Photo: That's my solution to a blown hot water hose to my washing machine. One becomes very inventive in the face of disaster!
Running water?
As I was getting ready for bed last night (Sunday) I heard a pop and a rush of water. I ran around the house like a mad woman trying to find the source of the “rush.” It was the hot water hose for the washing machine downstairs.
It blew right at the connection to the machine. Of course it didn’t blow in the middle where it would be easy to catch the dripping water. I had to shut off the house water because I don’t have a main shut off for the hot water to the machine. It shuts off at the faucet and that’s it. However, that wasn’t shutting it all the way off.
First I start grabbing all the old towels I have stacked up in the laundry room and put them all over the floor to soak up the water! It’s 10 o’clock. Who to call? I called our local plumber but got the answering machine. Well I wanted someone faster than that! (I’m so naïve!) So I called Roto-Rooter (yes they do plumbing) and got an appointment from sometime between my call (10:30 p.m.) and 10 a.m. the next morning.
I put a piece of a frozen dinner box under the leak so the water would be diverted into the large plastic bucket I put under it. I had to empty the bucket EVERY HOUR. If I waited longer than that I would not have been able to lift the bucket to empty it. I did not sleep last night because I had to empty the bucket EVERY HOUR. Had I only know that if I opened the hot water in the utility tub next to the washing machine the leak would have stopped. I could have gone to bed. ☹☹
So the plumber came about 7:45 a.m. and is now in the process of fixing it…on the cheap. I’m not going to put a lot of money into this just before I sell the house.
The plumber checked the hot water heater and thinks it doesn’t have too much life left in it considering it’s been there for 15 years. I’m hoping it lasts one more year, at least.
So this little diversion from sanity is going to cost me, but I have no choice.
I’m trying to be kind and gentle.
The good news is that this didn’t happen while I was away from home yesterday!
2 comments:
That's tough luck, Bev! I've had the same thing happen to me years ago and my Mom is in the middle of her own plumbing hell now too. The water pump is leaking (steady trickle)and the sewer lines from the house to the road had some kind of blockage. Then she found a leak under the sink in the kitchen. It's costing her some $$ to get all this fixed. Plumbing issues are the worst!
Just try to get a plumber who doesn't want your arm and a leg! However, if you can't do it yourself, what else can you do? So I guess we have to be grateful for all the plumbers out there. Just wish gratitude didn't cost so much! :)
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