Coming home and finding water running across your garage floor it is not how you want to end a Saturday night. I wanted to relax, do a bit of reading and get a good night of sleep.

Instead, it was time to reorganize items in the garage to guard from water damage and start cleaning up. Fortunately, I have always been sensitive to the fact that someday the water heater would fail and usually make sure that I don’t keep water sensitive items where they will get wet. However, I did have to move a few items.

The water heater did last for 18 years, so did have a nice long life.

The water was slowly seeping out of the bottom of the water heater, but I couldn’t see exactly where. I started sweeping up and mopping water and trying to coral the streams of water with towels. Running a fan also helped to evaporate the water.

Needless to say, I didn’t sleep very well. I just couldn’t get to sleep with worrying about what steps I needed to take to get it fixed.

In the morning I called a friend who would know what to do and would also be able to help me buy and install a new water heater. I had no idea where to even begin and also knew that I didn’t have the needed tools. I shuddered to think how much a repair man would charge on a holiday.

When I called my friend, his wife told me that she was planning on calling me and asking me over for lunch that day. My friend gave me a list of things to do so that we would be ready to tackle the replacement job in the afternoon.

I started the draining of the hot water heater and removed the insulation blanket and earthquake straps and then went back to bed to get a bit of sleep. I could finally sleep.

I had a great lunch with my friends and also got to see Tina’s new Easter Egg tree. I had brought her back the little wooden Easter eggs when I went to Germany years ago.

My friends brother came along and we soon had the old water heater removed and started installing the new one.

We did run into snags as the installers 18 years ago took some shortcuts and had also cross-threaded a connection. We had to make a trip back to the hardware store for additional parts and also had to send his brother back to the shop for a torch.

We still have a few minor things to finish up, including the pressure release drain pipe, but it is nice to have hot water again.

I have a slightly smaller but more efficient water heater that should easily keep up with my hot water needs.

My friend also helped me remove my big old tube TV that had gone bust before I left for my trip to Japan. See: Rainy Saturday

I now have three large items sitting in my garage waiting for the next flyer to come around about recycling.  Water heater, Big TV and Microwave. I am sure they will be a bonanza for someone.

I hope that no one else had water woes this weekend,

Steven