# What Almost Killed It

- Link: https://chillimango.co/what-almost-killed-it/
- Published: 2026-07-22T10:00:00+01:00
- Author: divydovy

Somewhere in the middle of the build, a cable outage took the whole system down.
That was the moment it stopped being a fun project and started being something I
had to take seriously, because a few hours without power meant real plant losses.

The fix was a rebuild of the setup around one pump per tower instead of a shared
system, plus a UPS to ride out any outage. We tested it properly before an 18-day
trip away from home, no hands on the system at all. It held. Every plant survived,
heaviest fruiting I’d seen yet when we got back.

![A storage crate holding a battery unit and cables beside the towers](https://chillimango.
co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/journal-img_5800.jpg)

The improvised UPS and solar setup, July.

![A webcam view looking down into the towers](https://chillimango.co/wp-content/
uploads/2026/10/journal-img_5839.jpg)

The webcam, for keeping an eye on things while I travelled.

![A yellow chilli ripening on a tower plant after 18 days away, garden behind](https://
chillimango.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/IMG_7034-576x1024.jpg)

Back from 18 days away. Every plant made it.

Later in the season a pump failed on one of the towers anyway, quietly, days before
anyone noticed. Some plants didn’t make it. It was a reminder that hardening a system
once doesn’t mean it’s hardened forever, every point of failure needs checking on,
not just fixing once.

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**ChilliMango**: small-batch fermented hot sauce from one garden in Loulé, Algarve, Portugal. Sold by waitlist: join the list on a product page and you get one email when it is ready to order. Orders are paid by bank transfer or MB WAY (no card payments). Shipping: mainland Portugal €5, nine EU countries €12, free collection in Loulé. Contact: hotline@chillimango.co. [Shop](https://chillimango.co/shop/) · [Shipping and returns](https://chillimango.co/shipping-and-returns/) · [Allergens](https://chillimango.co/allergens-and-food-safety/) · [Privacy](https://chillimango.co/privacy-policy/)