An Adrenaline-Charged Morning

I’m back home! Whew! Let me tell you folks, 11 hours is a long, long time to sit in one small, cramped spot. I was never so happy to get off a plane!

I was all set to write a post today sharing some helpful tips on how I survived those 11 hours in the air with my sanity still intact, when something happened that I thought was way more important to share. I hope this will save you major heart-ache down the road.

This morning I spontaneously awoke at 4 AM, then realized it was 10 AM in Italy. That’s actually over-sleeping in Italy time, since I was normally up by 6:30 or 7:00 AM for our early morning departures each day.

I spent the wee hours of the morning unpacking, sorting clothes, doing several loads of laundry and slowly but surely making my way through my Inbox. I’m still not finished returning emails but the laundry situation is at least looking a lot better.

I also spent the morning mopping up copious amounts of water in the laundry room. When I walked into the laundry room this morning to begin washing clothes, I noticed a big puddle of water on the floor. At first I thought my ancient, much-loved washing machine had finally given up the ghost.

As I puzzled over where the water was coming from, I thought I saw a drop fall from one of the water connections going into the back of the utility sink. You can see the sink buried under “stuff” in this previous photo. Remember the party I held out on the porch in the midst of a tornado–the one where my guests wouldn’t leave the porch?! lol (You’ll find that post here: Party on the Titanic)

Party

 

Investigating a bit further, I leaned down and reached out to touch the area where I thought I’d seen the water drip. As I touched the hose, it exploded and I instantly had my own personal version of Old Faithful right there in the laundry room! Oh. My. Gosh! Freak out time!!!

A

From Wikipedia

 

I immediately looked for a shut-off handle and saw it right beside the gushing geyser. I tried with all my might to turn it and it wouldn’t budge. Are you picturing this…me in my pink, cupcake-covered, flannel pajamas, squatting in an ever-increasing pool of water, frantically trying to turn a handle that hasn’t been turned in at least 15 years. The last time that handle was used was when I had the old sink replaced with a newer version a gazillion years ago.

PJs

 

Trying to buy myself a few seconds to think, I clamped one of my fingers over the opening and was just barely able to stop the water. I quickly realized I wouldn’t be able to keep my finger there for very long. I’ve always loved how strong the water pressure is in this sink because it’s the sink where I fill up the large watering cans I use throughout the summer to water the trees and plants out on the decks. Now I was feeling the full force of that pressure under my trembling finger.

I also realized when I first clamped my finger over the opening, the water that was spewing out was getting hotter by the second. It was the hot water hose that had burst! Before long, the water gushing out of that opening would be way too hot to hold a finger over, even if the pressure hadn’t been so strong.

temp

 

What to do? WHAT TO DO!!!

I knew it would take a wrench or pliers from the tool chest in the garage to turn off the stuck faucet handle and I knew exactly which drawer held all my pliers. Sometimes being an organization freak pays off! 🙂

Storage for Household Tools 11_wm

 

With no other choice, I reluctantly removed my tired finger and ran the short distance to the garage as fast as my soggy, flannel-pajama-clad legs would carry me. I grabbed a pair of pliers and flew back to the laundry room.

At first the handle still wouldn’t budge. What sweet relief when I felt it break loose and finally begin to turn. Once I got it going, I was able to turn it the rest of the way off with just my hand. So, the water only made it onto the laundry room floor and not to the hardwood flooring in the kitchen or the carpet going up the back staircase.

I was so annoyed with myself when I realized that both hoses going into the back of the sink were made of that vinyl type stuff. Many, many years ago in my previous home, I was sitting at the breakfast table when I suddenly heard a loud, swooshing water sound. The hot water hose going into the washing machine had burst and was gushing water everywhere. We were so glad we were home, otherwise we would have come home to a destroyed downstairs. I’m guessing it would only take about 15-30 minutes of that business to flood an entire downstairs.

When that first burst-hose-incident occurred, I was told by the nice guy at the hardware store to never allow a washing machine to be installed with the typical hose most installers use. Those hoses are ticking time bombs. He said it’s usually the hot water connection that goes first because it goes through so many temperature changes, heating up then cooling off repeatedly over the years. So, I purchased the metal type hosing that he recommended. It’s much more reliable, longer lasting and is the only kind of hose I’ve ever used for my washing machine since that day.

Metal Hose

I was so mad at myself this morning that I had never noticed the laundry room utility sink was installed with that same awful vinyl-type hosing. I’m not messing around with this repair. I’m going to call a plumber on Monday and let a professional replace both hoses with the good metal kind. Water (and electrical) is one area that’s not worth taking a DIY risk. I’d hate to come home and find my whole downstairs and the basement below flooded because I didn’t install the new metal hose properly or tight enough.

I’m very lucky it didn’t rupture while I was in Italy! It was apparently hanging on by a thread. All it took was touching it this morning to make it explode into a geyser. Another lesson to be learned from this: if you see a hose dripping water, don’t touch it before turning the water off at the source. Then you won’t end up with Old Faithful inside your home!

Do yourself a huge favor today. Go check all the places that water enters into your home (sinks, washing machines, etc…) and if you find any with that vinyl type hose stuff, shut off the water until you can replace it with the metal type or something that’s way more reliable. It’s always the hot water that goes first, but it’s best to replace them both. The metal type hose costs more, but could save you a fortune in the long run, not to mention the nightmare of having to cope with massive water damage.

Have you ever had one of those bad vinyl-like hoses burst in your home?

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Comments

  1. I kept checking frequently to hear that you arrived home safely–yay!
    What a welcome back party! So good you were there, and thanks for the tip. We had a water sprinkler misfire and fill our entire place with several inches of water before the FD found the turnoff valve. Yep, just one little ol’ sprinkler. Can’t imagine if all were activated. Yikes.

    • Thanks, Mia…appreciate you! It’s so good to be home! It’s fun to travel but Dorothy was right, “There’s no place like home!”
      It’s amazing that one sprinkler could do that! Was it the type that’s in some homes in case of fire? I never thought about those going off accidentally. I wouldn’t have a clue how to fix that. I guess you would have to shut off the water to the whole house. I used to have one of those long shut-off thingies that you can stick into the water meter hole to shut off the water, but I wouldn’t have a clue where it is now. I think there’s a main shut off in my basement, too. I should probably get the plumber to show me where it is, just in case.

      • Verne Gelvin-Lane says

        We do have a water shut-off tool. For 3 years in a row on Thanksgiving day we discovered a water line leak in the yard (not close to the road, so homeowner is responsible for it). We panicked the first year and called the little water company and the man, bless his heart, brought the tool over after he ate his dinner and left it by the water main in the yard. We bought our own at Lowe’s and now we know the drill when we see a damp spot in the yard in late November

        • Wow, I hope it skips you this year, Verne. That’s such bad timing because you need your water on Thanksgiving Day more than ever! Do you by any chance have the infamous polybutylene pipe running in the yard? I don’t know if it’s still covered for repairs, but for many, many years, it was due to a class action lawsuit and you could get assistance with the cost of replacing it. That may have ended, though. You can read more about at the links here: https://www.google.com/#q=polybutylene+pipe+class+action

  2. OH…YOU POOR DRENCHED DEAR!!! I am so sorry to hear this…what a MESS!! I have to admire your ingenuity…I’m certain you saved a LOT of heartache by grabbing that wrench. Gaaaaa! There!!! franki

  3. Oh…so sorry you had to go through all that! But…thanks for the information! Glad you are back safe and sound….look forward to hearing ” all” about your trip! 😉

  4. Marlene Wilson says

    How fortuante you are that you had arrived home before any further damage was done. The information you gave us is really helpful. I always turn off my water behind my washer when I am away from the house. We had a washer hose burst one morning before we got up and we could hear the water gushing out the burst hose in the laundry room from our bedroom upstairs.
    Glad your home safe and that you took us along for the ride. Thank you.

  5. Jean Tucker says

    So sorry that happened to you on your first day home. I have the metal hoses on my washer but vinyl ones on my laundry sink and toilets that is why I turn the water off to the house when I leave for a few days, better safe than sorry.

  6. Yes in my last house and it was the hot water hose on the washer too. It is bad when that happens. This ruined carpet in my hall. What a mess. So glad you got yours turned off.

    • Marty, sorry you had that happen. Makes me wonder why they are allowed to even sell that stuff since it’s going to eventually fail at some point.

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        Susan, years ago when we were newlyweds living in our first place (a town house duplex) our neighbors had a dryer fire. The fire department told us it’s because of those soft, plastic-y hoses that run from the dryer to the outside vent. So we’ve used the metal version ever since. But like you said, WHY are they even being sold?! Apparently dryer fires are one of the more common causes of fires in the home, and with the proper care, can be easily avoided.

  7. Well I am so glad that this didn’t happen while you were gone. We have had a similar situation with a tiny drip in between a wall behind our refrigerator from an ice maker and you got it, one of those awful hoses was the culprit. Since we live in a raised home the moisture went down under the house and rotted several joists and part of a sill. Had to have flooring all removed and even sheetrock replaced because there was some mold on the inside of the wall. Flooring goes in Monday and hopefully I can find the same wallpaper again, Fun, fun!! However, I’m so happy for you that you didn’t incur this type of problem. I’m kind of worried since we will be gone for two weeks but I’ll have my daughter checking. I’ve been following your trips. We will be in Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Florence and sail down to Cannes and Barcelona. I took some of your recommendations on things that worked for you and we’ll see. So glad to see you’re home safe and happy. Can’t wait to see more of your pics. BTW, love your pj’s:)

    • Sorry you had to go through all that, Gayle! Your upcoming trip sounds awesome! I’m going to write a post soon sharing what I loved having for this trip. Be sure and take some waterproof boots, even short boots will work. It rained LOTS during out trip…a couple of days it rained the ENTIRE day: nnce was in Florence and the other was Positano. I had two pairs of boots with me and they saved me on those days. If you need ideas for boots, let me know because I purchased two pairs right before I left and I LOVED them. Super comfortable and kept my feet dry the entire day.

  8. Jennifer Moreland says

    Call somebody quick!! That is what I would have done, ha ! ha ! Us women know how to take care of ourselves. Good for you, I am proud.
    I will be going to Hawaii in three weeks (10 hours on a plane) do you have any suggestions on things to do on the plane and how to keep my legs from swelling? I am a very high strung person with tons of energy and I am going to go nuts. Hope I don’t have a crying baby on the flight. Suggest any good books maybe, puzzles, etc.Thanks

    • Jennifer, I had issues with that, too. I purchased some cute compression socks before I left and then at the last minute didn’t wear them because I was trying to save space in my suitcase by wearing a regular pair of socks I could wear later in the trip. My ankles/feet did swell so I should have worn them. Here’s the ones I purchased. I’ll wear them next time I fly for that many hours. http://amzn.to/1Wc6whv

      Also, wear a pair of shoes that are a little roomy or that you can easily slip out of. I wore tall, knee-high boots on the way over and wish I hadn’t because I couldn’t slip them off when my feet and legs got tired of being stuck inside tall boots. There will come a time when you’ll want to slip them off and just be in your socks for a bit while sitting. Don’t go to the bathroom in sock feet, though…the floors are always messy in the bathrooms on a plane.
      Since I needed to take a laptop to blog while away, I downloaded several movies from iTunes onto my laptop. I watched one on the way to Africa. Coming back from Italy, I watched two since I was traveling during the daytime.

      I was going to download the movies from Amazon, but you can’t. They will only let you stream them. But iTunes will actually let you download them onto a device. Do you have something you can download a few movies to? I never like the movie choices offered on a plane so I prefer to download movies I like rather than watch something I have no interest in.

      My Kindle was a lifesaver. If you don’t have one already, I highly recommend getting one and putting some good books on it. I bought this one: http://amzn.to/1McYjUu and it worked great! Kindles have come a long way, super easy to use now.

      I read “Under The Tuscan Sun” on the way to Italy and enjoyed it. I had seen the movie but not sure if I had read the book. I’ve enjoyed all of Frances Mayes books. They aren’t “exciting” but are great for getting a feel for Italy.

      You may want to google a phrase like “Great books with a story that takes place in Hawaii” or something like that. I love to read a book that takes place in the place where I’m going, if possible. 🙂 Okay, I just googled that phrase and found lot of links.

      Here are four with lists of books to check out. What you may want to do is look the books recommended on these lists up on Amazon, and then read the reviews there to see if it sounds like a book you would enjoy.
      1. http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/mystery-books-that-take-place-in-hawaii.html
      2. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28932-i36-k6284980-List_of_books_set_in_Hawai_i-Hawaii.html
      3. http://www.amazon.com/lm/R3R3KD03Y38UUY
      4. http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/June-2014/18-Hawaii-Books-to-Read-This-Summer/

      Crossword puzzles or anything you enjoy doing would be great to take along.

      • Jennifer,

        We did the trip several years ago…Orlando to La then on to Ohau. No matter what size plane, you can always get up and walk short distances, back and forth. We didn’t find the flight west that difficult BUT the return flight was forever. 7 hours from Ohau to O’Hare then another 3 hours to Orlando. We were there for 3 weeks and the jet lag hung on for a bit over a week after coming home. I had my Nook with me and it was all I needed to keep busy. You can download games, puzzles along with books and use your cell phone to set the alarm to get up and move at intervals. Have a wonderful time!

  9. Oh, Susan, you poor dear! Jet-lagged and having to face that! I’m so sorry I let out a chuckle when you gave me the mental picture of you running to the garage in your soaked flannel cupcake PJs! I’m so bad! But bad or not, I’m taking myself right now into my laundry room to check my water connections. I hope you had a relaxing rest of your day; things could only get better, right? Hugs to you and welcome home!

    • lol I had to add those PJs to the dirty clothes pile after I got the water shut off. Yes, definitely check those connections! It’s worth it to have them replaced by a good plumber to avoid any future disasters. Water can be so damaging when not controlled.

  10. Rebecca Francis says

    My sweet little daddy taught us to always have a shut-off valve to the water supply. My husband installed one in our basement and every time we leave for more than 1 day he turns off all the water. Thanks for the tip and so sorry you had problems. Think of it this way, you were really blessed it did not flood your home…..Rebecca

    • That’s an excellent idea. When the plumber comes out, I’m going to ask him where it is that I do that. I think I know but I want to make sure and make sure it’s a handle I can actually turn. Thanks, Rebecca!

  11. Verne Gelvin-Lane says

    GREAT post. Loved the visuals! Love the timing. It could’ve been so much worse. Gorgeous tool box, and – you know how to use the tools 😉

    A great wake-up call for everyone to check our water lines. New metal fill hoses for the new washer we have, but come to think of it, old clear plastic ones for 1986 refrigerator water line, and maybe the dishwasher, too. Going to check them in the morning. Bless you! So glad you’re back safe & sound.

    • Thanks, Verne! I have loved that tool box. The one I had before was pitiful and the tools were always all mixed up inside. Glad I could find one quickly this time! 🙂

  12. Welcome home, Susan! So sorry you had to deal with this but you circumvented a much larger disaster. I have no idea where our water shut-off valve is! Will find out tonight, though! Can’t wait to see more of your photos.

  13. You are so lucky it happened after you returned home. Could have been much worse. Now off to check my hoses!

  14. Mary Davis says

    Glad you are home safe! That is a very long flight. I took my Kindle and did a lot of reading on the plane plus watching movies. A few years ago, we came back from a trip to Hawaii (very long flight-worse than Europe) to find the hose to my washer had ruptured and flooded my house. We were gone 9 days and they estimated the water had run for 6 days. We had to stay in a hotel suite for 6 wks while our home was renovated. So believe me, you were lucky it happened after you got home.

    • Oh, my word! I can’t imagine what the water bill was for six days of that. Seems like water companies would have computer systems that alert them when something like that is going on. Maybe they could send someone out early on and could peer inside, see the water and shut it off at the road. Such a nightmare to come back too. You’re already tired after your long flight and then to face that. I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Mary! I hope you were able to get something good out of the renovation…maybe upgrade something or make it better than before. I know you were sick of staying in a hotel after 6 weeks of that.

      • pam ~ crumpety cottage says

        I agree! Surely there must be a way for the water company to know what is going on. A shame they didn’t alert the homeowners or go out and shut off the water.

      • Mary Davis says

        We were tired of staying in a hotel, but we were lucky to have a good insurance agent that made all the arrangements quickly and made sure we were taken care of properly. He even arranged for the construction company, cleaning company, etc. We didn’t even have to pack anything. It was all done for us. The water bill was $350.00 but they worked with us on it and brought the bill down quite a bit. 64,000 gal of water ran into our house. Now when we leave, we cut the water off at the main valve!

  15. Wow, what a nightmare! Kudos to you for thinking and reacting quickly. I never knew there were metal hoses you could use. I have plumbers coming on Monday to install a new water heater. I hope I can find these and have these installed. We have been in our home 14 years and I don’t know the last time they’ve been changed. Thanks for the great advice.

    • Joselyn, you can buy them at any big hardware store. You may want to call the plumbing company and ask them if they carry those on their truck. I bet they have them, too.

  16. Well, not the story I thought you would be posting once you got home! Thank goodness you were there to keep things from getting any worse. Even with the metal hoses it is a good idea to turn off the water to your appliances when you will be gone for a more than a day. I feel your pain about sitting in a cramped airplane for what seems like an eternity. The flight to England in May was so uncomfortable. Coming home was much better as I had a 4 seat row all to myself. 🙂 Daughter and I had been discussing a trip to Italy before you mentioned you were going and now looking at your Instagram pictures and reading your blog posts we are excited to hear all about your trip. Were you pleased with the travel company? Glad you are home safe and sound. Vikki in VA

    • Vikki, I’m going to find out where my shut off valve is in the house…I think I have one in the basement and I think it’s right where the water enters the house. I’m pretty sure my irrigation guy showed me when he installed the sprinkler system many years ago. That’s a great idea to just shut it off house wise when traveling.
      It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately we got a lot of rain, despite the fact that it normally doesn’t rain a lot in October. But I still enjoyed the trip, despite the rainy days.

  17. Glad you had great trip and that you were home when the water decided to make a mess. We have had that problem more than once so now when we leave for overnight, we always turn the water and the water softener off!! Cute jammies!!

    • Excellent idea! I’m going to start shutting if to the entire house…peace of mind! lol Thanks! I found those in Marshalls last year…got them in pink with cupcakes and in blue with owls. 🙂

  18. Welcome home, Susan! So sorry about the water explosion! I appreciate the advice about the metal hosing; I’ve already shared with my husband. 🙂

    Denise

  19. Susan,
    Welcome home! Sorry it was such a problem crazed morning. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll go check. ‘-)

    I know it’s not funny, but this is a cute post with all the visuals. Love the cupcake pjs.

  20. Jane Franks says

    Oh Susan, what a nightmare! I’m soooo glad it happened while you were home though! You are very resourceful and quick thinker. I probably would have freaked out and the whole house would have been floating away! I have very hard rubber like heavy duty hoses (I don’t think they are vinyl), but metal on the dishwasher lines. I have a little plumbing job to be done in a couple of weeks, and I’m going to ask my plumber to check them. I turn my water off behind the washer EVERY time I do the laundry! Just like it would be at the sink. Reason: my next door neighbor had a disaster a few years ago. Her washer hose let go while she was shopping, and flooded the whole downstairs of her house. She wasn’t gone that long, either! But all her carpet, moldings, door frames had to be replaced, and all her walls repainted! And some of her furniture was ruined, too! Boy that was a wake up call for me. I turn the toilets off when we go on a trip and the waterline to the ice maker and dishwasher, too. By the way I love your pajamas! So glad you caught this before too much harm. Whew! What a welcome home party!!

    • I’m not sure what those hoses are that tend to explode. I don’t think they are rubber…but it’s the metal ones that are the good ones. You are so smart to do that behind the washer. My connection is way down behind the washer so I can’t reach it easily. I’m not sure I can reach it at all without actually physically moving the washer. That’s the bad thing about those non-metal type hoses…they can burst at any time and even if you’re not out of town but just shopping at the grocery store, that’s long enough to do significant damage to flooring and such.

      • Jane Franks says

        I am so glad they put our turnoff faucets up high on the wall at the level of the top of the washer. I think my hoses are okay; someone told me it’s the constant pressure of the water in the open valve, that wears them out faster. But I’m still going to ask my plumber about our hoses. If he thinks the metal ones would be better, I’ll go for it!! Thanks for the advice. Sorry, at your expense. But soooo glad yours was not worse. Water and electricity problems. Two things I won’t mess with!! Good job, you!!

  21. So glad you are home safely, and so sorry for the leaking hose!!! And the mess of cleaning it all up……no fun!!

    Can’t wait to see all your pics and hear your tales……

  22. Ugh, one of my worst nightmares and, seemingly, a recurring one (have had many water issues with home ownership in the past). What a way to get welcomed home. We did have shut off valves installed and replaced all over our home, but that doesn’t mean we’ve been smart enough to turn water off when we’re away. Lesson learned.

  23. Thanks Susan. I would love the name of the boots you bought. I’ve been wondering a lot about rain also.

    • I bought both at Dillards. I purchased these in the black. They are soooo comfortable even when I wore them all day long…and they have excellent arch support: http://bit.ly/1OZAogw I think I’m going to buy them in brown now that I’m back, I loved them so much. They look great on and really are waterproof.
      The other pair that I purchased at Dillards and loved wearing with my jeans were these: http://bit.ly/1O0PUKt
      I had always wanted some duck boots with a plaid top. They were super comfortable for walking around in, too…kept my feet totally dry all day in the tons of rain we had. They aren’t really heavy like most duck boots so didn’t add a bunch of weight to my suitcase. I got lots of compliments on them and the Teva black boots. So many of the folks on my trip didn’t bring waterproof shoes/boots and they were walking around in soggy shoes and socks all day. I felt so bad for them.
      Oh, one more thing…I bought both of those shoes in 1/2 size bigger than I normally wear so I could wear them with really thick socks. I love wearing thick socks in the winter. That worked perfectly. If you don’t plan to wear thick socks with them, you will probably be fine with your normal size.

    • Gayle, I just went online to order the Teva boots in the Bison color since I loved them so much and I noticed they only have two in my size left. So if they are out of your size at Dillards, I just found them online at Nordstrom and in some other colors, as well. Here’s the link at Nordstrom. http://bit.ly/1MMpYfy You may want to order them there since they do free returns. I love stores that do that…makes it easy to get the correct size when you can return them for free.

  24. Linda Page says

    Welcome back! So sorry you were greeted with such a disaster but at least you were home and not still in Italy. It is also good that you are a resourceful person. We used to have a farm house and we always turned everything off, well, water and gas…not the electricity, every time we left as we might not be back for days or weeks. So knowing where all turn off valves are is important. I hope you can get back on Atlanta time without too much trouble. Something good will be coming your way later this week so stay alert.

  25. pam ~ crumpety cottage says

    Oh Susan, what a shame! So sorry you had to deal with that on your very first morning back. I kept thinking, wow … if it had to happen, I’m glad it didn’t happen while she was still in Italy! Plus — at least you looked adorable in your cupcake jammies. 😀 Aww .. truly so sorry though and I’m glad you worked it out. I keep a small carry style tool box in my bedroom closet with the basic tools – just so I don’t always have to go out to the garage where the big box is, BUT, this has made me consider the wisdom of keeping a wrench near every water turn off in the house. That means bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room. I can certainly find room in each of those for a wrench! And, it reminded me to remind myself where the water main is in this house, our ‘newer’ house (which we’ve lived in for 4 years, lol) So it’s great advice you gave us.

    I hope you won’t have to make an insurance claim. The hot water must have been coming from your water heater. It wouldn’t have been hot coming from the street source … so even if you turned off your main, it wouldn’t have helped. This is a bit confusing. Where and why was the water there? If it had been sitting in the hose while you were gone, it wouldn’t have been getting hotter and hotter. And that reminds me too that we have a couple of those ‘heat as you need it’ type water heating gizmos. I love those! If you ever have the opportunity to have those, I do recommend them over a tank. — So I’d ask the plumber to check the hot water heater because maybe there is a connection loose that is allowing it to let water to flow when it shouldn’t. Gah! Confusing!

    I’m also confused why you’re home already. 😉 Has it really been 17 days? Time flies! I know you’re probably effervescent with excitement and things to tell us but I hope you’ll give yourself a thorough rest and catch up before you dive in posting more photos and stories. Rest, Susan. Rest! (eat, Santa. Eat!) Haha.

    Glad you’re home safe and sound and let’s pray there are no more housing mishaps. Really, when I think about it .. it’s SO fortunate you were home when this happened! Wow. Great timing.

  26. We have a gadget on our washing machine that cuts off the water if it senses a leak. http://www.getfloodstop.com/ It is an amazing thing if you travel a lot. We replaced all of our hoses this year. Ice makers are notorious for leaking and it’s not a fun thing to come home to!

    Enjoyed following your travels lately! Thanks for taking us along!

  27. rattlebridge farm says

    I’m so glad this didn’t happen when you were away! Your organization and know-how paid off so further damage wasn’t done. This is such a timely post, too, as we’ve had non-stop water issues, so I will be sure to check the hoses.

    • Thanks, Michael! Me, too…that would have been a disaster for sure. I hope your water issues calm down. Definitely check those hoses, well worth it to replace them if needed.

  28. Cynthia from San Clemente, CA says

    I have to admit I burst out laughing at the mental image of you running to the garage in your soggy, pink cupcake flannel pajamas! Luckily, my husband has always insisted on using the flexible metal hoses, but we have had our share of leaks from icemakers and pinhole leaks in the copper plumbing. Thank heavens we have always been home when the water was discovered. However, hubs ALWAYS turns the water to the house off when we leave on a trip and I am shocked by the number of people who don’t do that.

  29. And while your plumber is there you might have him check the pressure regulator in your house. If you have a high amount of pressure at the sink, it might be too high. My son who is a plumber said it is very important for your pipes not to have the pressure too high. Hope this helps. Welcome back to life! :o)

    • I should have him check that. I’ve already replaced it once but maybe it needs it again. I wonder how often those things have to be replaced.

  30. Wha-ta-bummer in just getting settled back into your home…..and this happening!
    Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
    I’ve never thought of this situation before and
    well…read what you wrote to my husband
    and it’s the first thing on our list to have done!
    Thank-you so very much!
    Wishing you more uneventful and peaceful days
    ahead as you savor the thoughts you collected while
    on your trip!
    Take care!

  31. bobbi duncan says

    Wait a minute…this is NOT a proper homecoming! So fortunate you were home to catch the leak before it got too out of hand. Had a similar situation…what a mess in a short amount of time; thought I’d never get the water sopped up before it ran under walls to other rooms. Glad you’re back home, safe and sound.

  32. Boy were you a lucky lady! If that had let go while you were gone- lord don’t even think of the mess it would’ve made! My mom’s utility room developed a leak at the water turn off for the washer so she got a plumber in. As soon as he touched the valve it broke and water was going everywhere. He raced to shut off the main water supply to get it under control but what a mess! I could just visualize your going through all the steps that occured. My insurance agent recommended that we shut off the water heater before we leave for trips but perhaps turning off the main water supply is the best overall safety measure.

  33. Welcome home, Susan. So happy you had a wonderful time and thank you so much for sharing your adventure(s). So sorry to hear though that you had a mishap but am glad that you were at least home when it occurred. Only recall once (touch wood) when our hot water tank sprung a leak and I ended up having to call an acquaintance of my husband’s to turn the water off namely because I couldn’t budge the off-tap no matter how hard I tried. (He installs in ground pools, so I also knew he had the proper tools to do it and his business was only a block away.) Fortunately, it being a Saturday he was in and quickly came to my rescue otherwise our basement I am sure would have quickly been flooded by the time my husband got home. All said, as I am in the midst of home renovations from the basement up; I have taken note of your recommendation and will ensure I check out what materials are going in particularly with respect to the washing machine as its located on the main floor (just off of my kitchen) which would surely cause a double-whammy mess to both levels if its hose gave way. Oh, regarding turning your water off while away; where I live you do not do so during the winter months as interior pipes can freeze and burst if your furnace should break down so its recommended that you leave at least one tap slightly open. As for outside connections; you do turn them entirely off. -Brenda-

  34. Pam Henderson says

    Susan

    So enjoyed going through your website. Beautiful job! Since returning from Italy it has taken almost a week to have the whole experience sink in. I loved your pics and commentary about the places we visited. Brought back great feelings, especially the little medieval towns up on the hills. You are a master of organization! Weaving all your ideas together and pictures (you know your camera) highlighting it all. Wow, great job. I now fully understand what a BLOG is!
    Much continued success and keep traveling
    Pam Henderson
    Ciao!

    • Thanks so much, Pam, it was great meeting you and David! I’ll be posting more about the trip over the upcoming weeks once I have time to go through all my photos.

      I know what you mean about it taking time for it all sink in. Sometimes it almost feels like it was a dream until I open up my computer and can actually see the pictures and remember it really did it happen. It just all went by so quickly. The small hill towns were my favorites on the tour. I wish I could go back and have 3 full days in each town; the few hours we had in each one were never enough.

  35. So glad you survived to tell the tale and spread the word about cautionary steps! Almost the identical thing happened to me, but it was a rigid connection to the toilet in my guest bath that broke. The water shot up to the ceiling like a geyser, drenching me and everything in the vicinity before I could get it under control. All in all, I hope it NEVER happens again to me or anyone I know!

    • Shelley, is quite the shock, isn’t it? One minute life is calm, the next you’re smack dab in the middle of an emergency! I have a plumber coming this Friday to replace the hoses.

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