Well, I hope you can tell from the exaggeration that nothing really tragic happened. But it sure was frustrating.
On Saturday morning I woke up to a bathroom full of water and the ceiling bulging. I called the property manager's emergency number (it being a holiday weekend of course -- when else do accidents happen?) Turns out that the remodeling being done upstairs resulted in a nicked pipe. The neighbors aren't living there while the work is being done, but I was able to get the contractor on site, and he came and checked it out, stopped the leak, and promised that he would fix the ceiling at no cost to me.
So, despite the mess, I wasn't too upset.
I got going on my laundry, as I had four loads to do. I had two in the washers, and two in the dryers. I went down to check on them and found all machines stopped, and the four loads sitting there in various stages of wetness.
I called the property manager again. He advised that I find the fuse box. Well, the basement is FULL of fuse boxes -- and most of them are not well marked. I finally found the right one and flipped the switch. The machines started working again, but they cut out five more times -- and I reset five more times -- before I got the laundry done. There are three washers and three dryers in the basement, and I always assumed that that meant that all of them could be run at the same time. Apparently not. Apparently four is too many.
So that was a grueling laundry session.
Then on Sunday, I turned on the faucet in the sink and nothing happened. My grandsons were there, and they said there was a sign about water in the vestibule. I went down and checked -- a brief note that the water main for the whole block would be shut off for four hours. (I later checked my email and found a message there as well).
Well, I wish I had had more warning, but we made do. We went to the park and spent quite a bit of time there before coming back to find -- the toilet flushing. Nonstop. The water was working normally otherwise, but the toilet was flushing on its own, and there was no way to stop it. (It's an old flush valve toilet -- no tank.)
So I called the property manager again, feeling like the most jinxed person on earth. I got a person who carefully took the message but said that since it was not an emergency, it wouldn't be handled till the next day.
All day yesterday no one called back. The toilet flushed all day. It flushed all night. It is flushing now, while I sit here at work. I sent an email to the property manager this morning, hoping that will bring a better response.
You know, it's their money. I don't pay a water bill, but it does bother me that gallons and gallons of water are flushing through my toilet.
Those are the big three things that went wrong, but it seems like a million other things did, too. It was a weekend of water spilt, dishes broken, toes stubbed, grandchildren acting up, plans screwed up, sleep lost -- I can't remember such a lousy, unsettling, three-day weekend.
I'm almost grateful to be back at work!
My Awful, Awful Truly Horrible Weekend
September 3rd, 2013 at 04:09 pm
September 3rd, 2013 at 04:56 pm 1378227413
September 3rd, 2013 at 06:30 pm 1378233057
Here is to a better week??
September 3rd, 2013 at 07:01 pm 1378234890
September 3rd, 2013 at 07:23 pm 1378236238
September 3rd, 2013 at 07:38 pm 1378237134
September 3rd, 2013 at 07:57 pm 1378238229
There is likely a water turn-off valve adjacent to the commode - though it's a royal pain to turn it off and on as needed during malfunctions. Will you buy and install the new flapper/float internal workings? Check on You Tube for a straight forward DIY explanation.
I suggest writing to the condo board requesting the fuse controls be clearly identified. I think that's a hazzard and could impact so many if you need to turn off power to identify the problem. How old is the wiring? Is it up to code for 4 machines? Sorry, so many questions...
September 3rd, 2013 at 09:24 pm 1378243474
September 3rd, 2013 at 09:46 pm 1378244817
September 3rd, 2013 at 10:50 pm 1378248646
September 4th, 2013 at 01:49 am 1378259363
September 4th, 2013 at 02:31 am 1378261877
Oh wow! That would have been awful. Guess that makes my being up until 3:30 Sunday night/Monday morning (thanks to the neighbor's party that didn't break-up until after 3 AM) seem not so bad. I slept in until 10:30 as a result. It wasn't that they were all that loud, it's just the fact that all the action took place right outside my bedroom windows.
September 4th, 2013 at 02:17 pm 1378304227
I am at home now waiting for the plumber to look at the toilet. The property manager says it is my responsibility. I assumed it was a building problem, but I am not familiar with this type of toilet.
It's still flushing.
September 7th, 2013 at 06:09 am 1378534179