| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 11:40:34 AM
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I had not been to the lake for a few weeks and when I arrived this weekend I found a gusher in my front yard from a the water main coming to the house broke. Must have frozen.
First I want to recommend A&M Plumbling for their fast response and repair.
The question I have if someone knows is I got my water bill saturday and it was almost $3,000. Does anyone know if the city will adjust for the usage that I did not use? Bill in winter is normally only $20 or so since we are not their very much.
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| Name: |
lakngulf
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 12:22:40 PM
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Now I know why the lake is full and I cannot get my beach projects done. I would say plea your case. Hope you get an adjustment, I agree with you on A&M Plumbing
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| Name: |
TBird
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 12:22:51 PM
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Just our thoughts, we have a good friend who works for the water department billing office in Titusville Florida. She had a customer with a broken pipe under the floor of her home and had an unbelievable water bill. The water dept worked with her and gave her an adjusted bill. My friend says the whole secret is to ask for help, don't go with an attitude or demand assistance.
Just a thought, we shut off our hot water heater and turn off the water at the meter every time we are going to be gone for an extended period.
Good luck
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| Name: |
wix
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 1:22:54 PM
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Bad news. The water works customer relations manager is Gone Fishin.
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| Name: |
wix
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 1:23:16 PM
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Bad news. The water works customer relations manager is Gone Fishin.
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| Name: |
Ulysses E. McGill
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 2:13:42 PM
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If it's Elmore County, good luck. I had a leak last winter (about $750) and they said their policy was for no adjustment. I politely asked for relief and talked to several people; they offered a long term payment schedule (with interest), but that was it. I finally paid the bill and gave up.
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 3:27:57 PM
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Funny. :)
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| Name: |
lakeplumber
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 3:47:18 PM
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Technically the water supplier owns the service lines up and including the water meter. Past the meter (on your side of the service lines) is the customers responsibility. If line are put in properly, they will not under normal cirmcumstances, break. Cold weather is a a normal event in Alabama.
That being said, a service provider might be willing to remder an adjustment for this instance in order to mauintain a good relationship with the public. I would definately seek some financial adjustment.
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 3:55:04 PM
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thanks
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| Name: |
muddauber
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 7:29:37 PM
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Just hope they had a great day!
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| Name: |
GoneFishin
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/21/2010 9:08:24 PM
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A friend had a pipe break last year at his Florida home where he is on city water and sewer. The town agreed to remove the sewer charge which is a function of the water usage but the best they would do was a payment schedule for the total water usage.
I wish you the best as I am sure you are not the only one who had a pipe break. Hopefully, for your sake they have a special policy that will reduce the total bill because of the unusual freezing weather.
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| Name: |
froghog
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/22/2010 12:04:54 AM
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If you have Alex City water they will probably adjust the bill somewhat. This is not a given though. Be nice and say "please"....
Mike
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Water Main Break - Need advice
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Date:
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2/22/2010 6:06:01 AM
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Thanks. Unfortunately that is all water charge since I have a septic tank. Will talk with them today and let everyone know. The plumber said he has repaired at least 20 broken mains due to freezing this year. But my guess is most it is just a couple days. What is surprising is they read the meter with the thing spinning like a top and did not check it out or turn off the water. I guess that is not their responsibility, but you would think it would make someone wonder since you would not be sprinkling your lawn, a toilet flush would not cause that, not even a shower. The flow would be much slower. The meter was spinning very fast, even the plumber felt this should have been noticed as very unusual to go to the house and then they would have seen the gusher.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Thought about
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Date:
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2/22/2010 9:50:11 AM
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An insurance claim? I've never heard of it being done but it would be worth a call. I'll bet your yard is a mess too.
The advice to turn your water off is a good one. All kinds of bad things can happen...water heater starts leaking, dishwasher cutoff valve fails, and of course power goes off and frozen pipes.
I had a valve installed in a conveinent place near the house. When you leave, turn it off, throw the breaker on the water heater and turn off any icemakers.
One word of caution when you come back is be sure to turn the water on and then turn on a hot water faucet, letting any air out, to make sure you don't have a water heater partially drained or you might burn out your elements. Water heaters have to have water in them or the elements will burn out pronto!
Good Luck! Wow... $3,000.....
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I turn mine off at the meter if I'm going to be gone overnight.... It's a habit I developed years ago, and it gives me peace of mind.
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Update for all
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Date:
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2/22/2010 7:19:32 PM
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City of Alex City was extreemly nice and very helpful. The guy I spoke too said they have had a lot of requests do to the freeze. Although mine was the highest so far. He said he had at least 20 others on his desk. But they have a formula for extreme cases like this and felt based on past history and applying the formula he would be able to get it down to $200 or $300. I reminded him that I still have two more weeks that have not been billed and the total of the two will probably go over $5,000 and he said they do a one time adjustment and that includes two successive bills.
I did ask why they would not have turned off the water when the read the meter and it was spinning so fast. He said the should have come down to the house and if the saw the break turned it off and tried to reach me. But they are cautious turning off water do to liability for burning out water heaters if they are on.
I am checking out an automatic shut off that monitors flow over a period of time. You can set it to away mode which makes it more sensitive to flow. If it senses unusual flow it turns off the water. This protects the house, but not a freeze outside like I had.
So for the winter when we are away, I think the only option is to turn it off at the meter. I will get a shut off tee and just carry it in my trunk.
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Let us know about that monitor and I'm glad to hear Alex City is more flexible than Elmore County.
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| Name: |
Mack
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| Subject: |
Even with Well Water>>
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Date:
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2/22/2010 8:24:29 PM
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take precautions while you are away, even for a week.
As SOP when leaving Summer or Winter, we shut down the well pump, trip the water heater breaker, etc, etc.
Extra step in Winter is to drain all pipes in the house.
No water/no freeze/no breaks.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Thought about
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Date:
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2/22/2010 9:52:30 PM
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I had the opportunity to run copper deep enough so I got to be lazy about it. But you are right, off at the meter removes all doubt.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
One more thing....
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Date:
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2/23/2010 3:49:16 PM
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while we are on the subject: Chase walls; if you have back-to-back plumbing walls make sure the chase betweent the walls at the top in the attic are capped off with sheetrock. If they are open you'll create a reverse chimney that will suck cold air down and there goes your pipes. Sometimes if the chase is open even when the heat is on and it's very cold outside the pipes can freeze.
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