“It’s wet here!”said Akemi as I was preparing to head downstairs to do my workout.
Uh oh, I thought. Poor Lulu. My gal was up (meaning I was also up) at 3:00 a.m. this morning for over an hour, dry-heaving and vomiting, and I assumed she’d had “an accident”.
“Uh oh,”said Akemi, seemingly reading my thoughts. I glanced over and followed her gaze, not to the floor but up, to the ceiling where I finally noticed THIS –
Yep, that’s water damage alright. I headed upstairs to locate the source of the leak. In office directly above, I noticed THIS –
Yes, MORE water damage!
The area above is a labyrinth of pipes accessible through a tiny closet hatch –
Seriously, it looks like that little access panel in the Japanese version of The Grudge. I imagined poking my head up amongst the shadows and casting my flashlight about before being dragged, kicking and screaming, into the darkness. It’s next to impossible to get up there. You have to stand at the very top of my stepladder, then step on to a wall mounted shelf, hope it holds your weight, and worm your way up and in. No way I was testing my luck. Besides, even if I did go up, what the hell would I do? I’m not a professional.
So, I called one, finally locating a plumber who could come today. In retrospect, I should have requested someone young a wiry to negotiate access to the overhead crawlspace. Fortunately, while not young, the guy who came over was wiry and managed to squirm his way up there.
I waited for about twenty minutes, preparing myself for one of two, maybe three, worst case scenarios: 1. He never comes back down because he falls victim to the serial killer living in my house, 2. He comes down – crashing through the water damaged section of the ceiling and 3. Lands on top of me.
Finally, I heard him grunt and scuffle as he lowered himself back down and into daylight. So, what was the issue?
“I think it’s the air conditioner,”he informed me.
“You think?”
“For sure it’s the air conditioner,”he said after presumably consulting with his alternate personality.
“So, what do we do?”
“I don’t know. I’m a plumber. You need someone who services air conditioners.”
Fine.
I phoned up a couple of air conditioning experts and finally got an appointment. For tomorrow.
To cap off the day, I picked up Jelly from the animal clinic where she received a stem cell boost for her arthritic/dysplasiac hips –
As I was carrying her back to the car, she peed on me.
Akemi, as always, looks on the bright. “Some good thing will happen to you soon!”she said.
Whatever this “good thing” is, it’ll have to happen to me without air conditioning.
Again, on the bright side, you live in Vancouver – you don’t really need air conditioning.
I remember going to see a fortune teller in Montreal on St Catherine Street above a restaurant, who told me that good things would be happening to me too. I had the presence of mind to write the things down, and oddly enough, most of her prophecies have come true. She couldn’t have foreseen the intricate details, and yet she did…
Good things will happen to you when you call the airconditioning guys and they fix the leak. I hope you won’t have to call the plasterers and painters in too.
But why is the A/C in the attic?
😆 Just… 😆
😀
das
Well they do say that bad things come in threes so it would seem you have yours out of the way so now it’s on to better luck
“Well they do say that bad things come in threes so it would seem you have yours out of the way so now it’s on to better luck”
Lulu vomit, Jelly pee, and water damage. You’re right! Let the good times roll!
Ah shoot! Sorry, Joe! This, too, shall pass; what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger … ya’ know … all those good cliches. Hugs to Lulu!
*goes back to lurkerdom*
“This, too, shall pass; what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger … ”
And, I suspect, a couple of grand poorer.
If it’s just pipes in the deathhatch, I’d think frozen refrigerant line causing condensation, if ya’ll sleep in the basement.
Our air conditioning went out for a different reason. We’re waiting for the furnace to go out, too, then we can replace it all at once.
“If it’s just pipes in the deathhatch, I’d think frozen refrigerant line causing condensation…”
Yeah, I was thinking either that or incontinent serial killer hiding in the crawlspace.
@ Joan001 – The ‘air conditioning’ isn’t in the attic. Unless Joey has a rooftop unit (which I doubt unless he has a flat roof), the ‘air conditioner’ – or the condensing unit – is located outside. The air handler or evaporator coil (depending on his system) is probably located in the attic. If the AC is cooling but there’s a leak, then it’s probably one of three-ish things: a dirty filter, a frozen coil that has thawed and missed the drain pan, a clogged (or corroded) drain pan or drain line, or any combination of the three.
Or it may be something completely different. I’m a better snake wrangler than an air conditioning mechanic. 😉
das
“The air handler or evaporator coil (depending on his system) is probably located in the attic.”
The what in the what now?
“If the AC is cooling but there’s a leak, then it’s probably one of three-ish things: a dirty filter, a frozen coil that has thawed and missed the drain pan, a clogged (or corroded) drain pan or drain line, or any combination of the three.”
Okay, it’s decided. I’m flying you up. You’ll fix the AC and then dog sit for a couple of weeks.
Love and kisses to Jelly and Lulu! Bubba, too. 🙂
Got bored and started re-watching Firefly (after many years). Fun show, too bad it was so short-lived.
“Love and kisses to Jelly and Lulu! Bubba, too.”
The dogs appreciate the love and kisses…but they really prefer treats.
As yes, the old plugged up, condensate drain line routine,,,I never have been able to figure out how to unplug those things…
“As yes, the old plugged up, condensate drain line routine,,,I never have been able to figure out how to unplug those things…”
I suspect my old standby solution, “ignore it and it’ll go away”, is NOT going to work this time.
Good things happen to you all the time! You have great friends, an amazing girlfriend, three sweet doggies, and a devoted band of blog followers! What more could you ask for? Okay, maybe a decent superhero movie now and again would be nice but hey, you can’t have everything, right?!
Anyway, I’m sure the AC will be fixed in short order. Would the ceiling damage be covered with your house insurance? I would imagine so.
I hope Lulu is feeling better. I’m staying with my friends in PEI right now, and their dog Toby is not feeling well today either. Hopefully both their issues will pass soon.
“Would the ceiling damage be covered with your house insurance?”
Coincidentally, I just renewed my home insurance last week!
Ugh, call your insurance company to, it may be worth filing a claim. We had a water heater leak gallons of H20 all over our townhouse. It was on the 2nd floor.Ruined the wood floor…it was worth calling the insurance company. Hang in there Joe, could always be worse.
“Hang in there Joe, could always be worse.”
Yes. How worse? Hard to say. But I’ve got until tomorrow to find out.
Years ago I worked in an office and came back one Monday to find the ceiling caved in, water soaking the desk, the file cabinets and various papers/projects. Turned out the air conditioner directly above in the crawl space had leaked, repairmen had put a pan under it to catch the drips about 2 weeks prior and then had forgotten about it. Finally overflowed/capsized that weekend. Smelly.
“Years ago I worked in an office and came back one Monday to find the ceiling caved in, water soaking the desk, the file cabinets and various papers/projects.”
Thanks for the cheerful anecdote.
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/wwe-anchor-bay-team-jason-momoa-directing-debut-173809616.html
Wanted to share the Jason news I read.
Sorry you got peed on, maybe she felt relaxed after the vet, or mad she went there,,oopsie.. and hope Lulu is feeling better, hate the dry-heaves myself. Better days ahead.
“Wanted to share the Jason news I read.”
Yeah, I read this this morning. Congrats to the big guy!
Poor Jelly. They probably didn’t take her outside while she was there and she held it as long as she could.
Maybe you just have a clogged drain pipe on your air conditioner and it will be a cheap fix. Also, …“stand at the very top of my stepladder, then step on to a wall mounted shelf, and worm your way up and in”… don’t you dare do that! Since you didn’t, maybe that was the good thing that happened today. You didn’t break your neck.
“Also, …“stand at the very top of my stepladder, then step on to a wall mounted shelf, and worm your way up and in”… don’t you dare do that! Since you didn’t, maybe that was the good thing that happened today. You didn’t break your neck.”
Hmmm. I was actually considering giving it a shot because the water stain is spreading, even though the air conditioner has been off since this morning.
So, your vote would be “no”?
Oh dear! Sorry to hear about your “water” issues of all kinds and yuck no a/c, my condo would be 27+ and icky humid these days without A/C.
In other news I see ‘Delete’ part 1 is scheduled for August 19th on the Reelz channel in the US.
“In other news I see ‘Delete’ part 1 is scheduled for August 19th on the Reelz channel in the US.”
Hunh. Paul and I wrote the script but did not produce. I’m curious as to how it turned out.
Sadly I can relate to Bailey’s story. We have a maintenance contract but the guy who came to the change the filter and check our system forgot to completely flush the line. He actually made things worse apparently so the line clogged and the water backed up in the pan before finally overflowing. It happened overnight so I woke up to almost a quarter of the ceiling in my office completely caved, all over my desk and computer, etc. Thankfully the computer survived fairly intact and insurance covered most of the cost. When the guy comes to fix your problem make sure he looks carefully at the ceiling, etc. to make sure it isn’t weakened by getting soaked. Good luck and hopefully tomorrow is a better day.
“When the guy comes to fix your problem make sure he looks carefully at the ceiling, etc. to make sure it isn’t weakened by getting soaked.”
No more rooftop sunbathing for Akemi!
Yeah for Jason! I have a feeling that everyone who meets him, likes him.
“Yeah for Jason! I have a feeling that everyone who meets him, likes him.”
He’s always the life of the party.
But don’t try to crash his place or he may surprise you with a double mountain axe greeting.
Do you want disasters stories to cheer you up (i.e. “at least that didn’t happen to me!” )
Let’s see, there was the time the sink line plugged and when looking in the inspection port in the basement, the plug let go all at once and showered me in 3 gallons of fetid garbage disposal water.
And then there was the time we came home from a two week vacation to find a flooded kitchen due to a broken water line to the ice maker. Basically all the hardwood in the kitchen was ruined.
And I agree with Gary Ansorge…it’s probably a plugged condenser line.
Good luck with the HVAC guy tomorrow and I hope Lulu and Jelly feel better soon!
“And then there was the time we came home from a two week vacation to find a flooded kitchen due to a broken water line to the ice maker. Basically all the hardwood in the kitchen was ruined.”
How much did that set your back?
Reminds of the time, back in Montreal, when I was house shopping. The real estate agent took me to one house whose owners were away on vacation. We heard the sound of rushing water coming from the basement, went down to investigate, and discovered a busted pipe. The agent managed to turn off the water – but had to wade through two feet of water to get to the valve.
My vote is “Hell No!”
Here in Texas, air conditioners are as important as cars (or the garage door opener). You call it in as an emergency and they will come right away. You wait til the next day in 100+ temps and people die or get extremely grumpy (me). Find someone who can come immediately tonight. You pay extra, but it’s worth it.
“Find someone who can come immediately tonight. You pay extra, but it’s worth it.”
Believe me, I tried. Things are a lot more laid-back here in Van.
About $2.5K, but I’ve deferred it because I want to redo the whole kitchen. I’m thinking a slate tile floor, and white cabinets with brushed nickel handles.
“About $2.5K, but I’ve deferred it because I want to redo the whole kitchen.”
That’s where we’re headed. A section of ceiling is coming down.
So, I called one, finally locating a plumber who could come today. In retrospect, I should have requested someone young a wiry to negotiate access to the overhead crawlspace.
you have to remember to mention that to the air-condition people.
“you have to remember to mention that to the air-condition people.”
I intend to order someone wiry and athletic.
I’m so confused – I hear Joe but I see Cookie Monster!?!
“I’m so confused – I hear Joe but I see Cookie Monster!?!”
I’ve hijacked Cookie Monster’s account. This is an emergency.
I’d be happy to come up! A word of warning, however – I WILL root through your underwear drawer looking for embarrassing bits to photograph and post on-line. I mean, come on! You’re Italian AND Canadian! You just gotta own a leopard print elephant g-string! 😀
das
“A word of warning, however – I WILL root through your underwear drawer looking for embarrassing bits to photograph and post on-line.”
Note to self: hide leopard print elephant g-string.
Oh, such a coincidence! I had an a/c & heating guy out today to give me an estimate on replacing both units, which are 20 yrs old. My a/c is leaking coolant to the atmosphere, which is not only un-ecological, but leads to a warm room. But with modern units they use new coolant, which means a new coil, which is attached to the furnace, so one might as well replace both (!). The furnace is in the basement in a 4-ft-high area, and the a/c is on the roof where they have to use an extension ladder to get up through the attic opening to the roof opening. Lots of moaning from the dude, but hey, it’s not my fault! Glad we’ve had a mild summer in NorCal or I’d be calling it an emergency too. A paltry $6400 and I’ll be all set, d’oh! Good luck, and I hope yours is a simple fix. I hate home repair stuff!
“Good luck, and I hope yours is a simple fix.”
It passed being simple about 30 minutes ago when a portion of the ceiling started to cave in.
Emergency guy on the way – and it will only cost me $350.
P.S. I requested an athletic wiry guy.
I wish I could give some good advice or a way to fix the problem. All I can say is good luck. Last winter I woke up in the middle of the night during a bad rainstorm to find out it was raining inside my bedroom, on my bed. I know this can be a very frustrating experience.
Now I tend to jump out of bed and grab the flashlight whenever I hear a dripping noise, even if its just the baseboard heater ticking as it’s cooling down.
Actually, what you could do, to prevent further damage, if it continues, is if the drywall gets soft, push a hole through and let it drip into a bucket on a plastic sheet on a couple of garbage bags. If your lucky you will get the spot where the drip is and it will prevent more water being wicked out along the drywall. It’s probably the center. It looks like it might already be getting soft, but it’s hard to tell from the picture.
Just please don’t blame me if this turns out to be terrible advice.
Good luck.
“Actually, what you could do, to prevent further damage, if it continues, is if the drywall gets soft, push a hole through and let it drip into a bucket on a plastic sheet on a couple of garbage bags”
Too late! Things just go a whole lot worse!
“Note to self: hide leopard print elephant g-string.”
Oh my goodness! 😳
And the ball gag. And the brony costume.
das
“And the ball gag. And the brony costume.”
What’s a brony costume? You sicko.
You could have a dirty coil, too. (Note: this has nothing to do with what’s in your underwear drawer.)
das
Hey, I’m not the one with the costume!
das
Wow. We really need to up our rates. 😛
das
Oh noes! Hope that wiry guy gets there STAT!
“Oh noes! Hope that wiry guy gets there STAT!”
Still waiting…
“It passed being simple about 30 minutes ago when a portion of the ceiling started to cave in.”
Oh wow! Pictures Joe, pictures! I wanna see…
Oh wow! Pictures Joe, pictures! I wanna see…
Uh oh. I’m praying it’s contained to a small area. Good luck!
Brony? I had to look that one up…and now I’m disturbed. Glad I didn’t do a Google Image search.
While you’re waiting, do you know how to turn the water off to your house? That might not be a bad idea. It could be a broken pipe fixing to burst, then the flooding really begins.
“While you’re waiting, do you know how to turn the water off to your house? That might not be a bad idea. It could be a broken pipe fixing to burst, then the flooding really begins.”
I’m giving the guy another 30.
Two months ago, I walked into my office to find the ceiling collapsed on the floor, everything wet and soggified and watered plaster all over the place. Apparently they fixed the problem and replaced the waterlogged tiles, but one of them looks worryingly soggy with a crack running through the middle of the sag. I don’t even know what I lost or whether anything was stolen. To top it all off? Work says that replacing the one tile and fixing whatever leak was up there $90…
“Work says that replacing the one tile and fixing whatever leak was up there $90…”
So far, it’s cost me $100 to go from water stain to actual structural damage. Who knows what the future holds?
Hey there Joe sorry about the water issues anyways I’m sure you are probably getting tired of fielding stargate questions but if you would please I would like to know if mgm were to come to you and say it’s time we brought back stargate back to television and asked you to come up with a synopsis what would it consist of. Looking forward to your responce in the next mailbag. I hope lily startsdfeeling better soon.
“if you would please I would like to know if mgm were to come to you and say it’s time we brought back stargate back to television and asked you to come up with a synopsis what would it consist of.”
This one will require further thought but, off the top of my head, I’m thinking an underwater base. And, in the pilot, it springs a slow leak…
…and the only guy who can repair it is sitting in an all-night donut shop, maintaining his 350-lb bulk by gorging on cream-filled treats…
das
Oh no, sorry for the ongoing disaster! Let us know what happens!
Oh wow!! I believe insurance will cover the damage done. Why do they put watery things up in the attic anyway?! What genius builder thought that up?
“Oh wow!! I believe insurance will cover the damage done. Why do they put watery things up in the attic anyway?! What genius builder thought that up?”
Should’ve listened to Akemi and bought a condo.
Oh, wow…that ceiling is a lot worse than I would have thought. That’s really a lot of water.
Look on the bright side – you just didn’t have a $1300 emergency termite treatment, on the heels of nearly $4000 of car and truck repairs, with the knowledge that you’re facing about $1000 of tree maintenance before one ends up through your roof.
One good thing about it – like riches, you can’t take debt with you to the grave! Woo-HOO! 😀
I mean… 😛
das
“One good thing about it – like riches, you can’t take debt with you to the grave! ”
Okay, now my stove is making noises like R2D2.
😆
(I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing WITH you! Really!)
das
“Oh wow!! I believe insurance will cover the damage done. Why do they put watery things up in the attic anyway?! What genius builder thought that up?”
I can’t wait…!
It probably doesn’t help, but my dad let one of our leaks in the ceiling turn into a hole – insisting that it doesn’t leak (it doesn’t when he’s around and does when he’s not near it). We’ve given up and put a pot plant under it.
Picture looks like ceiling is very unhappy. Please don’t stand under it for a drip-shower, just in case it rains plaster.
I know I can’t really help, but perhaps we can keep you amused in the meantime… but leaky jokes probably aren’t what you want to hear…
“It probably doesn’t help, but my dad let one of our leaks in the ceiling turn into a hole”
I’m already there.
Hi Joe & Blog peeps,
Mega sad day today. My dearly loved cat Sasha passed away this morning while at the vet. She was 17 years old.
I reported a couple of weeks ago that she’d been sick and they diagnosed early kidney disease. She was doing ok until yesterday when she was sick again.
By last night she was hiding in corners and it seemed that she couldn’t stand or walk properly.
I took her to the Emergency Vet who repeated the blood tests and found she had diabetes and dehydration. He put her on a drip and she stayed overnight at the vet. They called me this morning to tell me she had passed.
My Dad came and helped me bury her in the backyard. She’s snuggly and warm, wrapped in a blanket. I’m going to make a pretty garden for her.
Here’s Sasha.
Sorry to hear about your air conditioning woes. When I visited the Chinese Garden in Vancouver I learned that they designed their houses for air flow – natural air conditioning.
If you could build your own house, what style would it be?
Chev
“Mega sad day today. My dearly loved cat Sasha passed away this morning while at the vet. She was 17 years old.”
Condolences. A great 17 years, no doubt, but I’m sure she’ll be missed terribly.
“My Dad came and helped me bury her in the backyard. She’s snuggly and warm, wrapped in a blanket. I’m going to make a pretty garden for her.”
You’re a great cat mom.
@ Ponytail – Sometimes there’s no choice. Take air conditioning, for instance. In a two or more storied house the coil or air handler for the upper floors normally goes in the attic. The drain pan and condensate line should handle the condensation just fine, unless something gets cracked or clogged. My dad usually installs an auxiliary drain pan as well. You also now have ‘upside down’ houses, where the kitchen and living areas are on the second (sometimes even third) floors. These are common around here where people want an ocean view from their living space, and not their bedroom space. Needless to say, that means a lot of plumbing in the ceilings.
And Joey, keep in mind that if you were in a condo and the unit above you springs a plumbing or water leak, it’s going to come down into your unit just the same! This happened in a condo here – the third floor unit shut off their heat for the winter, and their water pipes froze and broke and flooded the units below. Not only did all the drywall buckle, but the carpet and flooring held the water like a wading pool. At least you have some control over your own, self-contained disasters, but you have no control over what your neighbors all around you do.
In other words, there is no perfect place to live, but at least right now you just have a leak and a repair to deal with, and not a grievance before a condo committee.
das
“And Joey, keep in mind that if you were in a condo and the unit above you springs a plumbing or water leak, it’s going to come down into your unit just the same! ”
I might try living out of my car for a year.
I guess it’s probably a little, just a little better than 100km/h force winds sweeping the town and bringing a tree down on the house or floods that block off all the roads you can take to work or having water halfway up your walls or…
Looking on the bright side is hard if it’s dark where you are. Do you think a fire would help? The fire could dry up the water, maybe bring down the ceiling, stain everything soot black. It’d be a stylish new look. At least there’d be a something bright to look at.
How does an air conditioner leak that much water, anyway? Do air conditioners have little water pipes leading to them? Maybe there was an excess of condensation. Maybe there’s a water entity trying to invade the plaster. Maybe…
“How does an air conditioner leak that much water, anyway? Do air conditioners have little water pipes leading to them? Maybe there was an excess of condensation. Maybe there’s a water entity trying to invade the plaster. Maybe…”
All of the above?
Weird, my previous comment didn’t show. Hopefully the air conditioner guy did, though.
“Weird, my previous comment didn’t show. Hopefully the air conditioner guy did, though.”
Yep. Problem…not solved. Somebody’s coming by tomorrow to deal with it. And, apparently, it aint gonna be easy.
Jovanna wrote: “We’ve given up and put a pot plant under it.”
… 😯
Uhhhmmm…can I come visit??! 😀
das
well…look on the bright side, at least this all happening BEFORE your next extended trip out of town!
BTW, watch out for and mold…
“BTW, watch out for and mold…”
That’s step #2…
@ Jovanna – The unit in the ceiling creates condensation (as the air cools humidity is drawn from the air and condensed into water), and that condensation then drains away from the unit and out of the house via condensate/drain lines. An air conditioning condensing unit can create gallons of water, depending on how humid the air is, and that water needs to go somewhere. So if the drain pan or drain lines get clogged, then it’s going to overflow into the house. Also, if the air filter or coil gets very dirty than it can reduce the air flow and/or efficiency of the unit, and either create excessive ‘sweating’, or even a frozen coil (which, when thawed, will leak all over, sometimes missing the drain pan). Low refrigerant can also freeze up a coil.
So, basically, the water that is leaking through Joe’s ceiling isn’t from plumbing, but it’s actually the humidity that was in his house, condensed into water form with no place to go but through the ceiling.
das
Blargh. I meant an ‘air conditioning evaporator coil can create gallons of water’. It’s late and I should be in bed. 😛
das
@ Chev – So sorry to hear about Sasha. So sad. Sending big {{{hugs}}} your way.
das
Holy crap! Look at that ceiling. Sorry about the AC Joe.
@JeffW: I want your future kitchen.
@Chev: I’m so sorry about your cat.
@Das: Remember to take and share pictures of your pilferage of Joe’s drawers. :p
Thank you all for the horror stories about water problems. My toilet broke while I was at work once. My downstairs neighbors were not happy campers.
@das only if the door lets you in. The door has a great rusty propensity to do as it pleases and only let in (or out) whom it pleases.
“I might try living out of my car for a year.”
The problems with living in your car:
1) it’s hard to get comfy and not that great for your back
2) you won’t want to share space with anyone – there’s hardly enough space as it is
3) the smell
4) the lack of privacy
5) the car doesn’t have good insulation. you may as well sleep under the stars (if it’s not raining)
6) lack of toilets/bathroom – this should really be number one on the list.
7) people think you’re spying on them, dealing drugs or waiting to mug ’em or something similar
etc
“The problems with living in your car…”
It’s only for a few months, until the real estate market tanks, after which I can buy back in cheap!
It’s only for a few months, until the real estate market tanks, after which I can buy back in cheap!
But Dude…what would you be buying? Likely more issues like what you have now.
@Chev….so very sorry to hear… Like Joe said, you are a good cat mom!
{{hugs}}
I´m with Akemi with much water “some good thing hapen to you soon” , perhaps some project greenlight?
What else can happen? You have lifeguards or a boat?
http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/content/overlays/cost_of_flooding_nonajax.jsp
@Chev: So sorry to hear. Hang in there. 🙁
Poor Lulu! When my little dog started presenting episodes like this I was told to mix cooked rice with his food, it worked very well (most of the time!) As for Jelly peeing on you, isn’t that supposed to be lucky? Well, not for your pants – obviously.
As to your water ingress problem, I would suggest you put some type of covering to protect the floor as well as a couple of buckets. And good luck! If it isn’t the air con unit, it could be coming from the roof…
@Chev: So sorry to hear about Sasha. My condolences.
Joe, do NOT stand on the top of the stepladder! That is extremely dangerous!
Also, sorry to hear that things are turning out even worse. I remember a number of years ago just after coming home from a trip for work that right after I went upstairs from the entry way, hearing a water rushing sound from downstairs. At first I thought it was someone with a hose doing something outside but soon realized it was too loud. Turns out the hot water heater had burst, already leaving about 2-3 centimeters of water in the bottom of my semi-finished basement. I quickly turned off the water, and the basement floor drain too care of most of the rest, but it was still days cleaning up. I had to re-do the basement, but it was in need of that anyway, so not too big a deal. I just considered myself fortunate that it happened RIGHT after I got home and not right after I left! What a mess it would have been if it had’ve been running for several days!
A brony costume:
https://derpibooru.org/291177
Consider yourself warned. Also, bonus points if Joe posts a pic in one!
Bonus DEMERIT points, that is.
I’m afraid the A/C guy is going to refuse to go in there if there’s damage to the flooring that makes it unsafe. Hopefully, there are joists to walk on, but you might end up needing to fix the water damage or at least expanding the hole so a ladder can be placed from underneath before the A/C can be addressed. But there are still some diagnostics the repair guy will be able to do in other places.
From the amount of water, it sounds like the condenser coil itself is up there, not just refrigerant lines? Who would do that to you, right over where you sleep?
But the ceiling damage might not be as bad as it seems, depending on exactly where it’s been dripping.
We have a $100, 5,000 BTU window unit that’s light enough for anyone to hoist into a window. It’ll handle two rooms. 10,000 BTU units now come in these models where you roll it into the right room and only stick the vent in the window, not the whole thing.
When I have had air conditioner drain line plugged, I unplugged it by using a bicycle air pump. That probably won’t be an option for you as getting in the crawlspace is problematic at best.
Life without AC is impossible here in Texas. It was 110F/ 43C on my back porch yesterday.
So sorry about Sasha Chev, {hugs}
Did you get any sleep last night Mr. M.?
I hope Lulu, Jelly are better.
Good luck!
@ Chev, sorry to hear about your kitty Sasha,, lots of {{hugs}} for you ,thanks for sharing her with us.
@bambamfans… much love and many hugs. It is hard to lose a beloved fur baby.
Our swamp cooler feed leaked into the attic. Some of the plaster ceiling is water damaged, but it dried out. Plaster can do that. Hubby is the one who fixes and maintains the cooler, it is simply water running through pads with a giant fan. Yay for desert living.
However, our neighborhood has old sewer pipes; the city sends a truck to blow low pressure air through them once a week. Makes a terrible smell in the basement, and if they use high pressure air, a nasty mess. They sent a professional disaster crew to clear the raw sewage, but never replaced the torn up carpeting.
Bambamfans: Sorry to hear about your cat. It’s always hard to lose a pet. I recently lost my cat as well. She went like my dog, she simply decided it was time to stop eating. Like my dog, the vet was unable to find any reason. The only advice was finding food she liked, or force feeding. Feeding her fresh (cooked) fish, canned fish, chicken livers, etc, helped but she was always a very slim cat and she still ate little. As much as I like cats, I don’t think I will replace her. We lose too many cats on the road I live on, and I don’t like to force my cat to live indoors. It’s never worked out well. Perhaps one day I’ll make an outdoor run and get another indoor cat.
If I could design my own house, it would be a 32 foot sloop. I’d spend summers on the West coast, winters in Australia and New Zealand and Hawaii and explore the rest of the world besides. I currently have a 10 year plan to save enough to buy the boat and have enough money to live off the interest and dividends. I hope to keep my health up enough to actually do this.
Alexis: I worked with a guy who used to work for a company that cleaned up after flooding. He said there is a big brand of toilets that has a very poor history of breaking, and breaking in such a way that the toilet continues to try to fill, making a terrible, terrible mess.
I won’t mention which one because it was so long ago I am no longer sure which it was. When I purchased a new toilet, I researched it on the net and got a Toto.
Joe: The ceiling looks bad, and although doing drywall ceiling is a major pain in the ass if you do it yourself, it’s not terribly expensive or hard for professionals who can do small areas quickly.
If it’s coming down, help the wet stuff along and pull down the wet insulation, stick it in a garbage bag. If you have a basement, stick the insulation in there and hang it up to let it dry. Use gloves and old clothes, hat, long sleeved shirt, safety glasses.
The actual wood should be good, it will probably just need a wipe down with dry clothes and let dry. Don’t use AC, let the house warm up to allow the heat to dry the area. If the drywall is falling apart, then it needs to be replaced. Pulling it down might make it more accessible to the worker. Chances are some of the insulation is soaked and it can’t stay up there. All the wet insulation MUST come out. Insulation isn’t expensive. If it’s blown insulation, then it could make a big mess. Put down plastic sheeting to catch a mess either way.
If the guy who comes is any good, ask him if he knows a good drywaller who is any good and reputable who can do the ceiling work.
Again, good luck. If your anything like me, you didn’t sleep much last night, your groggy, worried, cranky. Hold Lulu. Hold Akemi. Make your favourite breakfast.
This too shall pass.
And to be clear, don’t pull down any more drywall then what is falling down or falling apart. If the insulation is wet, assuming there is insulation, then it will continue to wick water out. It tends to get heavy when saturated with water, and the weakened drywall can simply not support it’s weight.
I’m probably telling you stuff you already know. Sorry if I’m going on and on.
Wow, I missed a party last night.
@Chev – So sorry to hear about Sasha. But wow, 17 years huh? I’m sure she had a lovely life.
@Joe – Wow, I miss a day and your house falls apart. I promise to be more vigilant. Nothing to add really that the others haven’t. Mold as mentioned, will be the big issue. It will show up en route to the damage you can see as well as where the damage you can see. Hoping Lulu and Jelly feel better. Got my fingers crossed for you.
Wow! I’m sorry I missed last night’s chat session! I had a VERY similar situation happen at my house a number of years ago and could’ve helped a bit with the info, perhaps. At the time my house was built, they used a combination AC/heat pump unit. Not entirely uncommon, but the way our heat pump works is it uses water(or hot water, really) cycled in from the hot water tank. The water heater heats up the water(just as it would if you were taking a shower), sends it up to the heat pump, and it goes through a brass core that has a fan blow air through it(heating up that air) and sending that heated air into the house. Pretty much the opposite way a radiator works in a car.
Well, there are two water lines that go into that heat exchanger section of the unit upstairs and it was one of those that decided it was done working at holding the water at bay. Thankfully we caught it while I was up there installing network cabling and we didn’t have the major leakage that would’ve certainly occurred further down the road.
All that to say….that’s my guess as to what might be going on with your unit. It also explains why you continue to get water damage even after you shut the A/C off, because it’s probably actually tied to the heater somehow(if your unit is set up like mine). Either way, it really sucks to have to go through that, especially the water damage stuff.
TWICE I have left for my yearly week’s vacation to Santa Cruz and come back home to a flooded kitchen. One year it was the water line to the dishwasher, the other year it was the water line to the refrigerator. The year it was the fridge, the water got out into the living room and into carpeting and underlayments and all that good stuff. Insurance took care of the repairs since the replacement of the carpet would have been about four times the cost to just have Servicemaster come out and do their thing. The living room is part of a larger great-room that is fully carpeted and 10 year old carpet tends to be hard to match, color-wise, what with all the UV fading and stuff.
On the more jovial side, when I was up in the attic installing the CAT5 cabling, I managed to slip off one of the ceiling joists and ALMOST stepped though the ceiling drywall! I did manage to punch it down pretty good and it was eerily similar to the picture you posted of your ceiling! Well, I found a “friend of a friend” kind of guy who does drywall work and he came out and fixed it for $60. A STEAL if you ask me! Doing that kind of repair is an art form and getting it so cheap was the cherry on top.
Don’t worry Joe. Units will get fixed, ceilings will be restored, and insurance will pay for, well, most of it. Then everything will be back to smooo…… uh, I’d better not.
-Mike A.
(reposting from the other day in case it was missed)
@ M Reed – Thank you so much for sharing your story about Danny John Jules. That was really sweet and touching. I can certainly understand why he holds a special place in your heart. 🙂
das
Sorry to see/read about the water issues. That pretty much sucks. Perhaps the stove and the A/C unit are in a competition for your financial affections. My house is only 7 years old but it seems that every other year around the 4th of July something in my house breaks. First it was the Sprinkler system, then the water heater busted (luckily it was still under warranty so I was only out $300 to rebuild the stand and a portion of the wall), and this year the A/C upstairs (have a dual system one for upstairs and one for down stairs) stopped working for 3 days and then mysteriously started up again.
I have actually gotten to the point that I get a bit paranoid around the 4th of July each year wondering what will break next.
Hopefully they were able to stop the water flow and by now are on their way to solving the problem.
If you need to something to watch to calm your nerves check out a new anime Sunday Without God – God abandoned the world on Sunday. As a result, nobody in the world can die or have kids. A little girl – Ai – is the grave keeper for the village and is tasked with helping the would-be dead try and find peace. However, one day a boy who identifies himself as Hampnie Hambart – the Man-eating Toy – appears in the village killing everybody and disturbing the balance of things. Upon their first encounter both Ai and Hampnie come to realize shocking truth. I’m 5 eps in and so far so good. Hopefully it stays that way.
Also if you haven’t seen it you might want to check out Claymore – A deadly breed of monster – the Yoma – has only one foe: Claymore. These warrior women, human-Yoma hybrids, can deliver salvation by the edge of a blade – for a fee. This is the tale of the Claymore called Clare’s solitary path to vengeance.
Your situation sounds so fubar Joe, hopefully you can get it fixed without much issue. That being said in that kind of situation I would just get the whole damn air con unit replaced. Surely even when fixed there’s always that thought at the back of your mind that it could happen again.
It must be a Pacific Northwest thing. I assume it is Central air you have. My condenser coils are in the basement with the furnace as the drain tube goes to the floor drain. Being in your location must produce a good amount of condensation for those few short weeks of summer. I usually try to vacuum the coils once a year as a routine maintenance, but having to go into the inner workings of the house, I can see the problem (reminds me of another syfy show a decade back). Living in Chicago, however, my apartment had a leak over the bath tube. It took them 4 plus months to get someone over to fix the leak and patch the 3 inch hole, similar to the last picture. Ya I would replace the insulation as quickly as possible to limit mold and mildew as well as allow the area to dry. The Mikes have some good advise. Best of luck.
How’s it going today Joe? Full update tonight? (with pictures please) (you need lots of pictures anyway for the Insurance company) Sorry but this was better than a TV mini-series!
@ Chev – So sorry to hear about your beloved kitty Sasha. Sounds like she had a good life and was well cared for.
Thanks everyone – especially for the kind words from Joe, Das, Alexia, Sylvia, Deni, gforce, Tam, Airelle, Maggiemayday, Mike from Canada (Sorry to hear about your cat’s passing. I like your house plans), JimFromJersey and Ponytail. Hope I didn’t miss anyone but if I did, sorry, thank-you. Much appreciated.
Sasha did have a great life. She was a rescue kitten my friends got from the Animal Aid for my 30th birthday. I chose her for her cute face and attitude. She tried to escape when I held her when we first met.
She was scared of people and preferred to stay indoors unless I was outside. She had white coat fever and scratched the vet on every visit. Not scared of me though. She loved me. We would curl up on the couch and watch TV together.
Byeeeeee, Chev
oops…. typo…. Thanks Alexis…. from Chev
I was just thinking maybe it’s not so bad to have your refrigerant line be over your bed. You might not have found it for a while otherwise.
Except in my case, not finding condenser coils with excessive condensation for a while just meant it left a rust trail as the water quickly traversed the vinyl floor of my basement and ran into the sump pump.
Yes, I’ve had a lot of A/C problems, even had it go out during the last month of two different pregnancies.
I imagine by now you got it fixed. Already sent condolences to Chev. We also have our A/C and heater furnace in the attic and water heater. I’m waiting for the A/C to drop dead. They said because of the new regulations of no freon, the entire unit will have to be replaced when it does go, to the tune of about $5000.