Wouldn't You Know It

[BarryBobPosthole]

First off, Microsoft is buying LinkedIn for $26 billion. That's the dumbest fucking thing I've ever heard of. Microsoft-in-the-head.
They're buying nothing but data. There's no substance! WTF?

Secondly, my son called me yesterday and my water heater busted and flooded my garage. Lucky me it wasn't the upstairs one. Been wasting valuable vacation time arranging a plumber from afar and someone to meet him.

Why me?

BKB

[Thumper]

Dang! That sucks P-hole.

The same persact thing just happened to my sister and BIL. They took a two-week cruise, disembarked in San Diego and visited friends (who live there) for a few days. When they returned to Houston, there was water running out their back door. The water heater in the attic had burst. (they have like 3-4 water heaters, two in the attic ... one on each side of the house) The ceiling in the upstairs bedroom had collapsed, the ceiling in the downstairs master bedroom/bathroom had collapsed and the water was running from the master bedroom, across the hall, through the living room and out the back patio doors. A TOTAL mess. The worst part? They had just finished remodeling (including new furniture) that side of the house just before leaving on their cruise and were to start on the other side upon their return. They have no clue when the leak started, but there was already mold in the house. The insurance company had them living in a hotel for a while, but they tired of that and are now living in their condo on Sou. Padre Island while the repairs are being made. Oh, did I mention it's something like a 1.5 million dollar house?

The real kicker? He's had the same insurance company for something like 30 years and he just decided to shop around a couple months ago for a better rate. Ha! He'd been with his new insurance company about a month when he filed this claim! I'll bet that agent is a happy camper!

[yellowk9]

Why not have you son turn off the electricity or gas to the water heater and shut off the water until you get home and can deal with it?

[airbud7]

I am sure the water was the first thing shut off.

[quercus alba]

:pistols Why don't you sell the Oklahoma house and move to the Bahamas, solve both problems in one fell swoop

[Thumper]

I don't know if it was a new code or not, but the BIL said his new tank will have a pan under it with a drain to the outside, plus some sort of sensor that would sense a pressure drop (in case of a leak) and automatically shut down the water and power to the unit. I don't remember the specific details, but I think that's pretty close.

[airbud7]

plus some sort of sensor that would sense a pressure drop (in case of a leak) and automatically shut down the water and power to the unit.

taking a shower would cause it to loose pressure and shut off.

[Thumper]

That's persactly what I thought ... but like I said, I got the info from the BIL and he may have been a bit off on the details. My guess would be a sensor in the catch-basin under the water heater. I have the same set-up for my attic mounted a/c air-handler. If the drain tube plugs up, the overflow goes into the pan under the unit. There's a float in the pan that shuts the unit down if it fills with water. Otherwise, it would overflow and come through the ceiling. I'm sure that's what he meant, but he used the words "pressure drop" so I simply repeated what he said.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Doesn't seem possible but my house is 18 yeas old so it's not new code, but we did have the foresight to put the main tank on the garage. And the water is shut off.

For now. It's rum and sun time at the adult pool and bar. And the smell of Ganga is in the air!

BKB

7242

[Chicken Dinner]

That last picture is just unfair Posthead. As for me, I'd spend the extra money on a tankless system before I'd put a water heater anywhere other than an unfinished basement or a garage.

[airbud7]

Dam that looks Nice Barry....Have fun Bro....

[Thumper]

Barry, I don't know if you have a gas or electric heater, but just to be safe, ya' may want to have the boy shut the power/gas off to the heater. There should be an automatic cut-off in the tank that will cut the power off in the case of a water leak (low water), but I'd assume it's not impossible for one to fail. Otherwise, the tank will read a low temp and keep trying to heat the water (that ain't there).

I think this was a big problem in the old days, not so much any more.

[airbud7]

an electric water heater would simply burn the element out while a gas water heater would shut off because the air in the tank would be/get hotter faster than water therefore shut off @the preset temp.

[LJ3]

I don't know if it was a new code or not, but the BIL said his new tank will have a pan under it with a drain to the outside, plus some sort of sensor that would sense a pressure drop (in case of a leak) and automatically shut down the water and power to the unit. I don't remember the specific details, but I think that's pretty close.

That's what ours does. Brand new house, though.