A week ago water was running out of the base that the water heater sits on in the garage. Plumber came out with a new water heater but there were no leaks in the old one. Where was the water coming from?
The leak was traced to a subterranean hot water leak under the slab, under our dining room that has new tile. He can get a crew out in a week. That was today. "In the meantime turn the valve on and off at the water heater just to take showers". Okay...
Large tea pot stays on the stove to heat water for brushing teeth and shaving. I turn on the hot water early in the morning for us both to shower. Last one out of their shower is a rotten egg. Then the hot water is shut off again at the heater. At least the tile floor in the dining room is warm, but that's also scary to think about.
On the weekend we basically 'camped' and good thing we know how to do that, boiling water in the teapot to wash dishes and do laundry. Except, I had to move a lot of stuff around in the garage all day Saturday for the upcoming repairs and got fairly dirty. So I took the plunge in the icy cold shower! Yikes!! It's been in the 20's at night and the cold water was only fit for polar bears. It did feel good on my sore knees though.
Today we did a bypass surgery on the hot water line in the garage. Instead of digging up the cement slab, the plumber ran a copper line from the water heater up and across then down the garage wall. He then bored a hole from the garage wall into a lower kitchen cupboard on the other side. He kept boring holes through all the lower cabinets, behind the dishwasher, behind the stove and finally into the wall leading to the bathtub where the hot water manifold sent hot water in different directions. They ran flex water lines through all the holes. Glad my wife wasn't home to see this. Three plumbers and a mess!
I was in disbelief that this would come out anywhere near nice but looking back it was the best decision. A lot of cleanup this evening though, and ....a hot shower! Yay!!!!
I really took a liking to using a cup of hot water though to rinse my tooth brush in and another cup to shave out of. I waste about a gallon of water out of the faucet every time I need hot water.
I told a younger friend last night I might keep doing this (using a cup of hot water). He laughed and said he would send me to his geezer old dad and then to therapy.
I could be a homesteader. I think I will keep doing the cup method. Looking online for a single cup hot water heater that I can plug in. Cheaper then using an on-demand water heater under the sink.
I did a lot of research on YouTube and the alternative of digging up the slab in one spot and possibly causing damage in another spot wasn't something I wanted to go through twice. They use coil copper lines under the slab and can be easily disturbed feet away.
Ever go through something like this? Ever take the 'plunge' in a freezing shower in below freezing weather? Yahoo!! |
