Plumbing problem

[44man]

I know this is a shooting site but you go to shoots, hunting, whatever.
My wife went into the bathroom this morning to find the floor flooded.
The plastic hose to the toilet was dripping so I made the mistake of touching it and the top broke too. I could not turn the valve off until I ran for pliers.
I had to change the hose and I changed the valve too.
The hose was as hard as a million year old snake and it is not that old.
Take a good look at your water stuff before leaving home.

[oneokie]

Bite the boolit and splurge on the good valves and hoses. Also a good idea to open and close the valves on a yearly schedule.

[Dale53]

I am a retired Insurance Claims adjuster. I have seen a pipe break after a person left home (one in particular was an older woman who fell and broke her hip). She was rushed to the hospital and an old galvanized pipe broke in her bathroom, flooded the house and ran for three days before a friendly mail man noticed running water and called the authorities.

We had to replace floors and ceilings of this old but well built house. It dern near ruined the house.

After seeing this and a considerable number of other similar incidents, I turn off my water heater, water at the mains, unplug my major appliances (you also need to open the faucets and take the pressure off your water hoses to your appliances). I do this even when just leaving for a weekend. It only takes five minutes and while I can suffer from other losses, this will NOT be one of them.

My idea is to minimize losses that I can handle myself. I'm a bit cautious but I have seen TOO much to ignore these things.

Good comment, 44man...

Dale53

[hiram]

A longer hose allows for a better lineup with fitting with less stress on the joint.

[fecmech]

I think one of the big problems is the plastic hose itself. Whatever they use to keep them flexible evaporates or something over time and they get brittle. I think the idea of turning off the water when you leave for a trip is a good idea. Bet you didn't know you could move that fast 44 Man did Ya?:kidding:

[geargnasher]

44Man, try the "Floodsafe" service hoses. They're stainless-steel over-braided, reinforced rubber supply lines that have built-in valves that "trip" if it goes to full-flow suddenly, like if the end blows off. Won't help drips and small leaks, but if the hose itself fails catastrophically, it will shut the flow instantly.

I built our house from the ground up, and tried to plan ahead of all the annoying things I've dealt with in a house before. I refurbished an old A.O. Smith glass-lined water heater to contend with our hard water and guarantee a rust-free interior and easy cleanout, and I spent the bucks to get brass, 1/4-turn ball-type shutoff valves for ALL the supply lines, and the aforementioned floodsafes. When I need to shut something off, THEY WORK.

Gear

[RP]

If you talk to the guys in the plumping line most cut their water off when they leave the house for more then a day. I guess they have seen so many cases of lines breaking when no one was around. I have showed my wife how to cut the water off to the house in case iam not around.

[geargnasher]

If you talk to the guys in the plumping line most cut their water off when they leave the house for more then a day. I guess they have seen so many cases of lines breaking when no one was around. I have showed my wife how to cut the water off to the house in case iam not around.

I get plumped without standing in any lines, don't know about you.....

:kidding:

Gear

[a.squibload]

You sick puppy!

Replace washing machine hoses every 1 or 2 years, cheap insurance.

+1 on ¼-turn valves and stainless braid hookup hoses.

[44man]

I did use the braided stainless covered lines and ball valves. I changed over the washer lines long ago. A lot of this good stuff was not made long ago. I hate faucet washers.

[runfiverun]

changing faucet washers used to be part of the plumbing merit badge.
it's that time of year when things start to warm up and stuff breaks.
fan belts [on a/c and vehicles] plumbing, and houses settle with the thaw. [causes door and window issues].
happens again when the first cold hits, things just don't like to flex.

[shooter93]

I have friends come in my house everyday when we're away to check on those things and my pets. I've done a number of major remodling jobs over the years because of such things. One house had 60 some odd thound gallons run down through his house....he was in Europe....it wasn't noticed till someone saw water running out a window and a couple,years ago another customer was in New Zealand and had 16,000 gallons in her basement before it was noticed. It's always best to shut off the main unless you have people entering often who will need water.

[Hickory]

Plumbing is an invention of the devil;
it's the only thing I know of that will make a preacher curse.

[mold maker]

I once got a $286. water bill, because the person who checked the house, used the potty, and the fill valve decided, this was the time to fail. It only took 2 days. Thank goodness it all went down the drain.

[Mal Paso]

None of these stories Ever would have happened if ya left the Outhouse where it belongs!:kidding:

[MtGun44]

I've added ball valves at every commode, then turn the water main feed valve off
whenever we are gone for any length of time. Also have the automatic shutoff valves
in the lines to the clothes washer, and ss braid lines, too.

Neighbors 2 doors down moved out, house was sitting empty this winter. I saw a sheet
of water coming out from under the garage door. I was getting ready to call the police
when a cop drove up, and we discussed it. He got the water company out, and then a few
weeks later one of those house cleanup pro company vans was there about 4 days - carpet
and such piled out front. Must have been a real mess.

It happened to a friend, two gun safes had 1 ft of water in them for a week. Stocks all
ruined and water wicked up and rusted the heck out of some of the rifles, too. He had
lots of insurance, covered everything. All sheet rock cut off at 24" level and redone,
new floors, carpets, etc. Big bucks.

Bill

[Omnivore]

This is absolutely cast boolit related. When you go to pick up new hoses, fittings, or etc., be sure to visit an older, well established plumbing shop. While you're writing out the check for the new goods, ask the oldest plumber in the shop if they have any scrap lead. I got about 10 pounds that way a couple months ago, and it made some wonderful .454 balls for the percussion guns.