What it's all about

"AES" wrote in message
...
Since this is already OT and a similar incident is on my mind (and desk)
as I read it, I'll respond: Instead of a plane we have a Lake Tahoe
townhouse (about same price) which we haven't been able to go up to this
winter (medical hassles). The thermostat in our unit has a little
plastic dot glued on the thermostat so it _can't_ be moved below 55 deg,
but the starter gadget on the gas furnace failed; water line froze and
broke (outside and underneath fortunately); water ran downhill under
the snow and ice for over a month, unnoticed by neighbors or development
manager, until the meter reading people finally noticed: well over a
MILLION GALLONS lost.

Why don't you just turn the water off to the condo when you're not there?

In article liD5e.3389$8Z6.3382@attbi_s21,
"Grumman-581" wrote:

Why don't you just turn the water off to the condo when you're not there?

Not so easy -- valve is in an awkward place (condos are raised a few
feet above grade on cement sonotubes). Not so easy to tell renters or
friends using the place how to do it.

Pipes might still freeze and crack above the valve unless you drain the
system, which is even messier -- or below the valve but short of the
meter, which means you arrive to find a problem, even if it's not
necessarily your problem.

If it's going to get really cold, have to drain toilets, open all
faucets, put antifreeze in traps and so on as well.

Not sure what else prolonged severe cold might damage.

Best to just keep it at minimal temp.

"AES" wrote

Best to just keep it at minimal temp.

Get a plumber, and have him run the water suppy up from where it comes in,
into a closet or under the sink, or what have you. The part of the pipe,
from where it come in up to the valve, could have heat wrap put on it.

By doing this, the pipes in the house might still freeze, but would not run
all over ruining things.

This somewhat easy fix could have saved you at least half a grand.
--
Jim in NC

("Morgans" wrote)
Get a plumber, and have him run the water suppy up from where it comes in,
into a closet or under the sink, or what have you. The part of the pipe,
from where it come in up to the valve, could have heat wrap put on it.

By doing this, the pipes in the house might still freeze, but would not
run
all over ruining things.

This somewhat easy fix could have saved you at least half a grand.


Read this twice. Don't get what you're doing here?

Going to check my blood sugar levels....


Mtonblcak

"Montblack" wrote

Read this twice. Don't get what you're doing here?

Going to check my blood sugar levels....

OK, you have a pipe freezing problem, only when it gets really, really cold.
House is unattended, and also used by guests that could never find the
cutoff, so if the pipes bust, the water is on, and it runs out a million
gallons; cost and damages.

Make the cutoff easy for the guests to get instructions to, such as "go in
the master bathroom, open the sink and turn off the big blue handle before
you leave." Then if pipes in the house bust, *that* pipe is busted, but no
huge damages. By repositioning the valve, getting the water shut off every
time is possible. Using the heat tape on the part of the pipe that is still
under pressure all of the time should give an extra bit of peace of mind,
that there will be no running water while it is left unattended.

I have a situation at my house, kinda like that, but not from freezing. To
shut off my water, I have to crawn on hands and knees about 20 feet. Seems
like I am always doing remodeling, or something, so I have to crawl in,
crawl out, do the work, crawl in, crawl out. With my back, that really
sucks. Some day, I'm going to put 20 feet of pipe on that sucker, and put
the valve where I can turn it off without crawling, then tap back into the
house system where there is a 3/4" line, not necessarly 20 feet all the way
back in there. As soon as I get a round tuit.

How's that? g

Really, drawing a picture takes the fun out of it. ;-)
--
Jim in NC

"Grumman-581" writes:

"George Patterson" wrote in message news:Hnz4e.5979$7b.5284@trndny01...
I spend a fair amount of my time these days trying to find and fix the
origin of
second-floor leaks. I have come to the conclusion that the only solution
would
be to install a water-proof membrane between floors. Sort of like an
internal
roof with, of course, suitable drainage.

First floor -- covered parking... Second floor -- occupied rooms... Plumbing
exposed in the covered parking room so that you can see where the leaks are
coming from (and not park your car in that spot)...

And so it can freeze in the winter.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, , http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
RKBA: http://noguns-nomoney.com/ http://www.dd-b.net/carry/
Pics: http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/ http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/
Dragaera/Steven Brust: http://dragaera.info/

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"AES" wrote

My wife wrote a pleading letter in response to the resulting bill, and
the North Tahoe PUD was merciful: just opened their response, in which
they trim the total bill down to $1K total (most of the water went back
into the Lake anyway).

That does not sound all that merciful. My parents had a waterline leak,
and
their water co. lowered it to about $250.
--
Jim in NC


$1K is less than .001 cent per gallon. That's less than a penny per
thousand gallons. Sounds reasonable to me. (But I am not paying the bill
: ) )

Allen

"W P Dixon" wrote in message ...
Good Point John,
I have never charged a guest for a nights stay at my home. Wouldn't show
very much southern hospitality. You pay for a service, you are in deed a
customer. Hmmmm, maybe I could start charging the in-laws?

Nawh, just make 'em sleep on sleeper sofas ... That'll cut their visit
short...