A quick inspection of the electrical panel revealed that 1.) the plug intended for use by the dryer had been stolen and was being used for the well (not something we want to disconnect) and 2.) the panel is full so there is no room to easily add an outlet. I waited a few more days hoping that the landlord would get an electrician out to add the outlet. Once laundry reached a critical point, I began washing them and hanging them in our upstairs hallway to dry.
After the first load of laundry was done, I noticed that the basement floor was wet in the corner near the washing machine. We assumed the washer had leaked somewhere, but imagine my surprise when I walked downstairs while a load was running and discovered a 4 foot fountain of water bubbling out from behind my washer. The sump pump was not large enough to keep up with the amount of water being discharged from the washer and the excess water was being forced through the air. Again, the solution is easy. We simply need to add a utility tub for the washer to drain into. The tub can hold the large volume of water until the pump catches up and can push the water out the the septic tank. Perhaps we'll get to that in the next week or so. In the meantime, I enjoy the water feature we've added to the basement. A good realtor could use this as a selling point.
During the time that we were hanging laundry to dry, we experienced another plumbing/electrical issue. On our 10th evening in the house, we experienced a huge power surge accompanied by a popping sound. At first it appeared as though nothing was wrong. We thought that the impending snowstorm was messing with our electrical service.
The next day, Dan was inspecting the electrical panel hoping to add the outlet for the dryer (but you've already heard how that ended). With the cover off the panel, he noticed that the breaker for our water heater was tripped. He flipped it back to the ON position and immediately heard a horrific noise emanating from the water heater. When he flipped it back off the noise disappeared as well.
We went together to inspect the water heater. From the service panel on the heater, water was dripping and pooling on the floor. It became very clear that we had an issue on our hands. I text our landlord to let him know. He called back immediately, relieved to have an excuse to step away from his wife's company Christmas party. Although he offered to have someone come out the next day, we declined and saved him the expense of a Sunday plumber's visit.
Monday morning the reality of my frugality dawned on me. The prospect of a cold shower and damp laundry was not a pleasant one. My morning routine was disrupted by the need to warm water to wash my face and take a sponge bath. Washing my hair became an acrobatic feat as I had to twist my body to get all of my hair under the bath faucet while keeping as much of the rest of me dry and warm as possible. I carried cold, wet clothes up to be hung in the hallway and all the while reminded myself that it could be worse.
My dad grew up on a farm and the "hardships" I endured on this morning, a deviation from my routine, were are part of his daily life. As I did my best to just "grin and bear it" I developed the mantra "pioneer spirit" to keep myself going. Imagining how life for my dad and his family had been kept me going without complaint.I guess I have the hardy Skaggs genes to thank for the new spin I was able to put on my situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment