Today, the plumber guys came back. They replaced the damaged bladder tank, tucked it into an insulation wrap, and put pipe insulation on all the old-style pipes that remain under the house. The only pipes that were replaced with new, expandable pipe were the kitchen pipes. The kitchen pipes were in the wall (but not anymore!), and also on the coldest side of the house, with a north-east exposure and therefore most prone to freezing. They recommended I replace the other pipes sometime, but pipe insulation should do the trick for now since I don’t want to replace ALL THE REST OF THE PLUMBING IN THE HOUSE.
The existing tank in the barn was pretty small.
As you can see, it was protected by nothing more than some torn-apart styrofoam. The new one has the insulation wrap (plus the heat tape is plugged in!) and is also larger, though that’s hard to see under the insulation wrap.
The larger tank should increase water pressure to the house.
So, they got all done, I had water, and they left.
And as soon as they left, the water stopped.
You know, you get used to living without running water. At first, it’s a panic. Then the panic subsides and you realize you’re still alive, and if this situation goes on for several days, you settle into a new routine. A new routine in which running water is not expected. Running water is something other people have, and of which you can only dream, if you had time between scooping buckets of water out of the creek. You kind of give up on running water.
And then, oh THEN, you have it again!
AND THEN YOU DON’T.
Which suddenly makes it all seem so much worse. If I’d had no water all day, I’d have been fine. But to have it for half an hour and then NOT have it anymore? I was ready to stretch out on the grass and let the chickens peck me to death, it was THAT BAD.
Then I called the plumbers. They guessed the problem and came back with a new pressure switch for the tank, and I told the chickens to GET OFF ME, ALREADY and I did the dishes! And some laundry! And took a shower! And brought Morgan home!
Oh, happy day!
P.S. THANK YOU for your commiseration and your help!!
BuckeyeGirl says:
:snoopy:
On January 10, 2012 at 6:42 pm
tinamanley says:
Water is more important than most people realize. We lived in Venezuela with frequent water and power outages. I’d much rather do without power than water. All future wars will be fought over water. Be sure you have water before anything else!!
Tina
On January 10, 2012 at 6:48 pm
CATRAY44 says:
Nothing like being toyed with, lol. I am so glad you have Morgan home and running water!
On January 10, 2012 at 7:00 pm
twiggityNDgoats says:
Yay! I’m glad this story has a happy ending because I have to admit I WAS laughing, but only at the chicken part 🙂
On January 10, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Hlhohnholz says:
Hooray!!! Yet another challenge surmounted. 🙂
On January 10, 2012 at 7:12 pm
TeaCup says:
Yaah you! One more circumstance conquered!
We need a new bladder (sometime soon). But fortunately, our plumber lives around the corner …
Hopefully, we won’t need one SOON!
Ain’t a bath wonderful? HOT water? [Blessed be the inventor of the hot water heater, I mean REALLY!]
Judi
On January 10, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Sheryl says:
Yay!!! So happy this is over for you and Morgan-had to laugh at the chicken part too that was hysterical!
On January 10, 2012 at 7:33 pm
jmac says:
Sometimes I envy your life, sometimes I don’t!!! LOL May the coming days be uneventful and filled with unpacking and painting!
On January 10, 2012 at 7:35 pm
KarenAnne says:
I was sooooo happy when I had hot water again in my house after a minor flood. Baths!! Clean clothes!!
You’re lucky the plumbers got this done so quickly.
On January 10, 2012 at 7:39 pm
pensiero says:
We are in the middle of a necessary kitchen remodel. I will be deliriously happy with a sink and running water. Do you know how hard it is to do dishes in the bathtub?
On January 10, 2012 at 7:54 pm
princessvanessa says:
I hurried home from work and logged into CITR just to make sure that your water problem had been fixed.
What a relief for you. I figured that a shower was going to be on your first order of business.
My grandpa used to say, “water, water everywhere but nary a drop to drink”; I think that pretty aptly described your predicament.
On January 10, 2012 at 7:56 pm
D1BeachBum says:
:woof: Happy Day!!!
On January 10, 2012 at 8:09 pm
yvonnem says:
Happy, happy!!! :snoopy:
NOTHING else bad will happen now…I hope!
So glad you were able to bring Morgan home, I bet you felt a bit lonely without her. :heart:
On January 10, 2012 at 8:17 pm
STracer says:
Yay for you! :woof:
On January 10, 2012 at 8:40 pm
whaledancer says:
What a roller coaster ride! Sheesh! Glad it had a happy ending at last. Nothing like a few days without running water to make you appreciate it. Welcome back to the 21st century.
On January 10, 2012 at 9:16 pm
Birdi says:
:shimmy: :happyfeet: So so happy for you. I didn’t want you to resort to chickens…Yippee!
On January 10, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Leah's Mom says:
Wow….that brought back memories of when I was on my own and had a bad roof. I paid to have it repaired and the first rain it leaked – much worse than it did before it was totally replaced. I actually DID lay down on the floor and cry – only I didn’t have any chickens to peck me to death. Boy was THAT a feeling of DISPAIR! (Especially since all the $$ was gone!)
Hopefully everything is smooth with the plumbing from here. :heart:
On January 10, 2012 at 10:17 pm
GA_in_GA says:
:snoopy:
Happy dance for a happy day! Glad you have water once more!
On January 10, 2012 at 10:42 pm
aprilsinohio says:
:sheep: awesome ty for the laughs its good to see you roll with the punches. helps me to do the same
On January 10, 2012 at 11:08 pm
doxie says:
I’m glad you got your water running again! I totally understand your pain, when we first moved to our farm we didn’t have water for the first several months (moved the end of August and didn’t get it till middle of Feb) and had to haul it in barrels in the back of the truck which was not fun but became a royal pain when winter hit. Then we had to get it into the house so it wouldn’t freeze. What a pain in the behind all that was!! The rural water guys kept putting us off till I got highly ticked and e-mailed a long bitchy letter to a senator…he got on the ball and got us some water! LOL Guess that was one good thing about hubby being a disabled vet, I could use that to get help getting the rural water guys busy on getting us water they had promissed we would have BEFORE we moved in…doubt the senator would have jumped on it if he hadn’t been a dissabled vet. I hate doing that, but I hated seeing him stuggle to keep us in water too since I couldn’t do it alone. (We actually had cold temps and snow that year!)
Anyway, hope this is the last of your winter problems, and you can enjoy your new farm! 🙂
On January 11, 2012 at 12:18 am
JerseyMom says:
Glad you got your water back…because I’m experienced in the ‘lack of. stuff and it’s no fun! Right now I’m lucky because it’s warm out and I don’t have to carry water to horses. Yay! Can’t afford heated hoses so when it’s really cold there is carrying involved. Lots of carrying because horses drink 8-12 gallons a day. How much do cows drink????? And goats??? I know about chickens because I have them…not so much…. Soooo glad you have streams!! It would be MUCH worse if you didn’t. We did two weeks without water OR power with hurricane Iwa…not fun!!
On January 11, 2012 at 12:25 am
Willamette Valley Girl says:
For me, living your experience WITH you has brought back lots of memories (good and bad). It’s funny, but – reliving the “bad” times actually has made me laugh more times than not. I take from this that there are lessons to be learned from it all, and fun to be had from even the worse times – sounds corny but there it is. :clover:
On January 11, 2012 at 1:43 am
enjay says:
Susan, I’m so glad that you have water again 🙂
In the pasture tours you were talking about the pastures having creeks for watering the animals. I don’t know about the area where you live, but where I grew up it was very important to know what was both down stream and up stream of any natural water source animals had access to, and field runoff from fertilizers, sprays etc. Like the county agent would be coming out and having an official talk with you important. Just a word of warning, you’re quite intelligent and I’m sure will figure it out.
Also, I second the recommendation that you have a weapon in the house, and I recommend one in buildings where you spend a lot of time too. Shotguns and a small caliber rifle would be my weapon of choice but especially a shotgun, they don’t take a lot of aiming to damage a target and they’re fairly simple to use and maintain. Plus, there is no more universal way of saying “go away” than the sound of a shotgun racking a shell into the chamber. Besides being useful for scaring off those who are up to no good, they’re really a must if you have an animal emergency on the farm. After having dealt with a severely injured and not well trained beef heifer during an ice storm, watching her suffer, we put a shotgun and a .22 in the barn office. Both of them proved quite useful in chasing off predators too. I’ve heard that you can open up a shotgun shell and take out the metal bits, then load it up with plain old rock salt. It’ll give their behinds a good sting if they’re within about 30 feet of you.
On January 11, 2012 at 5:15 am
Flowerpower says:
WOOOO HOOOOO!!!! :snoopy:
On January 11, 2012 at 5:33 am
CATRAY44 says:
….and a couple hundred well spent dollars on a Berkey! Those filters last forever and will remove virtually anything bad from water.
On January 11, 2012 at 6:31 am
kellyb says:
As my mom used to say “If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger”! You are becoming a very strong, fierce woman. Look-out Hokey trespasser. Water and hot water are two of my favorite things. Yours too?
On January 11, 2012 at 6:53 am
SarahGrace says:
Yay for water!! Especially water that comes at a turn of a tap!! YAY!!
On January 11, 2012 at 7:05 am
mermonster says:
YAY! :shimmy:
On January 11, 2012 at 7:34 am
Andrea.tat says:
I’m so glad you have water again!!! yayayayayya!
On January 11, 2012 at 10:02 am
Luann says:
8) My son and his wife also own a cabin in WV, always has water issues. They just went through about 3 weeks no water. He and his Dad just figured it out this past weekend and finally fixed it. He has had about 2 1/2 years of water issues. I also live here in WV and our line runs quite a distance up the hill on top of the hill, we have not been aboe to bury it yet. I am waiting for my first experience of no water for a long period. Right now I make sure I fill our holding tank on nonfreezing days. I have been living here in WV 1 year now and I still have so much to learn about living in the mountains. Best wishes Suzanne with your new water system. I love following your blog.
On January 11, 2012 at 10:31 am
Linda Goble says:
Glad it has all come together to work out finally. O HAPPY DAYS are just a wonderful feeling. You are such a funny lady with the chicken thing. I had quite a chuckle out of that.
On January 11, 2012 at 10:44 am
jinxleah says:
Oh, the misery of something not working in your house. And then the sheer joy of finally having it fixed! When you finally get it fixed it feels like a real luxury, doesn’t it? I’m about to get a dishwasher after four years, I won’t know what to do with myself!
On January 11, 2012 at 3:09 pm