My water heater died at 6 AM on a Tuesday in January

I was standing in my basement in Minneapolis last winter with freezing water spraying everywhere. The pressure relief valve on my 15 year old Rheem let go completely and flooded the floor before I could even get the main shut off. I spent the next 4 hours mopping up, calling a plumber, and trying to figure out if I should replace it myself or pay extra for emergency install. Does anyone else find themselves making worse decisions when you're cold and wet?

2 comments

2 Comments

lee62728d ago

Has anyone checked if their homeowners insurance covers emergency plumbing damage like that? When mine blew, I found out too late my policy had a rider that would have paid for the cleanup.

derek_brown2827d ago

My buddy Steve had his water heater go out in his rental house over near St. Paul last March. He was trying to save money by doing a DIY install but he didn't have the right fittings and ended up with a slow drip behind the wall for like three days before he noticed. The drywall damage alone cost him more than if he'd just called a plumber upfront, and his insurance only covered the water heater itself not the cleanup because he waited too long to file a claim. I think being cold and panicked makes anyone rush into dumb choices, especially when you're standing in ankle deep water at 6 AM with no coffee yet.