If We Didn't Have Bad Luck, We Wouldn't Have Any Luck at All

or Water Problems come in Fours.

A few blogs ago I wrote about how our basement flooded when a valve on our sprinkler systerm blew during the night due to a faulty repair and gushed water that flooded our basement for five hours before we found what had happened at 3 AM. That problem finally got taken care of and all was well again. Well, that was #1.

#2 Chris and Anne reported about three or four weeks ago that the carpet in their bedroom closet was wet. We found that something in the utility room right next to their closet was leaking, either the water softener or the water heater. But we couldn't find the problem to fix it. So the water would dry up, and then the carpet would be wet again. I finally realized that the water softener was leaking water every time it recycled. That is when it would cover the utility room floor and run under the wood frame into the bedroom closet. But then #3 happened.

We found that water was leaking down the side of the water heater and we had no idea how to fix that. Larry kept towels applied to the side of the water heater to soak up some of the water until we could get George, our frendly plumber up here to check everything out. In the meantime, Larry had the water softener people, from whom we had purchased the water softener system right when we moved into this house seven years ago, come out. The repair guy said that the softener was cracked on the inside and it was because the water pressure valve failed and the water pressure coming into the house was too high, so the pressure broke the softener. AND we would have to buy a new water softener. That didn't set too well with us because we paid too much for the system when we bought it, and a replacement was going to cost between $350 and $400. That was puzzling to us that the softener only cost that much because we paid much, much, much, much, more when we bought it the first time. Larry pointed out the the water people that they had put on the water pressure valve and it wasn't our fault it had failed. After going to the top man in the company we finally found resolution with us paying a $50 deductible to have a new water softener put in.

In the meantime, George came out to check on the water heater, which we found was out of warranty by one year. He told us that he would change the water pressure valve for us and then we would see if that solved the leak in the water heater. So, $131 later, with a new water pressure valve installed, the water heater still leaked. So we asked George to please get us a new one and come install it for us, which he did to the tune of $691. That wasn't too bad a price because the water softener people were going to charge us over $900 for the same thing. Anyway, we now have a new water heater and water pressure valve and we're waiting on the water softener people to put in a new water softener on Thursday. Larry was told to get a water pressure tester and check the water pressure going into the house every so often. He did that today and checked the pressure. Guess what??? The water pressure was the same as it was when the water softener man told us the previous valve had failed.

Larry called George to find out about the pressure problem, if it really was a problem, but before I could find out George's answer, #4 occurred.

Larry and I went to dinner with Jessica's family and Josh's family tonight at Red Lobster. (mmmmmmm cheddar biscuits). While we were at the restaurant, it began to rain cats and dogs. We haven't seen a rainstorm like that in a long, long time. I asked Larry when the rain started if he thought the downstairs bedroom that has flooded in the past when a bad rain came would be OK. He said Yes, that he had cleaned out the gutters above that bedroom window. Ya see, the downspout right beside that bedroom window always gets clogged with leaves and debris in the fall. Well, he said he thought he had cleaned it out and we didn't need to worry. NOT!! Calley called us before we got home and said the bedroom was flooding. So we hurried home and sure enough rain water was pouring into the bedroom through the window well. It was a mess!!!! Sweet Calley had gone to work immediately to help staunch a mess that could have been worse. She had stuffed towels everywhere to catch the water. So Larry climbed up and cleaned out the gutter and downspout. Problem solved, except for the clean up. I didn't say too many cuss words, but I certainly do have to repent. We spent the next couple of hours cutting out carpet pad, moving furniture, sucking up water, etc. Chris came home from Anne's mom's house with Howie, Anne's brother-in-law, to help us. As of right now, things are kind of normal, except for the fact that Larry has to speak in two different Sacrament Meetings and a Priesthood meeting tomorrow and he hasn't had time to finish his talks yet.