Anyone home?

[MakeMineaP99]

This is place has been slow, where y'all hiding out?

Kirk, you moving to Tejas still? :rofl:

[pupcuss27]

This is place has been slow, where y'all hiding out?

:rofl:

Still here, waiting for those 40 degree temps next week. :cool:

[KSFreeman]

I've been dealing with a disaster at home.

Last Thursday I had work done to my furnace (water panel evaporator filter) and the tech used the spigot on the back patio to flush the filth out of the lines which drain the water away. Well . . . he left the water on.

On Friday morning I got on a plane to Boston and did not come back until MLK day. I went outside to take the trash out Monday night after yoga when I discovered the Ice Planet Hoth had come crashing down on the back patio--2 inches of ice on the back of the house, 10 foot ice growths from the soffit and gutters, etc. I went down to the basement and found the valve for the back patio spigot and then called a plumber to ensure that the water was off and there was no damage to the pipe.

The city tells use that I used over 3K gallons of water that weekend (they just happen to do a reading before I left for Boston). What a mess and I am NOT happy.

The joys of home ownership!:rofl:

[Scutter01]

This is place has been slow, where y'all hiding out?


Shhh. I'm sleeping. Just five more minutes.

[MakeMineaP99]

I've been dealing with a disaster at home.

Last Thursday I had work done to my furnace (water panel evaporator filter) and the tech used the spigot on the back patio to flush the filth out of the lines which drain the water away. Well . . . he left the water on.

On Friday morning I got on a plane to Boston and did not come back until MLK day. I went outside to take the trash out Monday night after yoga when I discovered the Ice Planet Hoth had come crashing down on the back patio--2 inches of ice on the back of the house, 10 foot ice growths from the soffit and gutters, etc. I went down to the basement and found the valve for the back patio spigot and then called a plumber to ensure that the water was off and there was no damage to the pipe.

The city tells use that I used over 3K gallons of water that weekend (they just happen to do a reading before I left for Boston). What a mess and I am NOT happy.

The joys of home ownership!:rofl:

That sucks.

Are you going after the guy for leaving the valve open? 3K gallons of water can't be cheap.

[KSFreeman]

The water was $13. Could care less about the water. I'm worried about damage to the house/patio.

Guess I'll find out Sunday when we thaw out.

[MakeMineaP99]

The water was $13. Could care less about the water. I'm worried about damage to the house/patio.

Guess I'll find out Sunday when we thaw out.

You can tell I have well water, I though 3K gallons of city water would be more expensive than $13.

Was the spigot elevated? Sounds like you had water run down the side of the house and freeze on the patio and the side of the house.

Hopefully, no water got under the concrete, otherwise you're going to have plenty of cracking. You might want to make sure you don't have any leaks in your basement, I wouldn't be surprised when it melts if the water enters the basement.

[Buckaroo]

Yea, you may have real problems before Monday.... Ground is frozen, water needs a low spot to run to, basement wall keeps the ground near it thawed Uh-oh!

Be ready!

Better yet call the plumber and tell him to be ready!

Bad deal but he should know better.

Buckaroo

[KSFreeman]

Why call the plumber? What will I need with him?

[MakeMineaP99]

Why call the plumber? What will I need with him?


Nothing. Get your stuff up on the floor 4" or so, and get your guns and ammo out of the basement.

[Pitmaster]

Nothing. Get your stuff up on the floor 4" or so, and get your guns and ammo out of the basement.

Yep, get everything up off the floor. You might want to check every hour when things start to thaw. When/if you see water seeping in divert it towards your sump pump if you have one. Or keep a cotton mop and bucket nearby to mop up water as it comes in. This is much better than dealing with carpet, boxes, clothes, etc. and the mold that comes later.

[Fenway]

Along these lines can anyone recommend a plumber who would be willing to install a 40 gal gas water heater on the side?

[Scutter01]

Along these lines can anyone recommend a plumber who would be willing to install a 40 gal gas water heater on the side?

If space/money permit, I highly recommend a 50 gal instead. You have no idea. That extra ten gallons means being able to take a hot shower while doing the laundry, or not having to use lukewarm water when you don't get the first shower in the morning. It's outstanding.

[Fenway]

I don't think space is going to permit a 50. 40 is what the house came with and hot water was never a problem when it was working well.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6382/5jpgpartextjpgoutqualittk4.jpg

If space/money permit, I highly recommend a 50 gal instead. You have no idea. That extra ten gallons means being able to take a hot shower while doing the laundry, or not having to use lukewarm water when you don't get the first shower in the morning. It's outstanding.

[MakeMineaP99]

I don't think space is going to permit a 50. 40 is what the house came with and hot water was never a problem when it was working well.

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6382/5jpgpartextjpgoutqualittk4.jpg


Installing a hot water heater is easy, why not do it yourself?

Done a few myself, not hard at all.

[Buckaroo]

Sorry, I meant the HVAC guy who did this.

I would have a shop vac ready.

I had no evidence of water in my basement when I bought my house 1 year ago and a couple of weeks ago I had water streaming in at 1 gal. every 2 minutes... I was able to keep the damage limited by catching most of it with a shop vac.

I was lucky as the stream lasted for about 8 hours before it tapered off....

Hopefully you will not have anything like what I did.

Buckaroo

[MakeMineaP99]

Sorry, I meant the HVAC guy who did this.

I would have a shop vac ready.

I had no evidence of water in my basement when I bought my house 1 year ago and a couple of weeks ago I had water streaming in at 1 gal. every 2 minutes... I was able to keep the damage limited by catching most of it with a shop vac.

I was lucky as the stream lasted for about 8 hours before it tapered off....

Hopefully you will not have anything like what I did.

Buckaroo

Did the previous owner ever report water in the basement?

[Fenway]

Because I don't feel comfortable with cutting and sweating copper fittings. I don't have the equipment and I don't feel like learning how to do it on my gas water heater. I would rather just pay and watch someone do it right the first time and then maybe try the next one.

Installing a hot water heater is easy, why not do it yourself?

Done a few myself, not hard at all.

[KSFreeman]

Sunday afternoon I pulled the ice off the side of my house. It came off in oversized jigsaw puzzle pieces up to 3" thick in places.

I threw it in the yards to melt (I have drainage pipes that carry the water out to a large drain in the street as my house is built into a hill and water is a bitter foe) and shoveled the rest away from the house on Monday late afternoon. Did not see any water in basement.

[Buckaroo]

Sunday afternoon I pulled the ice off the side of my house. It came off in oversized jigsaw puzzle pieces up to 3" thick in places.

I threw it in the yards to melt (I have drainage pipes that carry the water out to a large drain in the street as my house is built into a hill and water is a bitter foe) and shoveled the rest away from the house on Monday late afternoon. Did not see any water in basement.

Cool, I pray that it stays that way.

No, the previous owner did not report water in the basement.

Buckaroo

[pupcuss27]

On Water Heaters

I really miss the old 40 gallon Sears water heater we had when we first

bought this house. It was a gas - glass lined old style version, I had replaced

the burner valve assembly and kept the ventilation area as clean as possible

but it finally got a leak I couldn't fix. I had Sears replace it thinking that a

unit that lasted 18 years couldn't beat...Wrong !!

I'm on the second Sears unit already and I want this one replaced.

The quality with all the new environmental crap doesn't work. :drowning:

[MakeMineaP99]

No, the previous owner did not report water in the basement.

Buckaroo

Any evidence the leak was there before you bought the place? I hate liars and thieves. :steamed:

[Buckaroo]

Any evidence the leak was there before you bought the place? I hate liars and thieves. :steamed:

No, that is what is so frustrating! I was confident there was not a water issue and until the 4" of rain on frozen ground there wasn't... But I am on a ton of Clay so I am sure that does not help.

Plus the house is 45 years old so I am pretty sure it was never drained properly or if it was it is now deteriorated to the point that it is not helping anymore.

I can fix the problem (I did that sort of work for a guy in MN when I was younger. The problem is that the good products for this type of issue are proprietary and only available to local installers who will not (cannot usually) sell the product but will only install it for you.

I have some ideas for work-arounds if need be but currently we are hoping that it was an isolated incident. Therefore, I am holding off on extensive repairs and solutions until after spring to see if it occurs again.

Buckaroo

Buckaroo