2011 had a couple of tricks left on its way out...

[Pilgrim]

This AM my wife got up first, headed downstairs and found out that our coffee maker had tied.  She then spotted a can of paint that needed to be carried to the basement storage room (we did some painting yesterday).  When she got to the storage room, she found that water was dripping out the top of the water heater and about 60% of the floor had standing water.

I immediately grabbed the valve to the water heater and shut off the water. 90 minutes later we had stuff moved out of the room and were using brooms to herd water into the drain.

And then we discovered something we hadn't noticed before - that the valve to the water heater was installed in the wrong place in the water line, so when I shut off the water to the water heater it turned off the water to the entire house. Great. No water in the house.

10 hours later we have a new water heater installed, the water lines have been re-plumbed to get the valve in the right place and a couple of other errors in the previous installation have been corrected, we have shutoff valves on both the inlet and outlet pipes to the water heater, we have a new Cuisinart coffee maker (which I am enjoying now), and the wet carpet in the room adjoining the storage area is peeled back about 6 feet and a big-ass fan is running on max air movement, drying out the area.

Tonight we're going out for dinner, craft beer and music.  I think we've earned it.  

http://www.fermentedlychallenged.com/2011/12/new-years-eve-bash-at-fcb-and-gravity.html  (Check the video on that page...)

[OldManC]

After a day like that you certainly have! If nothing else, I guess it's good that you discovered the leak this morning and not a day or two from now.

[TBird1958]

 Glad you handled all in stride Al!

I think it's a 'Coug thing 



I'm out with the band later, just for fun and to be together.
 

[Dave W]

Yikes! Just make sure there's no mold on that carpet or at the bottom of the walls.

[Pilgrim]

We're on it, Dave.  It helps that it's a low-humidity climate, but we're also going to do some anti-microbial treatments on the carpet.  We tossed a chunk of padding and will replace it.  The carpet has been peeled back and the flipped-back piece elevated with fans running all around.

We had a very nice evening!  It was a pleasant change from the day's festivities.

After a day like that you certainly have! If nothing else, I guess it's good that you discovered the leak this morning and not a day or two from now.

Amen.  We have had two water heater failures, and fortunately discovered both quickly.