Exploding Sink (6 comments)
It probably started Thursday night. I came home expecting to immediately head out for our biweekly trivia date and didn't close the garage door. Mel noticed it when she left for work Friday morning and told me about it Friday night.
Rob's wedding started just before noon on Saturday. We set an alarm so we wouldn't sleep through it. But when it came time to wake and prepare, Mel quickly noticed that the shower was only spewing cold water.
Gas water heaters are simple devices, so it didn't take long for me to verify that the burner was going and water was circulating through it. The pressure in the hot water line to the kitchen sink was noticeably low and the water wasn't hot. Mel and I talked a bit and found that there was only one fixture hooked up to hot water that we hadn't checked: the utility sink in the garage.
I opened the door to the garage and saw that the concrete floor was steaming. Water was spraying from the base of the faucet onto the floor and eventually draining out under the garage door at the far corner. The valve on the hot water line didn't cut the flow completely, but once it was down to a moderate trickle, a C-clamp cut off the rest of the flow through the hose.
The water heater kept heating, and without a wide-open hose draining it, managed to get some water comfortably warm for both of our showers in time for the wedding.
I took Mel to the hardware store on Sunday (one of her favorite places) and we replaced the broken line. Now I just have to remember to keep the garage door closed, especially when it's well below freezing outside.