So our pipes froze last night. I accidentally left the garage door open on the only night that it has really snowed at our house. I called around to see what I should do -- never had a house or been responsible for pipes before -- and decided that I'd try the only suggestion I got: pour anti-freeze down each drain and see what happens.
I don't know if that was really the best idea -- especially in hindsight, thinking that anti-freeze probably would be a bad thing to have mixing around with the city's water supply -- but after an hour or so, the water started running in the toilet I'd flushed earlier, so I was just happy. I'm not really sure whether my subsequent water use is what caused the pipe to burst, or if it was just a gremlin that was determined to cause problems and wasn't going to be outdone by a bottle of anti-freeze.
In any event, the pipe is fixed now. I'm hoping that, despite the relatively small nature of this particular life challenge, the ordeal was big enough to fill the quota of trials that each person is supposed to be allotted on a regular basis. I sometimes wonder why nothing really bad has happened to my family. Maybe really bad stuff just doesn't happen as often as I think it does, and it's just the cumulative effect of all the sorta bad little stuff that can make life a pain.
7 comments:
There are water pipes in the garage??!
No wonder you didn't think of the consequences of leaving the garage door open. I've never heard of a house with water pipes in the garage before. Anyone could've made the mistake you did. Honestly, if I left the garage door open, I might worry that someone would steal my tools or the neighbors' cats would get in and urinate all over. But I'd NEVER think that my pipes would freeze because of an open door. And that would be because I DON'T HAVE ANY WATER PIPES IN THE GARAGE!!!
Why would you need water in the garage, anyway? Just in case you want to install a carwash, perhaps?
Hmm -- a car wash in the garage. Maybe I'll suggest that to the condo association president. She and I have become quite close as a result of the incident last week.
Now, if you thought it was dumb to have water pipes in the garage, ponder on this one. One person suggested we turn up the heat and try to get the house warmer so the ice hopefully would thaw. I did that, but later learned that the furnace uses heated water to function. So what happens when your pipes freeze? No water *and* no heat. Dumb.
Wow. Someone was just brilliant here.
Maybe they're related to the girl who wrote the essay about Buddhists and Beowulf.
Sorry you had a rough time.
I wonder what would happen if Buddhists started designing people's plumbing?
:0
Maybe they did! Chinese -- plumb -- plumbing. . . . !!
With that, I think whatever hassles I had from frozen pipes has now more than been made up for.
That is frustrating when something happens in the house and you don't know what the best thing is to do!
Mary! What in the world happened? You just need to head back this way and forget about snow storms and frozen pipes. I just about got a sunburn yesterday watching my daughters softball game. It's too hot, too early. Hope you and your family are well. We'll send warm thoughts your way.
Well, now we understand why you were so mysteriously de-stressed in the "Sunday" post. It was the calm before the storm! And it didn't even take 10 years to look back and figure it out. :) I've dealt with bursting pipes this year, too, it is a pain. I'm glad you got it resolved eventually. *hugs*
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