Feelings, part 2.

[Cindy Evanier]

@BelindaN I have been through that with my mum too but not in a Covid world.  Sending hugs to you and wishes for a calm and peaceful birthday.  

[Bitsy Buccaneer]

9 hours ago, BelindaN said:

Tomorrow is my birthday.............

Small moment just for you, love and hugs for your birthday Belinda x

[LittleMe Jewell]

15 hours ago, BelindaN said:

Tomorrow is my birthday.............

Happy Birthday !!!!

Try to take some time just for you today.

[Selene Gregoire]

What a way to start a day. Waking up to yet another hot water heater hose leak. You guys do not want to know how many water leaks we have had since buying this place 2 years and 4 months ago. They sold us a POS. 

So today I'm supposed to get all the dishes done, get all the bulbs planted, of which there are about 50 left to do, put all the stuff out of my closet that I had to pull out immediate upon being woke up back in the closet so I can go to bed tonight even if I don't sleep, again, and I'm supposed to do it all in one day when I do not have the energy or strength.

Someone stop this effing mudball and let me the eff off. 

[Lindal Kidd]

Your water heater has HOSES!?  There's your problem...they're supposed to be pipes.

[Selene Gregoire]

2 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Your water heater has HOSES!?  There's your problem...they're supposed to be pipes.

Tell that to the idiots who did the plumbing. This isn't a house, it's a mobile home.

 

And I am sorry if I seem to be short tempered. Just found out there are 2 leaks and one is in a place that requires moving the hot water heater out of its space. 500 plus pounds. I have no idea how we are going to accomplish that. We can't afford to hire anyone.

I hate my life.

[Beth Macbain]

2 hours ago, Selene Gregoire said:

Tell that to the idiots who did the plumbing. This isn't a house, it's a mobile home.

And I am sorry if I seem to be short tempered. Just found out there are 2 leaks and one is in a place that requires moving the hot water heater out of its space. 500 plus pounds. I have no idea how we are going to accomplish that. We can't afford to hire anyone.

I hate my life.

My water heater has hoses, too, and yeah... I've had 3 pretty major leaks over the past few years. I live in an apartment so anyone above me that has a leak also leaks through my ceiling. 

It sucks so much. If I were there, I'd help you move it! Of course, I'm old and fat and out of shape so I'm not sure how much help I'd be, but I bet it'd be funny to watch!

[Beth Macbain]

I am in a sour mood today. I have been since I woke up this morning and I'm not sure why. I even got to go out in the sunshine to go into the office for an hour, and then the grocery, and saw actual real life people. 

It's possible that I forgot to take my happy pills yesterday. I can't remember.

I'm moving from computer to couch now with Oreos and ice cream and hope my mood improves.

[Lindal Kidd]

Wish I was there, Selene.  Or Maddy, she's very inventive.  I'm sure there's something that could be McGyver'd up to solve the problem.

By the way, no water heater weighs 500 pounds, if you first empty out all the water.  They are really nothing but big tanks, and the empty weight isn't much, considering their size.  While you have it out, figure out how to connect things up so that all the connections can be reached without having to move it again.  And NO HOSES.  You can use Pex tubing.  It's semi-flexible, relatively easy to work with, and leakproof if you do the joints right.

I google'd a little and found this.  I'm afraid it's not tremendously helpful, but it's the best of a bad lot of search results.  https://www.mobilehomerepair.com/mobile-home-water-heater-guide-install-compare-troubleshoot/

Here's a short rundown on Pex tubing: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/pex-pipe/

Edited April 10, 2020 by Lindal Kidd

[LexxiXhan]

I've had, and still have, some thorny stuff to deal with. But today I woke up and became so very conscious of the warm sunshine and buzzing of life in my garden, and decided to let it take hold of me, and go slow, and breathe..

The nicest thing I've done today was to go and check out a family-run fruit and veg wholesaler with a local friend - much safer, cheaper, and friendlier than shopping in the supermarkets or high-street stores (my friend has had some bad experiences as an older, small, disabled WoC recently). The sunshine, peacefulness, and the vibrancy of fresh growth and earthy nourishment were balmy.

Tonight, I'm doing just enough self care to feel happy and loved in myself, and will either chat online with any friends who are available or go and enjoy some music and a safe space inworld, or both.

[LittleMe Jewell]

I've got today and tomorrow before another snow storm hits, so I'm going to go out this afternoon and take care of some weed work.  I think I'll get the grill out tomorrow and do bratwurts -- a really large batch so we have lots of leftovers.  I'm also going to keep windows opened as much as I can before the snow hits.  This time of year, nice sunny days and open windows definitely help keep me smiling.  

[LexxiXhan]

21 hours ago, BelindaN said:

Tomorrow is my birthday.............

Oh, happy birthday! ❤️

Birthday hugs xx

And also 'just for being you and everything you've been through' hugs xx

[LexxiXhan]

1 minute ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

I think I'll get the grill out tomorrow and do bratwurts

Oh, happy memories of summers in Berlin as a 10/11-yr-old! Thank you x

[Selene Gregoire]

58 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said:

My water heater has hoses, too, and yeah... I've had 3 pretty major leaks over the past few years. I live in an apartment so anyone above me that has a leak also leaks through my ceiling. 

It sucks so much. If I were there, I'd help you move it! Of course, I'm old and fat and out of shape so I'm not sure how much help I'd be, but I bet it'd be funny to watch!

All of our leaks have been major. Lat apartment we were in before buying this place, we were there 8 years. Thankfully, 2 story buildings and we were on the second floor. No washer or dryer hookups so I had to haul heavy laundry up and down stairs. Needless to say we didn't do laundry as often as we needed to.

SO ordered a new hot water heater which of course took most of his pay. Good thing I had already done the grocery shopping for a couple of weeks (and we got t-tissue!). They're supposed to deliver it in the next couple of days. I am not looking forward to my bedroom being all torn to hell and back rearranged so we can get the damn thing into the closet which is where the access is. It's either that or move the dryer and cut a hole through that wall.  

If we could afford to, we'd sue the blue blazes out of the realtor and the park for selling us a home they had been remodeling on the dirt cheap and not finishing the crappy job they were doing. Kitchen cabinets don't even match. 

*sigh*

I want to move to a cave.

[Selene Gregoire]

44 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

Wish I was there, Selene.  Or Maddy, she's very inventive.  I'm sure there's something that could be McGyver'd up to solve the problem.

By the way, no water heater weighs 500 pounds, if you first empty out all the water.  They are really nothing but big tanks, and the empty weight isn't much, considering their size.  While you have it out, figure out how to connect things up so that all the connections can be reached without having to move it again.  And NO HOSES.  You can use Pex tubing.  It's semi-flexible, relatively easy to work with, and leakproof if you do the joints right.

I google'd a little and found this.  I'm afraid it's not tremendously helpful, but it's the best of a bad lot of search results.  https://www.mobilehomerepair.com/mobile-home-water-heater-guide-install-compare-troubleshoot/

Here's a short rundown on Pex tubing: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/pex-pipe/

Well yeah you have to drain it first. Problem is we don't really have a way to do that. This isn't a newer heater. It's over 40 years old and the MH is a 1980 model. They put the hot water heater in the worst possible place. Between the walkin  bedroom closet and the washer and dryer.

I appreciate the info but I know all this already. Family was involved in underground utilities.

Edited April 10, 2020 by Selene Gregoire

[Lindal Kidd]

OK, a 40 year old water heater is about 30 years past its "replace by" date.  Even so, it's pretty much got to have a drain valve.  Hook up a hose and dump the water outside. 

How about cutting through the wall of the closet to get access?  Wall repairs in an out-of-sight location don't have to be up to the usual standards.

Sorry, I know I'm not being much help, and probably telling you things you've already thought of. 

[Selene Gregoire]

1 hour ago, Lindal Kidd said:

OK, a 40 year old water heater is about 30 years past its "replace by" date.  Even so, it's pretty much got to have a drain valve.  Hook up a hose and dump the water outside. 

How about cutting through the wall of the closet to get access?  Wall repairs in an out-of-sight location don't have to be up to the usual standards.

Sorry, I know I'm not being much help, and probably telling you things you've already thought of. 

We would do it that way if we could get the damn screens off the one window that does open. The other one is a single pane of glass that does not open.

It is in the closet already with access via the closet however the durn thing is in the middle of the MH not on a side. There are no out of site locations other than what is already there. I'm not cutting through the wall behind the dryer because then I have to rip the overhead cabinets out and I need those. This is a single wide not a double wide.

We're still figuring things out. SO is pretty darn good at that.

In the meantime I have 2 sinks full of dirty dishes plus pots and pans on the counter than need washing, I need a shower in the worst way after planting bulbs for 2 days and we have no hot water. Ground water here is still freezing cold so a shower isn't going to happen. And of course we have to keep the water off so the pressure doesn't make the leak worse.

Sucks to be me.

[LexxiXhan]

3 hours ago, LexxiXhan said:

a local friend

She's just reminded me of the hawk/falcon/kite we saw and welcomed.

What parts of nature or animal connections have you all been paying attention to?

[CheriColette]

5 hours ago, Selene Gregoire said:

We would do it that way if we could get the damn screens off the one window that does open. The other one is a single pane of glass that does not open.

It is in the closet already with access via the closet however the durn thing is in the middle of the MH not on a side. There are no out of site locations other than what is already there. I'm not cutting through the wall behind the dryer because then I have to rip the overhead cabinets out and I need those. This is a single wide not a double wide.

We're still figuring things out. SO is pretty darn good at that.

In the meantime I have 2 sinks full of dirty dishes plus pots and pans on the counter than need washing, I need a shower in the worst way after planting bulbs for 2 days and we have no hot water. Ground water here is still freezing cold so a shower isn't going to happen. And of course we have to keep the water off so the pressure doesn't make the leak worse.

Sucks to be me.

If your sink was empty or you can get to a shower or bath, do as Lindal suggests with hose and drain it there. If the terminal end is higher, you might need to suck on it, to get the water flowing first...or even empty the water into the washing machine (which sounds closer). 

[CheriColette]

On 4/10/2020 at 8:39 AM, BelindaN said:

 

Tomorrow is my birthday.............

Card for you, Belinda

[Selene Gregoire]

12 hours ago, CheriColette said:

If your sink was empty or you can get to a shower or bath, do as Lindal suggests with hose and drain it there. If the terminal end is higher, you might need to suck on it, to get the water flowing first...or even empty the water into the washing machine (which sounds closer). 

I appreciate the thought but as I told Linidal the sinks are full of dishes. I don't have the counter space. And there are too many corners to go around. This is a single wide mobile home. You can't do things the same way as you can with an actual house. 

[Selene Gregoire]

The new water heater arrived after our internet was down for who knows how long. It was fine when I went to bed and was down when I got up. It just came back a little while ago. Tech support people need to stop treating customers (who actually do know wtf they are talking about) as if they are stupid.

Now all we have to do is figure out how we're going to get the old one out and the new one in.

I think it was Lindal that said hot water heaters should be replaced every 10 years. While that is true, I've had water heaters last far longer than 10 years. It's not something everyone can afford to replace that often. The heater itself never leaked just the hoses the idiots used. Dipsticks used a pair of pliers or something on the hoses which damaged the hoses (weakened) and those spots where they gripped so hard eventually develop holes from the pressure. That is what has caused every leak we have had since we moved in over 2 years ago. This is the reason why we will have to completely replumb. We will have to do it ourselves. Plumbers are too damned expensive and we just can't afford one. Not to mention the fact that no one is going to come here to do the work with Covid-19 stay at home orders in place.

 

Oh and here's another stupid thing the idiots did or rather didn't do. There is no pan under the heater just bare flooring with a huge hole for the pipe to run through so we'll have to replace that too and get a pan.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Selene Gregoire

[Lindal Kidd]

If there's a hole that water can drain through, who needs a pan?  Although I'd be worried about cold air infiltration via large holes in the floor.  Better system: Pan with a depressed center, a drain hole in the center, and a short hose from that through a small hole in the floor.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Lindal Kidd

[Selene Gregoire]

1 hour ago, Lindal Kidd said:

If there's a hole that water can drain through, who needs a pan?  Although I'd be worried about cold air infiltration via large holes in the floor.  Better system: Pan with a depressed center, a drain hole in the center, and a short hose from that through a small hole in the floor.

We'd already figured that out. I just had too much on my mind so it didn't really sink in until this morning that we can use the hole to drain. A pan with a drain in the center would mean having to cut yet another hole. The hole that is already there isn't small. I could almost put my head through it.

Things just don't work the same in a single wide mobile home as they do on in house as far making repairs and replacing things go. The materials are different.

[Lindal Kidd]

No, you need the pan.  You also need a smaller hole.  Here's why...

You need the pan because a leak might occur at any point in the water heater, not just the drain valve.  The pan is there to collect the water, wherever it may be dripping down from.

You need a SMALL hole.  Put a piece of plywood or something over the big one.  You don't want cold air wafting up from under the floor, it really raises your heating bill.

What you want is to have a hose fitting in the middle of the pan, and a short length of drain hose going from there, through the floor.  Seal up around the hose to block air leaks.  Silicone caulk would do it.  The hose insures that any leak, even if you didn't detect it, could not fill up the pan and cause it to overflow, ruining your floors and carpets.

IF IT"S A GAS HEATER:  Take the above with a grain of salt.  Natural gas, and carbon monoxide, are heavier than air.  Unless the water heater closet is vented elsewhere, that big hole in the floor could be a lifesaver.  Just screen it over to prevent pests entering, and then make sure the water heater space is otherwise air-tight and insulated.

Edited April 12, 2020 by Lindal Kidd