Small Water Leak Turns Into Plumbing Nightmare

Small Water Leak Turns Into Plumbing Nightmare

This isn't a story about a family that had a small water leak and they called the plumber to fix it, the next day. This story is about a family who had a small water leak and chose not to fix it for 15 years. Hard to imagine, but things like this happen every day.

The small water leak that I am talking about wasn't something that every homeowner would even notice. The water was leaking behind the bathtub fixture valve, only when someone was taking a shower. This type of water leak isn't something that most people even know about, but destroys hundreds if not thousands of homes each year.

Since they didn't notice any of the damage, why would it be a concern? I understand their way of thinking, even though it gets thousands of homeowners in trouble in each year. If you don't know about water damage, why would it even concern you? That makes a lot of sense to me and everyone else that I know.

The next part of this story is going to be hard to believe and if I was you, I wouldn't believe it either. It was about 11 o'clock in the evening when the husband was taking a shower and the entire bathtub collapsed that he was standing in. The water damage had rotted out the wood subfloor that the bathtub was sitting on and eventually collapsed, along with the bathtub and the man standing inside of it.

When the bathtub collapsed, the man taking a shower reached for the only thing that he could grab onto, which was the bathtub water supply valve and it broke also. Water was going everywhere and they weren't prepared for this type of home emergency.

There weren't any computers in the home or telephone books. As a matter of fact, only one person in the house had a cellular phone and the only car at the residence. Since their closest neighbor was more than 1 miles away, they chose to just let the water run, because no one in the house knew how to shut the water off.

They finally got a hold of a plumber, but the damage was unbelievable. If you don't want something like this to happen to you, I suggest that you create an emergency home contractors list and make sure that someone has a phone that works in the house.



By Greg Vandenberge
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3396356

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Plumbing Nightmare on the First Day of School

Being a working mom and needing a reliable plumber on speed dial don't seem synonymous, but, they are often linked together by desperation. Picture the first morning of school, 4 children to get ready for the beginning of a new year. The sound of cascading water mingles with the groaning of teenagers and the tears of the newest kindergartener forced to get up as the sun also rises.

"Who's running the water upstairs?" Nothing. No human voice. Only the continued trickling sound down the hallway. There are no decorative fountains in the hall. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but a brisk walk into the foyer saves the house from severe water damage.

Claiming stairs two at a time, the cause of the unplanned "home improvement" project is evident. The legs of a toy doll rise up inside the flowing water of the toilet. Hoping a quick grasp and tug will stop the blockage, mingled with courage, the powerful arm of mother reaches in past the contents of the toilet. Nothing, not a budge. Again, a mighty tug, great enough to free the Sword Excalibur, but no movement at all.

"Help!" No one comes. The water must be stopped. The baby and the puppy are prancing and, oh no, drinking from the fountain of flowing water. Your mind is sharp. Turn off the valve. You know what to do. You kneel on the floor, in your new jeans, blindly reaching behind the toilet bowl. The valve is as captured as the toy doll's head. There is only one thing left to do, grab the baby, throw some towels on the floor... and call a plumber immediately.

Desperation is evident in this scenario, but you could also see it in many other situations like when sewage starts seeping up onto your lawn, or your water faucets start flowing with brown water. And when desperation strikes, you don't want to be stuck looking through the Internet for a good plumber, you want to have a plumber in your back pocket who you trust to come to your aid in a moment's notice.

Look for plumbing reviews online, ask your friends about plumbers that they have used, and check out the Better Business Bureau. Do all of these things now, because when your hallway is flooding from the toilet on the first day of school, it's going to be a little late to start finding your favorite plumber.



By Ana M Fraser
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7150436

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