I’m currently working on my sprinkler valve box. It sucks ass. It’s dug in the ground. I’m on my knees trying to replace a Hunter valve. This is the second time I’m back here this week because replacing the diaphragm didn’t fix the leak. I think I’m gonna have to replace the whole valve, but the stupid valves are in the stupid valve box. So now I have dig out the box anyway (which is something the valve box is supposed to save you from).

I don’t get why people think valve boxes are a good idea… It’s making maintenance a bitch. It also hid the leak from me for a while. I only found this problem because I had a HUGE helldivers2-style bug breach here. Which makes sense: the box provides shelter and water.

I’m thinking of redoing this part of the Irrigation system and having the valves stick up out of the ground. Obviously now I have to protect against the weather, but that seems like a decent trade off for easy maintenance, easy malfunction discovery, and less potential for a bug infestation. (Don’t give a crap about looks.)

Does anyone have any recommendations for above ground enclosures? The main weather I have to protect against is sun. I don’t get snow or crazy wind. I just need something like a wooden crate or something to cover the valves.