Domestic annoyances...
Dec. 9th, 2010 10:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
graculusCame home from work to a burst pipe, which I can't find because it's behind a false wall and therefore all I could do is move everything out of the adjacent room and prepare to demolish said wall tomorrow morning instead of going to work.
For some reason, known only to the gods and the person who installed the heating in this house, the water supply to/from (not sure which because I can't tell) the heating system is not controlled by the main internal stop valve. And I can't get to the external stop valve to turn off all the water coming into the house because it's under 2 inches of ice and compacted snow.
Tomorrow, even if I can get a plumber (not guaranteed at all, given the recent spate of bad weather) I was advised by the one company I could speak to that they couldn't do anything about pipes they couldn't get to. Hence the impending demolition. Damnit, life is a pain in the arse sometimes!
For some reason, known only to the gods and the person who installed the heating in this house, the water supply to/from (not sure which because I can't tell) the heating system is not controlled by the main internal stop valve. And I can't get to the external stop valve to turn off all the water coming into the house because it's under 2 inches of ice and compacted snow.
Tomorrow, even if I can get a plumber (not guaranteed at all, given the recent spate of bad weather) I was advised by the one company I could speak to that they couldn't do anything about pipes they couldn't get to. Hence the impending demolition. Damnit, life is a pain in the arse sometimes!
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no subject
Date: 2010-12-09 10:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-10 12:07 am (UTC)Maybe try using a hair dryer (on its hottest setting) on the ice overtop the outside stop valve?
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Date: 2010-12-10 12:14 am (UTC)Is there any way the water department could help you with the main shut off valve? Of course, they're probably unreachable until office hours, but maybe there's something they could do?
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Date: 2010-12-10 01:21 am (UTC)A trick that might work to remove the 2 inches of compacted ice and snow is to pour hot water over it and then pour some alcohol like vodka to keep it from freezing. Sometimes that works.
Also to prevent pipes from bursting (yeah I know too late but for next time), keep the house warm and open up all your faucets so that they drip/trickle continuously during very cold snaps.
And it's not just you who has weird places to place a shut off valve. Ours is in the ceiling of the front hall closet and we have to remove ceiling tiles to get to it!
My sympathies, a burst pipe is a pain in the mikta!
no subject
Date: 2010-12-10 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-10 08:11 am (UTC)Hope your problem gets fixed without too much expense and hassle.
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Date: 2010-12-10 08:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-10 08:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-10 08:50 am (UTC)Finally found another stop valve and it stops all the water. And I mean, all of it. Grrrr.
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Date: 2010-12-10 08:51 am (UTC)This house business is sometimes more trouble than it's worth!
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Date: 2010-12-10 08:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-12-10 08:52 am (UTC)