???????

For starters, I'd invest in a water sensor.

A water sensor connected to an electric cutoff valve.  I hope they put a catch pan under your new water heater.

Jan

Why are you heating hot water?  

My HW heater has a pan with a drain and an alarm.  It helps that it's also in the basement.  The washer is on the 2nd floor, and it also has a pan and a drain.

I have a tankless water heater.  Will never have this issue again!

Sounds like he was away from the house for a while (winter home?) and the water to the heater was shut off.  Otherwise there would have been a lot more than 40 gallons.

Sounds like he has a lot of cabooses coming.

Marty,

Your right. Technically a "(cold) water heater"!

Got rid of my  conventional water heater tank and it gave me room enough for a freight yard.  Water is now heated in an out of the  way corner located Renai  tankless water heater.  Luv 'em!

Non panned washers and water heaters gave us a lot of floor repair work over the years.

Such calm under pressure, water pressure!  Your equanimity is as enviable as your artistry.

Since you've sent away for more styrene and Servpro is dealing with the debacle, would you consider building a few Chicago Great Western extended vision waycars?  They're available in HO and N but not O.  Harrumph!

https://www.modeltrainstuff.co...-cupola-caboose-kit/

I got lucky on the last one. We heard it letting go! Still had a mess but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Wasn't so lucky on the washer up stairs. The pan had a tiny drain that was easily blocked. The new pan has a custom 2" drain and there's a second one in the room's corner.

So what happens next? This week the fridge's ice maker got stuck filling and water started coming down stairs while I'm ballasting. I never even heard of a fridge doing that! Now I know. If it can happen, it will happen.

After 28 years in Public Works, I have seen alot of messes. For my peace of mind, I turn off the water service valve and the breakers to the heaters. Even if I go away overnight. It takes a couple minutes to turn back on, and in 20 minutes you have hot water. Dave

Engineer-Joe posted:

So what happens next? This week the fridge's ice maker got stuck filling and water started coming down stairs while I'm ballasting. I never even heard of a fridge doing that! Now I know. If it can happen, it will happen.

I've had that happen, I had to yank the cover off the hinge on top and unplug the water valve control plug, that stopped the flood.

Bossman284 posted:

I have a tankless water heater.  Will never have this issue again!

Don't be to sure. I've heard of them failing also. 

Any water service can fail, the thought is to be preemptive with braided hoses, burst safety valves, drain pans with shower drains, alarms, easy access shutoff valves, multiple sump pumps w/ battery back up, etc etc.

As a flooring contractor I have seen a lot of water damage.  The most frequent damage has not been from bursts but a slow drip leak over a long period of time  which produces extensive hidden rot.  A total shocker when starting a floor install.  One job was so soaked that in addition to cabinets  and two joists, I had to remove the vinyl siding to replace rotted/soaked insulation & OSB because the water wicked up off the floor.

Hey Brother Love, if my water heater fails, I’m calling you first! I can clean up the mess later. Think of all those cabooses!

A leaking toilet hose has put off my layout building for 3 years while I saved up to replace the floor.  This happened in the basement but the previous owners had carpet down there that I had to remove.  The good news is the floor went in in early October and after Christmas the new permanent layout will begin.  I now keep that toilet off unless we have company over.  My next step is to install a monitor and shut off valve.  I hate water.

After the carpet was pulled.

New floor.  Just need some ceiling work and paint.

Nice job making lemonade from lemons,  Brother Love!  ;-)

My plumber got my landlord a good deal on a second hand water heater; had been lightly used in a local church who switched from gas to electric.  So now I take showers in holy water.  Haven't burst into flames yet, so I must be doing SOMETHING right...   

Mitch 

As a precautionary measure, if were going out of town over night, we turn off the hot water heater and cut off water to it. Washing machine also, we turn off water supply to.

Wonder why technology has not made this a remote possibility?  We can send capsules into space, impervious to space junk, and can't build a rustless water heater?  My childhood train set, stored on basement floor, was destroyed by failed water heater...my brother's similar set, up on a shelf, was unscathed 

I started a layout tear down/rebuild last spring.  We decided to do windows, siding, and roof this summer.  My gutters were off when we got a 7" rain.  I got about an inch of water in the basement.  Everything on the floor got piled on my train table and some drywall had to go.  Last weekend I was able to put the furniture back and started removing stuff from top of my once layout.  I'm going to be another weekend getting stuff off and sorted before I can start the rebuild.  Basements are great to collect stuff you don't need, hobbies, and give you extra worry.

I have replace hundreds of water damaged floors over 42 years of flooring.  If the water damage was sudden/burst in nature, homeowners insurance will cover replacement.  The failed appliance is not covered, just the damage.  Slow leaks are not covered.

My most expensive loss was $52,000 due to a second floor burst which lasted over a weekend and wiped out most everything on the first floor.

Take photos, do not rush the replacement, get the claims adjuster out A.S.A.P.  Save  the failed appliance.

Caution, insurance repair crews frequently will replace premium flooring with substandard but attractive flooring material and minimum wage workmanship.

Had a water flood with a left on sink faucet by an elderly parent. Servpro came in and did a fine job.....good as new.

Hot water heater

MartyE posted:

A leaking toilet hose has put off my layout building for 3 years while I saved up to replace the floor.  This happened in the basement but the previous owners had carpet down there that I had to remove.  The good news is the floor went in in early October and after Christmas the new permanent layout will begin.  I now keep that toilet off unless we have company over.  My next step is to install a monitor and shut off valve.  I hate water.

After the carpet was pulled.

New floor.  Just need some ceiling work and paint.

That looks great Marty.  It really ties the whole room together nicely!  

Sorry to hear about the ware damage. I just replaced our "hot water maker" yesterday. I have a floor drain and leak sensor. Also frequent trips to the auxiliary refrigerator in the same room helped with the most recent leakage. Have shutoff valves on in and out lines with unions. Pull out old unit remove pipe stubs, install in new heater slide under supply and outlet lines, tighten unions, connect electric supply, turn on water feed and check for leaks and good to go. I keep saying I'm going to go tankless, but the circumstances require a replacement heater. This one was still under warranty. Thankfully your damage was minimal. My brother woke up to about a foot of water in his basement once.

Every time I see the title to this thread, I catch myself wondering what happened to Jack . . . .

Couple of housekeeping tips:

Each time we reset a commode we use a new SS braided line with a loop to eliminate stress on the fitting.  Usually a 20+" line.  Avoid a neat looking short line, no margin for bowl movement.  When starting the nut, carefully be centering the hose on the seat as you tighten to ensure a correct seal.

Do not over tighten the bowl nut otherwise you may have a problem with the float.   On standard commodes it does not hurt to replace the float valve.  Always check finished flange height.

Extra thick wax ring with a horn and 5/16"  (not 1/4") flange bolts make the job complete.

MartyE posted:

Nice set of the Kelvin-timeline Star Trek film posters you've got there!

Tom Tee posted:

Couple of housekeeping tips:

Each time we reset a commode we use a new SS braided line with a loop to eliminate stress on the fitting.  Usually a 20+" line.  Avoid a neat looking short line, no margin for bowl movement.  When starting the nut, carefully be centering the hose on the seat as you tighten to ensure a correct seal.

Do not over tighten the bowl nut otherwise you may have a problem with the float.   On standard commodes it does not hurt to replace the float valve.  Always check finished flange height.

Extra thick wax ring with a horn and 5/16"  (not 1/4") flange bolts make the job complete.

Sound advice. Nothing worse though then having the PVC floor ring break where the bolts go through, especially when there isn't much left of the floor to attach a brass ring, most often with a masonry floor that the hole is too big or deteriorated.

Google "closet flange repair" products and videos.  Many ways to correct flange problems. 

Anyone remember the early coaches when you look down the toilet you see the ballast and ties?  Another reason not to walk the tracks as a kid.  Circa 1950's Pennsylvania Reading Seashore lines. 

I remember the sign instructing not to use the commode while in a station.

Tom Tee posted:

Anyone remember the early coaches when you look down the toilet you see the ballast and ties?  Another reason not to walk the tracks as a kid.  Circa 1950's Pennsylvania Reading Seashore lines. 

I remember the sign instructing not to use the commode while in a station.

https://lyricstranslate.com

What cabooses will be for sale?

Slugger posted:

MartyE posted:

Nice set of the Kelvin-timeline Star Trek film posters you've got there!

Thanks! I got some TOS Series Movie posters too. When your son works at a movie theater it's easier to snag these. Eventually these will go upstairs and be replaced by some train pictures.

Invest in water wings?

colorado hirailer posted:

Wonder why technology has not made this a remote possibility?  We can send capsules into space, impervious to space junk, and can't build a rustless water heater?  My childhood train set, stored on basement floor, was destroyed by failed water heater...my brother's similar set, up on a shelf, was unscathed 

Hi all, 

I just caught this topic, and I was particularly taken by the note from “Colorado Highrailer.”  

Not long after my Dad decided I was old enough to take care of them, he transferred possession of three sets of American Flyer trains, some extra rolling stock and a few accessories that he had acquired into my care.

My brother and I would set them all up an a 9’ x 12’ area rug in our basement recreation room.  He and I slept in a bedroom next door, and early one morning our dog came into the bedroom barking and jumped up on the bed.  We then saw water seeping through the bedroom door. When we ran out of the room we could see water coming out of the bathroom and adjacent laundry room.

Fortunately, the water was just beginning to surround the rug with the trains on it, and the edge of the rug was still absorbing the initial flow.  We quickly gathered up the trains, track, switches, accessories and other toys making up the layout and stacked them on the couch and a nearby table and chairs.  None of those items had yet been touched by the water, although one of the empty set master cartons that we had left on the bare linoleum floor was ruined.

It turned out that an improperly installed backflow device allowed storm water to back up and come into the house through the basement shower and floor drains.  Ultimately about 2” to 3” of water filled the basement, but none of the trains or related items even got wet and remain in my collection today.

From recent personal experience, I agree that along with water heaters and toilet and washer supply lines, be very aware of refrigerator ice maker supply lines, too.

Cheers,

Alan

Brother Love

  Sorry to hear about the water catastrophe.

Lots of good advice to hopefully minimizing  the damage in a future scenario

  Hope things get back to normal for you asap

Al

Will any of these cabooses be for sale?  I could handle a CoG or L&N.

Brother Love, you need to treat yourself and build a chapel car.   A few really neat examples and a few of them still exist in museums.