Where the Zen of Being is under investigation...

Quote of the Week

"Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish." – Ovid

Reading Room






What a day for...

Posted on 2008-Feb-28 at 07:51 in A day in the life..


Maybe forgetting everything and drinking a glass of wine while I watch Quantum Leap on DVD. Or better yet, MacGyver. Sigh. I am just trying not to cry.
I came home yesterday and when I washed my face for bed hours later I realized I didn't have any hot water. So the dog and I went outside with a flash light and matches to light the thing. Now this WH is only a year old. Nice big one too.

I open the closet door and find.... black spider webs all over. One foot long BLACK soot and scorch marks all over the outside of the heater.
I am stunned. WT? I ask myself or the dog.

I get ready to light the thing and I take the metal doors off etc. I have lit many a water heater in my time so I wasn't worried about it, but I couldn't figure out why the soot and scorch marks were there.
So I light the pilot light-whoa-it's way too big! I hold it down for the requisite one minute, stand up and turn the knob...and WOOSHHHHHHH!!
A flame shoots out of where the metal doors go about 9 inches long!
YIKES!!

I look and the flame inside is just huge and crazy.
That's when I realize that for the last YEAR- this water heater has come so close to burning down my house that I start shaking.

I shut the thing off and went into the house still very shook up.
I called the gas company this morning and told them I needed Clint to come look at this since I don't recall this happening until they had reconnected my gas a few weeks ago.

He gets here and says this has been going on for a long time. The reason? Because who ever installed it for me NEVER CHANGED IT OVER TO PROPANE GAS!!!!

All this time it's been burning up my fuel and almost killing me by fumes and by scorching my house. The ONLY reason the house hasn't burned down is because the flame was contained mostly by the metal doors and was pointed at a metal door.

So Clint caps off my gas line and red tags my water heater!! I have no hot water now. The worst part of this is that the person who installed it was a friend of my daughters that was a plumber and has the experience but not enough and I am PISSED about that. PLUS the water heater was supposed to be sold with a conversion kit and wasn't so I called that store and they will get me one free of charge.

I am still so upset that my right hand is numb because my shoulders are so tight from all of this.
That and now my son's ex gf is moving back and wants ALL of her stuff that she gave to Josh (I took a couple of things too) because she told us to take them and she moved to Washington State. She calls me at 7 am and 12 midnight even when I have told her repeatedly NOT to call here or at those hours. She is one more psycho to add to his list.
Only this time I am taking no prisoners.
If HE doesn't fix this, he is OUT on his ass.
No more nice Mom. I am done done done.


Well unlike Lisabobisa that felt better after venting I don't.
I still want to cry.....

Untitled Comment

Posted on 2008-Feb-28 at 09:49 by LauriesAsylum
Oh man, that is scary!!!

You are so lucky the thing didn't blow when you lit the match.

But, you are ok thankfully. So, do you need a new water heater now? Or can you change it over to propane?

Untitled Comment

Posted on 2008-Feb-29 at 01:20 by Chandramoon
Good grief - thank goodness you're alright and hopefully you'll get it sorted out. You may find you feel a lot better soon if you've unknowingly been polluted for months. A friend of mine stopped having headaches after a slightly similar situation.

Good grief woman

Posted on 2008-Feb-29 at 05:13 by Patty
I'm just glad you're still here. Never let a friend of a relative do work for you, UNLESS he is actually in business with a store front so you can go back to him and complain.

Hope you have hot water soon. I guess it was good you had to go outside to check the water heater, if it were off a room inside the house, you might be DEAD. Our tank is in a little closet off the utility room which is off our kitchen.

As for the son, let's hope he soon learns how to pick them. LOL, I know it isn't funny, but if you don't laugh about the whole thing, you'll be crying and then suffering from a bad headache. Hang in there

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do

Posted on 2008-Feb-29 at 05:40 by drdog
That's scary, all right. Patty is right about not going to a relative rather than someone licensed to do the work right. Too much is at stake.

If the WH is one year old, is it still under warranty? Or does the faulty installation negate that? One more reason to go with the pros.

As for the ex GF: You need to hold to a hard line on this, as hard as it may be. You've done your time with her. Also, find the things you got from her and put them in a box, ready to hand over whenever she shows up. Make the transition as quick and businesslike as possible.

Untitled Comment

Posted on 2008-Feb-29 at 09:11 by kinnigurl
OMG Jana!!! I am so glad you are okay!!! How scary is all of that? I feel just sick for you. I don't blame you for being shaken and feel like crying. Crap! Hopefully you will get it all straightened out soon. I am just happy you are okay!!! (((HUGS))) my friend!

EclectaComment

Posted on 2008-Mar-1 at 06:47 by Eclectablog
Holy cow. That's some scary shit. So sorry for all your trials and tribulations. Just doesn't seem fair...

BTW, thanks for the links!

Post Comment


From:
   
Registered User: [ login / signup ]
Subject:
Message:

 
 

Last Page | Page 13 of 170 | Next Page