Plumbing Adventures #12
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Ever since we moved into our house, we have had a long series of adventures with plumbing repairs. This weekend brought about adventure #12. (Yes, I really have been keeping count) Since we have a well, we have extra plumbing that others might not, including a solution tank, a filtration system, and pressure tank. Our plumbing adventures have ranged from simple repairs to what could have been expensive damages.
Some of our adventures in the past have included:
Replacing the old rusting hot water tank.
Replacing the thermostat and heating element in the new hot water tank
Leaking kitchen sink drain. Replaced faucet and drain
Leaking toilets
Water supply line broke in basement. Luckily we were home when this happened
Icemaker supply line installation (Who doesn't plumb a newer house for an icemaker?)
Water filtration system (numerous times) draining the entire system and replacing pipes
Water valve in supply line in basement cracked
The adventure this weekend could have been the worst so far. We started on the upgrade of the bathrooms and began tearing out everything in the bathroom. After shutting off the water at valves under the sink and removing the sink and faucet, we began prying the cabinet away from the wall. Suddenly, both of the water supply lines snapped off behind the valves sending water shooting across the room.
So, I quickly tried to run down two flights of steps to get to the circuit breaker in the basement. Since we are on a well, shutting off the well pump stops the supply of water. However, there is still enough water and pressure in the lines to continue to supply limited water. I had just barely shut off the water in the basement, when water began pouring into the basement. I knew that there wasn't enough water to be running down steps or across the floors and quickly discovered that gravity works really fast. All the water that had come shooting out the supply lines upstairs was now running down the outside of those plumbing lines and studs inside the walls and pouring into the basement.
After about 10 minutes of putting containers under leaks the dripping slowly stopped. Now we had water across the basement and water in the upstairs bathroom. Mr. Roberts quickly went to cleaning up the bathroom while I worked on the basement.
I knew that quick action would keep this from becoming a disaster. Since the laundry room is in the basement, I grabbed the baskets of dirty clothes and starting throwing all the cottons on the floor to absorb the water. I and the children found all the box fans and an electric heater and set them up in the wet areas. Meanwhile, Mr Roberts had cut a 3' X 3' hole in the wall to remove the water that had gotten in the wall.
Two hours later and only a few wet spots on the ceiling in the main floor of the house, most of the water was dried up. The only area still damp was the subfloor in the bathroom. But, now we had a dry house with no water and no way to turn it back on without repeating the flooding. While we do keep a supply of plumbing materials on hand, we didn't have near enough to do two full valve replacements. So, we headed off for a trip to town to buy the plumbing supplies and drywall required to repair the mess.
Because unexpected plumbing problems always happen at the worst moment, here are my suggestions for keeping them from becoming disasters.
Know where the main water valve is for your home and how to turn off the water. For many houses with a private water supply, the main water supply shut off valve is located where the water pipe enters the house frequently near the basement or crawl space. For those with public utilities, the valve may be on the property line near the street.
Know how to shut off the electric to your home. In case of emergencies, know where the main electric line enters your house. Usually near the electric meter, there is a master breaker to shut off all power to the house.
Check to make sure your circuit breaker is marked correctly. Being able to quickly locate the correct circuit and shut off power to sections of the house that may be water damaged is important. Also, if you have a private water supply, know how to shut off the water pump/well pump and pressure tanks.
How to cleanup a water Leak
Make sure that the water has been shut off.
Use a shopvac or wet/dry vacuum to remove large amounts of water
Use towels or sheets to quickly try to absorb any water.
Use fans or electric heaters with fans to get air moving across the area. (Use heaters on low or fan since high heat encourages mold.) Turn on your AC.
Be sure that no electronics are affected or sitting in standing water.
Remove any soaked or damaged materials such as dry wall, carpet, or furniture. Remove the wet towels and sheets or any materials used to absorb water.
More Water Emergency Tips
If you don't keep drinking water on hand, you should think about it. Being at home all day with no running water is a challenge. Keeping water on hand means that everyone can wash their hands, humans and pets have something to drink, and toilets can be flushed.