poliphilo: (Default)
poliphilo ([personal profile] poliphilo) wrote2010-01-11 10:41 am

I Was Waiting For This

A pipe burst in the kitchen. I was in the next room and heard it break- and got the stop-cock turned before the house filled up with water. Ailz called a plumber and the man was on the road somewhere in our vicinity and got here and had the pipe mended within an hour. This is going to cost us our insurers £75.

I followed your advice last night and left a tap dripping.

[identity profile] daisytells.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 10:44 am (UTC)(link)
How very fortunate that you were able to get a plumber so quickly! It can take days here. I have had you and other friends across the pond in mind all winter, knowing that you are not as accustomed to these conditions as we are. I am wishing for an early spring for all of you, or at least a thorough January thaw!

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 11:12 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you.

Yes, we were very fortunate. We were the third burst our man had attended to that morning.
ext_550458: (La Dolce Vita Trevi)

[identity profile] strange-complex.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Meep! But well-responded to, and three cheers for such an efficient plumber. I have been quite proud of my pipes for managing the current weather so effectively.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 02:25 pm (UTC)(link)
These pipes are set against an outside wall- they're particularly vulnerable.

I like the userpic: Anita Ekberg, Trevi fountain- very cool!
ext_550458: (Meta Sudans)

[identity profile] strange-complex.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 02:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, indeed - I love that scene in La Dolce Vita! I don't suppose you were quite so happy about your floods of water as she is, but I thought it would be appropriate nonetheless.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Highly appropriate.

la Dolce Vita would figure high up on my list of ten favourite films. I love Fellini- and this, I think, is his best.

[identity profile] michaleen.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 12:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Now I'm a bit worried. I don't think leaving it dripping caused it to burst or at least I have never heard of such a thing.

Truth to tell, I am very surprised that one of these pipes has not burst before now. Each time they freeze, they swell a bit more. It's just a matter of time with copper pipes. With iron or pvc, they often burst first time they freeze.

Great to hear you were there and got the water shut off in time. You were lucky.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 02:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah no, 'tother way round. Leaving the tap to drip means the water is circulating and is less likely to freeze. It's a precautionary measure.

[identity profile] michaleen.livejournal.com 2010-01-12 11:58 am (UTC)(link)
The pipes here froze inside an outside wall, between the first and second floors - or second and third, depending on how you look at it. I think the low that night was well-below zero, Fahrenheit.

I suspect that next time they'll start to leak or - Goddess forbid - burst outright. Thankfully, it's been more than ten years ago since it got that cold and it hasn't happened again.

[identity profile] pondhopper.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 01:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow. This is really some winter.
But I'm glad you got that fixed so quickly. That was lucky.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I think the temperature may be rising.

[identity profile] treehavn.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 01:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Arse! Still I'm glad you were there and a plumber was fortunately so close by. Having lived in several rental houses where the sewer pipes backed up (ick), issues related to plumbing scare me more than a little.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Plumbing is scary stuff.

[identity profile] karenkay.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 03:16 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a miracle that you got it repaired so quickly! I'm really happy for you.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2010-01-11 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. We struck lucky there.