Today's Darwin Award goes to...Me
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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That's pretty dumb, yes - I normally turn off the water at the point it runs into the house and then open the hot and cold taps, and do nothing until they stop running. For a "near the bottom" element I'd drain the tank anyway, as water likes to run downhill... :laugh: But most of the ones I've worked on have been "emersion heaters" where you have a single element which screws into the top of a copper tank, with a three or so inch diameter thread. (You can just see the edge of the nut under the black cover: Piccy[^]) These trickle at worst, but...when they get old, the copper gets pretty brittle, and if the nut is a bit "sticky" and you use the wrong tool, or too much elbow grease...you rip the neck off the tank and have to get a new one. :doh: I've not done that, but a mate did...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
OriginalGriff wrote:
"emersion heaters"
Is that anything like an immersion heater? ;P
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer
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OriginalGriff wrote:
"emersion heaters"
Is that anything like an immersion heater? ;P
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
Similar, but yours is correctly spelled. :-O
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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You are brilliant for knowing to turn off the main. And great idea... cleaning the carpets at the same time as fixing your hot water. You deserve applause for saving the money of using an overpriced plumber!
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You are brilliant for knowing to turn off the main. And great idea... cleaning the carpets at the same time as fixing your hot water. You deserve applause for saving the money of using an overpriced plumber!
Pualee wrote:
overpriced plumber
Is there any other kind?
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
kmoorevs wrote:
I hope it's worth some laughs!
That was a great story and I'm sorry you had such a terrible time for it but I was laughing as I imagined you trying to screw the new element in with the water splashing all over you. I'm sure it was something out of a Three Stooges episode. But, again, I know how terrible this kind of thing can be so I only tell you I lauged because you asked for it. :)
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kmoorevs wrote:
I hope it's worth some laughs!
That was a great story and I'm sorry you had such a terrible time for it but I was laughing as I imagined you trying to screw the new element in with the water splashing all over you. I'm sure it was something out of a Three Stooges episode. But, again, I know how terrible this kind of thing can be so I only tell you I lauged because you asked for it. :)
What's funny was how fast the situation went from: 0) Oh my, that's more than a 'gurgle' 1) This is going to be bad, but maybe I can minimize the damage (if I can just get those threads started!) 2) This is really, really bad and getting worse by the second...and the only way out is just to let it gush uncontrolled whilst I rounded up the wrench and got to the meter. While it was happening, I'm sure I had a mind-flash of Clark Griswold! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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What's funny was how fast the situation went from: 0) Oh my, that's more than a 'gurgle' 1) This is going to be bad, but maybe I can minimize the damage (if I can just get those threads started!) 2) This is really, really bad and getting worse by the second...and the only way out is just to let it gush uncontrolled whilst I rounded up the wrench and got to the meter. While it was happening, I'm sure I had a mind-flash of Clark Griswold! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
That made me laugh again. Probably because I've been through similar circumstances. I've actually changed the elements in electric water heater also. The lower element was bent and no matter how much we yanked and tugged we couldn't get it out. Finally, we pulled it out as far as we could and snipped it with bolt cutters and shoved the spindly piece back into the water tank so we could put the new element in. That's the cheapskate's way to fix. :D
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
Well, look at the bright side. You have small piece of carpet that is cleaner. And the Darwin Award would only be awarded if you had not turned off the (presumably) 240VAC and gotten yourself electrocuted as the water, the wires, and you made a closed circuit. ;) Marc
Imperative to Functional Programming Succinctly Contributors Wanted for Higher Order Programming Project!
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
If that's one of the dumbest thing you've ever done, you're doing pretty fine. Personally I'm happy to be alive at all. I once rolled down a ravine in a tractor. Against all odds I didn't even get hurt. The tractor was completely written off though.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Thanks, I needed that... :-D Another fun trick people do is to drain the tank, replace the electric elements, then turn on the elements before the water is added back to the tank. It takes about 2 seconds to destroy a new heating element if it's not covered by water first. I used to sell a LOT of electric water heater elements when I worked at Ace Hardware, sometimes 4 - 6 per customer for the 'special' ones.
Will Rogers never met me.
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Ah, the joys of home ownership! The wife and I returned from a trip last week to find that the hot water heater (located in a little 3x5 closet in my home office) was on the blink...pulled the covers for a quick test and sure enough, the bottom element has no continuity. It needs a new element. Google turns up a series of DIY videos showing how to do this. In a few, they show how to change out an element without draining the tank. Hmm, just a little 'gurgle' of water...and much easier than dragging a hose through the house. What could go wrong? In the videos, the guys turn off water to the tank by closing a valve on the inlet line. My tank has a valve on what I assume is the inlet line, so I close it. I check the hot water taps and there is no pressure...absolutely none, which I remember thinking at the time was a little strange. Anyhow, I can't be bothered with it, this is how the guy in the video did it...he also said not to screw with the relief valve, since they have a bad habit of not reseating once opened...so I didn't. I managed to get the lower thermostat loosened and to the point where a trickle of water started seeping out...another turn...an all hell breaks loose! The old element pops out and water starts gushing (under pressure) from the 1 inch hole! I quickly grabbed the new element and shove it into the hole, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get the threads started...the pressure was just too much!..and for probably 20 seconds or so I tried in vain, all the while water was either gushing or spraying depending on how hard I pushed! This was bad! I had no choice but to just let it go and run sopping wet out to the tool shed, get an adjustable wrench, and run to the front yard where the water meter was, then turn off the main...probably around a minute. Then I ran in, and was able to get the new element threaded and sealed. My office is carpeted with a decent padding. So far I have managed to vacuum out about 20-30 gallons of filthy water out of it, and the damage was confined to a fairly small area. Fans are in place and all should be dry in a day or two...and I now have hot water again. :) Now, where did I go wrong? The valve at the top of my tank is apparently on the hot side, not the cold side, so shutting that off did absolutely nothing but stop the flow going out! :wtf: Still, it's one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I hope it's worth some laughs! :laugh:
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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OriginalGriff wrote:
"emersion heaters"
Is that anything like an immersion heater? ;P
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
I was thinking what would happen if Palmer put an emerson heater in a lake... /ravi
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