PVC or CPVC when working with the larger sizes in DWV grade we commonly use a hacksaw, PVC saw, common hand wood saw or perhaps a reciprocating saw to cut the pipe, and then there is also the wire saw, and when working in really tight spots it can be cut with a piece of Nylon Masons twine however, no matter how you cut it, you will always end up with mirco-fine saw burrs on the edges of the cut. Although most people seldom do it, the ASTM standard says we must "Deburr" the cut edges, which can be done with emery paper, a deburring tool or a knife. My personal choice here is a deburring tool. They are inexpensive, easy to use and do a fine job. However you do it, you must remove the burred edges because the clearances beteen the pipe all and fitting is typically only about 2 to 3/100ths of an inch. Even then, when dry fitting you should begin by cleaning the pipe thoroughly, then wipe with a lint free rag, and you can still expect to need to lightly tap larger sizes in place or to remove them. Here is a tip. When you get the pieces dry fit and aligned exactly how you need them take a magic marker and draw an index line across the hub of the fitting an on the pipe wall. You can then take the fitting apart, apply the solvent/claener & glue, then slip the pieces together, rotating slightly to insure the glue spreads evenly and twist the fitting until the index mark on the fitting is aligned with the mark you put on the pipe.

griff11, Yes. you can extend the brass light conduit with PVC. Use schedule 80 fittings if possible. The ground wire most likely runs to the equipment. You can attach #8 to the existing wire and run it to the equipment. It wouldn't hurt to do a continuity test to make sure the wire is grounded to the steel and/or light niche. You will also need to run a #8 wire(can be bare) with the new light. Use potting compound to cover the #8 and lug and block the hole in the niche.