Posted by ChiGuy on March 21, 2001 at 24:05:12:
WOW!!!
Vacation aftermath ! - Posted by Mark-NC
Posted by Mark-NC on March 20, 2001 at 23:01:21:
I had a call the other day from a woman I have spoken to several times about real estate. Anyway she asked me If I had anything that I could rent her for 3 months while her house is being fixed. I said, I normally don’t do this, why? All she said was please come and look at my house and I can explain better.
Well, my curiousity got to me so I went to look at it. When I got there I couldn’t believe it. They had just gotten back from a 2 week vacation to find the inside of their home destroyed.
Here’s what they think happened according to the insurance adjuster.
While they were gone, a piece of loose plaster they were having problems with above the kitchen sink apparently fell down and hit the faucet part of a single lever faucet. As it hit, it bounced back a little and kicked the on off lever back turning the water on in the hot water position.
The hot water continued to run for a while creating humidity and moisture causing more of the ceiling to fall into the sink eventually plugging up the drain. Then the water started overflowing, running down the cabinets, ruining many of them.
The bad news was it was an oil fired hot water heater and it just kept pumping this hot water out, unlike an electric one that may not be able to keep up.
The next thing that happened was the water ran into the living area. It had beautiful hard wood floors. Well the wood started to expand from getting wet. It had expanded so much that it had pushed itself right up in many areas. There were area’s that it was buckeled up 10 inches or more. It looked like a wood lake with waves.
As the hot water continued to run it created so much humidity in the house that many of the walls turned black with mold on them. Some of the doors were delaminating and a lot the trim work was buckeling.
To make matters worse the basement had about a foot or more of water in it ruining many antiques they had stored down there.
It was an incredible site. She said when they arrived home and they pulled up in the driveway all the windows were fogged up from the inside. They oppened the door and it was like a sauna in there and the water was still running.
What a way to end a vacation!
Mark
Re: Pass this tip along - Posted by Lonnie
Posted by Lonnie on March 22, 2001 at 08:42:34:
Here’s a tip I’d like to pass on that might prevent a similar disaster for someone. Several years ago, a family member came home after a weekend trip to find their house flooded. The water supply line to the upstairs commode had cracked, and water had been pouring out for a couple of days. Everything in the house was flooded, and parts of the ceiling had fallen down. It took a long time to get everything dried out and repairs made.
I learned a valuable lesson from that disaster?always turn the water off at the main meter whenever going out of town. Only takes a minute, and it’s simple to do. You can buy a water key at any hardware store, but a pair of pliers will work. Of course, a leak can develop two minutes after you leave for work, but at least it won’t be leaking for days.
Pass this tip along to friends and family members.
Best wishes,
Lonnie
Re: Vacation aftermath ! - Posted by TomC (Md)
Posted by TomC (Md) on March 21, 2001 at 15:01:45:
I almost had this happen to me…
We had one of those stick-on corner shelves in our bathtub/shower stall. It fell off one day while we were at work, and either the shelf or the shampoo bottle hit the hot water faucet…and it was running pretty fast.
When I got home that evening, I got hit with the blast of humid air when I opened the door. I could hear the water running hard in the bathroom. When I got into the bathroom, the tub was almost overflowing…that upper drain/vent was already submerged! The tub was always a slow drainer, and a few hours more and I bet it would have overflowed.
I considered myself lucky!
TomC
Makes ya COUNT yer blessins’… - Posted by SusanL.–FL
Posted by SusanL.–FL on March 21, 2001 at 10:43:06:
now DON’T it!!!
I CAN’T even imagine walking into that kind of mess.
Holy moley…
Don’t mean to sound callous BUT! If the insurance company is paying for temporary housing accommodations for them, you might be able to get a little better-than-average rental rate$ from them.
This has to be… - Posted by Jim
Posted by Jim on March 20, 2001 at 23:07:41:
#1 Candidate for… “Story of The Year”
UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Jim
Perhaps It Would Also Be A Good Idea… - Posted by Vic
Posted by Vic on March 23, 2001 at 02:35:45:
…to turn the hot water heater to pilot light or even turn it off completely, that way if the hot water heaters starts leaking you won’t have to worry about the fire (on gas heaters) continuing to burn, possibly starting a fire.
Vic
Re: Pass this tip along - Posted by Rick(CA)
Posted by Rick(CA) on March 23, 2001 at 01:31:08:
Had the same thing happen to a friend of mine who went on a two week cruise. Cracked toilet, two feet of standing water covering most of the house.
What a way to come home from vacation.
a leak two minutes after you leave for work - Posted by SusanL.–FL
Posted by SusanL.–FL on March 22, 2001 at 10:52:29:
That’s exACTly what happened to my bosses Mother years ago. She flushed the toilet but it didn’t shut off.(Got hung up and the water kept running ALL day…)
When she got home, there was about a foot of water…
RUBBER DUCKIE time folks!
We had a leak a couple years ago in what we call our ‘computer room’. Tiny leak at the base of the toilet where the turn-off valve is.
Came home to a soggy carpet and wet furniture.
I seem to be the ONLY one in the family that is able to hear ‘water running’ in our house. (Must be a ‘Mom’ thing–like built in radar.) Always KNOW when someone has left the hose running at one end of the house – or the other…
Stay dry everybody!