Stupid Basement - flooded again!

swampwitch

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Last night, just as we were going to bed, we heard this loud rushing water sound in the basement. My husband and I thought :censor::censor::censor:? and ran down there. There was a waterfall coming out of the hot water heater! There was already about 1" of water in that part of the basement!

I ran upstairs and called the property manager's emergency number, told the woman what had happened, and that the basement was rapidly flooding. Ninety minutes and three phone calls later, she still had done nothing. Meanwhile, my husband had figured out how to turn the water off, and spent over an hour moppiing the floor.

I had to call again this morning, and they've sent someone over, and he said he's never seen anything like it. The force of the water completely blew the element out and you can see where the hot water shot all over the walls. Good thing I wasn't doing laundry at the time, I would have been right in front of it!

The stupid basement flooded a year ago, too, (the sump pump shorted out) two days after I spent five days organizing it. (Luckily, I had put almost everything in waterproof tubs). All my hard work was gone when the clean-up crew came and took everything out and stuck it all back in. This past weekend, I JUST got it organized AGAIN! It took me a year! Good thing my husband was home, because I would have just gone to bed 'cause I had a splitting headache and couldn't deal at all last night.

Our rent just went up again this month. We gotta find a house to buy. I'm so tired of putting energy into someone else's stupid "heritage" read: OLD house.

Thanks for letting me vent. I'll feel even better after a hot shower, whenever that may be.

Cheers, from
SwampWitch
 

sarahp

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Ohhhhh no you poor thing!!!!! How frustrating for you!!!

Did anything get damaged down there of yours? I can't believe she didn't get someone right over considering you were being flooded! Grrr!

Good luck
 

gingersmom

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I think...you need to stop reorganizing the basement.
That has to be what caused the problem.

Just kidding!


Seriously, that bites! I'm really glad that you weren't in front of it at the time!!!


Do you have renters insurance for damages to any of your property?
 
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swampwitch

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Thanks, guys, for the sympathy. Nothing was damaged either time by sheer luck in timing. (I sometimes wonder why I felt compelled to organize the basement when I did, and put everything in plastic tubs just days before it flooded!)

We're looking for a house to buy, so we'll have to get insurance then. For now, I'll keep my fingers crossed... I keep thinking how lucky I am that I wasn't burned.

And, you are right. No more basement organizing for me! I'm through!

Cheers, from
SwampWitch
 

gailc

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That sucks!! Most homes around this area have sump pumps do to having clay soil and then the pump shorts out at a bad time and poof!!! lots of water-we had that years ago when we rented and there was a couple inches in the basement.
Our problem this fall was a baffle broke in out septic tank and backed up from the floor drain into the basement. YUCK!!! septic /sewer water. Thankfully I was home and after the fist time it backed up was checking the basement alot-not alot of water -perhaps we vacuumed up 50 gal or so but I had to toss some stuff. $700 later.........the problem was solved!!
 
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