If It's Not One Thing, It's Another [Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος]

Sometime between eleven last night and twenty minutes ago, the hot water tap on my bathroom sink stopped working. A wee trickle came out when I went to wash my hands, and then the trickle stopped. I've still got cold water available there, and the hot water works at the bathtub, kitchen sink, and laundry sink.

I have no freaking clue here. The pipe under the sink, upstream of the cut-off valve there, disappears into the bathroom floor/kitchen ceiling, and I'm really not sure exactly which wall it gets routed to for the vertical run.

Okay, okay, keep reminding myself: this could be worse. The water heater appears to be working, neither the basement nor the kitchen is flooded, I can still shower and flush the toilet. But it's one more thing on the "can't somebody please wave a magic wand and make this problem go away?" list, one more thing I don't know how to fix and don't have money to pay sombody else to fix. One more thing to ask Mom whether she can afford to help me with. (And this shortly after discovering a bill I'd forgotten about which means that I couldn't really afford as many groceries as I'd bought recently after all, and need to ask for help with utilities again so soon after getting a Christmas check from Mom. Ugh. So much for my plan to stock up on heavy things while I've got access to a car.)

Whine whine whine. Grumpy and feeling more than a little bit lost here, which is kind of a recipe for me-whining. Feh.

I'm going to have to remember to wash my hands at the tub for now, since really cold water on my hands hurts.

January

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 1	2 1	3 1	4 1	5 1	6 1	7 1
8 1	9 1	10 1	11 1	12 1	13 1	14 1
15 1	16 1	17 1	18 1	19 1	20 1	21 1
22 1	23 1	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

If you've still got hot water elsewhere and its the water flow in the tap that's stopped, could it be the washer? That's a reasonably quick fix, if you google online there should be pics of your tap (hey, I thought US folks called them faucets?) and how to change a washer, think it varies from type to type..

[link] [reply]

"could it be the washer?"

I hadn't thought of that because when I've seen washers go it's meant not being able to turn off the water, rather than not being able to get any ... but maybe the washer crumbled and the bits fell where they're blocking the flow? I dunno, but having something to take a screwdriver to helps alleviate the feeling of helplessness a bit (at least until I take it apart and still can't tell what's wrong, but here's hoping I've better luck than that). Something to do once I've warmed up again -- I'm under the blankets with the cat perched atop me to facilitate that getting-warm-again thing.

"hey, I thought US folks called them faucets?"

I grew up hearing both interchangeably. I'm not sure whether that's standard for central Maryland, or reflects time my mother spent in England when she was growing up (she had -- maybe still has but I find it harder to notice -- a faint English accent that some of my friends noticed but I used to only hear on the phone).

I think that a stopcock stuck in the side of a barrel is always called a tap here (as is the pump/valve/hose assembly stuck in the top of a metal keg, of course), but with regard to the household plumbing fixture, I think I'm slightly more likely to hear 'faucet' than 'tap' in phrases with fewer words ("turn off the faucet") and it tilts somewhat more strongly the other direction when there are modifiers attached ("the hot water tap"). I think there's also a tenuous association of 'tap' with the control knob and 'faucet' (also 'spigot') with the part the water finally comes out of, but I'll have to listen more carefully to how those around me speak to be sure that's more than just my own idiolect.

Oh good, a language-geeking distraction. Needed that.

[link] [parent] [reply]

I know here at the Manse we have lost hot water to several taps, and I don't know why. It's frustrating, so I sympathize. I doubt it is the washer, in our case, but hell, I'll try anything once. It would beat replacing the entire pipe, which is what I fear may be the solution (a lot of the pipes are old and filled with mineral residue).

I could see the washer being the problem. I agree that washer failure usually causes a drip, but they can break up and plug things up too.

It's also possible that some scale broke loose from the inside of the pipe and lodged in the valve. Turning on the water (just a little!) while the faucet is disassembled might blow it clean.

Blame the cat. She doesn't like you having damp hands.

My sympathies; I've been having random plumbing problems ever since this summer's fun with the well. Apparently, when the old well caved in, it dumped a load of sand 'n shredded plastic into the water system which is slowly flushing itself out now. Periodically, I have to disassemble a plumbing fixture and clean it. "Periodically" started out meaning "daily"; down to about once every couple weeks now.

if the cutoff valve for your spigot still works I could prolly see if I could clean it out/replace the valve seat washer for you.

keep in mind that when working with old plumbing there's a chance of breakage though. Cuz pipe (almost) rust through and stuff.

I accept your kind offer (all the more enthusiastically for having forgotten where I left my wrench). When is convenient for you?

Going to work today soon. I could try popping by on the way up or on the way back home. it's about 10am now, would be cruising by at about 11, then sometime later depending. if I don't hear from you in the next 10-20min, I guess I'll try on the way home.

I was asleep when you left that comment. What time (approximate range) would after-work be? I'll stick around and wait. I did find a crescent wrench.

still at work, things are not looking good cuz I still have tonloads left. Do you want me to come over late tonight or pop by tomorrow sometime?
Keith

I'll probably be up if you want to ome over late tonight. Tomorrow works for me too, if you're too tired when you get off work tonight, just let me know.

Thanks.

just about to roll out the door
be there 10-20 minutes

Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

Links

January