so, the upstairs neighbour bought a new fridge, and he may have had the ice connected incorrectly.
it's a valid hypothesis, let's hope that's all there was to it. if so, i should be happy that it hit the counter rather than fall in behind it.
again, though, it's not confident-inducing regarding water damage in the structure.
after haggling him a bit to check under the sink, i'm pretty sure he found the connection that was leaking and stopped it. he was trying to convince me the window was leaking from the rain...
it hasn't rained in days. he's a little slow. but, hey, i'm used to living in a kafkaesque world, so i can deal with this...
"it could have been the rain from on friday"
"but it just showed up out of nowhere and then stopped."
"maybe it took a few days to seep down."
"ok, maybe. but can you look under the sink for me?"
"ok."
Monday, November 3, 2014
burst pipes...
jessica
hi.
we know the plumbing down here is aging; unfortunately, i think something may have blown deep into the wall.
i left around 11:00, was back around 12:30, left again around 1:00 and was back a little after 3:00. between 1:00 and 3:00 a significant amount of water appeared on the counter. there's none on the floor. the counters and cupboards are dry. the counter on the other side is dry. and the sink is dry. so it was initially very confusing as to where that water came from, to the point that i was worried about an unauthorized entry.
however, as i was cleaning it up, i felt a sprinkle come down on me from behind the cupboard. i need to be clear that this is very weird as a source - the cupboards and counters are completely dry, but something has sprung a leak behind them and is squirting out from a small hole in the wall.
here's the thing: with the flow rate i'm seeing, the amount of water that built up would have taken more like two days than two hours. that indicates to me that something likely burst and the sprinkle is just dead pressure. it also indicates that whatever's flowing through there is going to mess behind the wall when it gets turned on.
there was also a little bit of leaking coming out of the wall and the pipes. this seems to be migrating. in terms of the amount of water, is little more than condensation - not concerning. but in terms of the source it maybe is because it's right across the window.
so, i'm guessing that there's an exploded pipe behind the wall that can't be gotten at it without ripping things out. i can't provide any more information until i see more water. but i suspect it could be a messy situation fairly soon.
i've attached two files.
i know it's weird. i just need to reiterate that the inside of the cupboards are dry and under the sink is also dry. there just seems to have been a burst of water out of that crack...
(pause)
just to let you know...
it IS still dripping. it's not a lot, but it's coming down. i'm willing to accept the misinstalled fridge as a hypothesis, but if it's true than there's either still water in between the floors or it's still not set up right.
i'll keep monitoring.
(pause)
now, the paint or plaster is starting to peel and i'm getting concerned it might take the cupboard down or worse. wherever it's coming from, it's coming down beside the plaster and bubbling out of it.
so, we know:
1) something happened this afternoon which left a large amount of water on the counter.
2) it stopped.
3) something happened around 8:00 which led to it leaking again.
4) now it seems to have slowed down, if it not stopped.
i'm leaning towards an action-reaction relationship, which tells me it's plumbing related. it very well may be the fridge, but, whatever it is, i think the source needs to be determined and turned off...
the landlord
I found the problem, under my sink the connection was lose, it has been snug up stop dripping, should be ok: stay in touch: Let me know if it stop dripping. It should dry up. Thanks for the info:
jessica
it seems to have stopped for now, hopefully it holds.
hi.
we know the plumbing down here is aging; unfortunately, i think something may have blown deep into the wall.
i left around 11:00, was back around 12:30, left again around 1:00 and was back a little after 3:00. between 1:00 and 3:00 a significant amount of water appeared on the counter. there's none on the floor. the counters and cupboards are dry. the counter on the other side is dry. and the sink is dry. so it was initially very confusing as to where that water came from, to the point that i was worried about an unauthorized entry.
however, as i was cleaning it up, i felt a sprinkle come down on me from behind the cupboard. i need to be clear that this is very weird as a source - the cupboards and counters are completely dry, but something has sprung a leak behind them and is squirting out from a small hole in the wall.
here's the thing: with the flow rate i'm seeing, the amount of water that built up would have taken more like two days than two hours. that indicates to me that something likely burst and the sprinkle is just dead pressure. it also indicates that whatever's flowing through there is going to mess behind the wall when it gets turned on.
there was also a little bit of leaking coming out of the wall and the pipes. this seems to be migrating. in terms of the amount of water, is little more than condensation - not concerning. but in terms of the source it maybe is because it's right across the window.
so, i'm guessing that there's an exploded pipe behind the wall that can't be gotten at it without ripping things out. i can't provide any more information until i see more water. but i suspect it could be a messy situation fairly soon.
i've attached two files.
i know it's weird. i just need to reiterate that the inside of the cupboards are dry and under the sink is also dry. there just seems to have been a burst of water out of that crack...
(pause)
just to let you know...
it IS still dripping. it's not a lot, but it's coming down. i'm willing to accept the misinstalled fridge as a hypothesis, but if it's true than there's either still water in between the floors or it's still not set up right.
i'll keep monitoring.
(pause)
now, the paint or plaster is starting to peel and i'm getting concerned it might take the cupboard down or worse. wherever it's coming from, it's coming down beside the plaster and bubbling out of it.
so, we know:
1) something happened this afternoon which left a large amount of water on the counter.
2) it stopped.
3) something happened around 8:00 which led to it leaking again.
4) now it seems to have slowed down, if it not stopped.
i'm leaning towards an action-reaction relationship, which tells me it's plumbing related. it very well may be the fridge, but, whatever it is, i think the source needs to be determined and turned off...
the landlord
I found the problem, under my sink the connection was lose, it has been snug up stop dripping, should be ok: stay in touch: Let me know if it stop dripping. It should dry up. Thanks for the info:
jessica
it seems to have stopped for now, hopefully it holds.
gah. the pipes in here are...ugh...
as far as i can tell, something busted when i was out. there was water all over the counter, but no obvious source - except that the space between the cupboard and the wall was wet. the cupboards are dry. it's dry under the sink. so it must be so deep into the wall that there's no answer besides turning it off. what i don't know is if i can turn it off or not.
i tested all the water sources in here and can state with certainty that, whatever the pipe is, it's not connected to my plumbing.
i emailed the landlord(s) and we'll have to see what i get back.
i suspect something upstairs froze and then burst when it unfroze. i wonder if it has to do with the switch to a furnace that happened over the summer, and if it's something i can expect more of this winter.
they've mentioned previously that most of the pipes are plastic, but there's obviously a bunch that aren't right above the counter. the end solution may be to swap them to plastic. but that's going to be expensive and annoying from what i can gather.
the other thing to point out is that moisture behind the walls is terrible news for keeping out bugs, which i feel i've been largely successful with.
it's going to be a piss off if that gives them the damp space they need.
(outside of obvious structural water damage issues, which i feel this place is pretty sketchy with - but i mean you get what you pay for when it comes to that)
there's no pipes anywhere near the gear, that's the most important thing.
this is a property that i'm more or less convinced *will* eventually cave in. the tub will go through the floor or something. it's a matter of time. i just hope i'm able to get what i need to get out of it before it does.
if somebody one day decides to sort out the cause, it's almost certainly going to be a combination of negligence with the pipes and negligence with the structural integrity of the flooring. i'm not thinking about this right now, i just want the pipe issue identified and turned off.
i mean, do i think this place would pass a safety? with much difficulty, and a laundry list of fixes. it's not imminently dangerous, but it's not being upkept, either.
but that's why it's dirt cheap, so i can deal with it...
this is the fourth or fifth time i've seen leakage this year. it always gets dealt with. this will get dealt with. but the sum of this - and all the damage that no doubt occurred before i moved in - adds up. like i say, it's a matter of time...
there's a half dozen places in the ceiling where you can identify the water damage. i initially decided it was probably just cosmetic. i don't think that's true anymore.
as far as i can tell, something busted when i was out. there was water all over the counter, but no obvious source - except that the space between the cupboard and the wall was wet. the cupboards are dry. it's dry under the sink. so it must be so deep into the wall that there's no answer besides turning it off. what i don't know is if i can turn it off or not.
i tested all the water sources in here and can state with certainty that, whatever the pipe is, it's not connected to my plumbing.
i emailed the landlord(s) and we'll have to see what i get back.
i suspect something upstairs froze and then burst when it unfroze. i wonder if it has to do with the switch to a furnace that happened over the summer, and if it's something i can expect more of this winter.
they've mentioned previously that most of the pipes are plastic, but there's obviously a bunch that aren't right above the counter. the end solution may be to swap them to plastic. but that's going to be expensive and annoying from what i can gather.
the other thing to point out is that moisture behind the walls is terrible news for keeping out bugs, which i feel i've been largely successful with.
it's going to be a piss off if that gives them the damp space they need.
(outside of obvious structural water damage issues, which i feel this place is pretty sketchy with - but i mean you get what you pay for when it comes to that)
there's no pipes anywhere near the gear, that's the most important thing.
this is a property that i'm more or less convinced *will* eventually cave in. the tub will go through the floor or something. it's a matter of time. i just hope i'm able to get what i need to get out of it before it does.
if somebody one day decides to sort out the cause, it's almost certainly going to be a combination of negligence with the pipes and negligence with the structural integrity of the flooring. i'm not thinking about this right now, i just want the pipe issue identified and turned off.
i mean, do i think this place would pass a safety? with much difficulty, and a laundry list of fixes. it's not imminently dangerous, but it's not being upkept, either.
but that's why it's dirt cheap, so i can deal with it...
this is the fourth or fifth time i've seen leakage this year. it always gets dealt with. this will get dealt with. but the sum of this - and all the damage that no doubt occurred before i moved in - adds up. like i say, it's a matter of time...
there's a half dozen places in the ceiling where you can identify the water damage. i initially decided it was probably just cosmetic. i don't think that's true anymore.
see, this is the problem.
female: i don't like this.
male: actually, you do like this.
female: no...really....i...
male: actually...!
every debate on the topic basically reduces to this. and it's basically pointless to bother further when it gets there.
but, i'll tell you what - maybe he has a point. maybe women gotta pop a few caps in some homies' asses to get 'em to shut the fuck up.
(deleted response)
deathtokoalas
you hit a specific point, and now i need to rant.
patriarchy exists in degrees, rather than in absolutes. most of the world doesn't sell their daughters off for business alliances anymore, but the general idea hasn't been abolished so much as it's evolved. i'm not really certain people are cognizant of this.
it's a liberal thing. daddy as family dictator is out the window; we're about self-ownership, now. but we never changed the game. we never even really changed the rules of the game. the fundamental relationship of women being sold to men is still dominant (it's changing, but it is), it's just that women are now expected to sell themselves.
what it does is open up a free market, where men are buyers and women are sellers. i believe it was engels that pointed out that all sexual activity in a market society is necessarily and unavoidably prostitution.
and, when you put it into that context i agree - gender egalitarianism is not entirely possible until women start buying in equal proportions. that's what gender equality means in a market society.
the conditions for that to occur are economic freedom and social acceptance. it's getting there. but that's the key part - evening out the market.
maybe, one day, we can abolish the market altogether. that's a different discussion.
female: i don't like this.
male: actually, you do like this.
female: no...really....i...
male: actually...!
every debate on the topic basically reduces to this. and it's basically pointless to bother further when it gets there.
but, i'll tell you what - maybe he has a point. maybe women gotta pop a few caps in some homies' asses to get 'em to shut the fuck up.
(deleted response)
deathtokoalas
you hit a specific point, and now i need to rant.
patriarchy exists in degrees, rather than in absolutes. most of the world doesn't sell their daughters off for business alliances anymore, but the general idea hasn't been abolished so much as it's evolved. i'm not really certain people are cognizant of this.
it's a liberal thing. daddy as family dictator is out the window; we're about self-ownership, now. but we never changed the game. we never even really changed the rules of the game. the fundamental relationship of women being sold to men is still dominant (it's changing, but it is), it's just that women are now expected to sell themselves.
what it does is open up a free market, where men are buyers and women are sellers. i believe it was engels that pointed out that all sexual activity in a market society is necessarily and unavoidably prostitution.
and, when you put it into that context i agree - gender egalitarianism is not entirely possible until women start buying in equal proportions. that's what gender equality means in a market society.
the conditions for that to occur are economic freedom and social acceptance. it's getting there. but that's the key part - evening out the market.
maybe, one day, we can abolish the market altogether. that's a different discussion.
listen, i know it sounds extreme for a 29 year-old to make this choice, but i can't help but think that those that are criticizing her decision have mostly not been around people suffering from brain cancer. i recently watched my father die from brain cancer, and i want to make a few things clear about the choices she has in front of her - because they may not be clear to people.
when you have a tumour in your breast or your leg there may be serious consequences in removing it that may affect your lifestyle. a mastectomy is a hard choice. but, it doesn't affect who you are as an individual - cognitively speaking.
the chemo and the radiation therapy are treatment options, but they don't actually remove the tumour. the only way to remove the tumour is surgically. what this means is that you're removing a part of your brain, and depending on where the tumour is, it could leave you in a very altered state. it puts treatment of brain cancer in a different category than treatments of other cancers.
my father's first operation did not seriously affect his individuality. the second seemed to affect his ability to reason, and the third legitimately left him mentally challenged. there was no other solution - it was the operation or certain death. in the end it didn't save him, but if it did he would have been left a fraction of his former self. he made the decision to fight until the end, but nobody would have begrudged him had he decided differently - except for maybe himself.
it's a very traumatic, difficult experience for everybody involved. i realize she's decided to live a little longer, and i hope she enjoys that time with her family. but i'd really plead with people not to think they can understand this choice or that they can second guess it in any meaningful way. if you're lucky, you'll never have to make a choice this hard in your life...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0eVum0weKg
when you have a tumour in your breast or your leg there may be serious consequences in removing it that may affect your lifestyle. a mastectomy is a hard choice. but, it doesn't affect who you are as an individual - cognitively speaking.
the chemo and the radiation therapy are treatment options, but they don't actually remove the tumour. the only way to remove the tumour is surgically. what this means is that you're removing a part of your brain, and depending on where the tumour is, it could leave you in a very altered state. it puts treatment of brain cancer in a different category than treatments of other cancers.
my father's first operation did not seriously affect his individuality. the second seemed to affect his ability to reason, and the third legitimately left him mentally challenged. there was no other solution - it was the operation or certain death. in the end it didn't save him, but if it did he would have been left a fraction of his former self. he made the decision to fight until the end, but nobody would have begrudged him had he decided differently - except for maybe himself.
it's a very traumatic, difficult experience for everybody involved. i realize she's decided to live a little longer, and i hope she enjoys that time with her family. but i'd really plead with people not to think they can understand this choice or that they can second guess it in any meaningful way. if you're lucky, you'll never have to make a choice this hard in your life...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0eVum0weKg
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