When A House Is Not A Home...

Traveling south on I-95 is usually a joyous trip. Leaving behind about 20 inches of snow on a dead end street, a street where some neighbors don't even acknowledge when you wave hello, was definitely a plus for the need for this outing. A few minor delays, a few too many times turning the windshield wipers on to clear my visibility, and only a slight rise in temperature led me to believe this might be a curious journey.
Arriving at, what I loving call our vacation home, all bags were unloaded from the car and our visitation began. Twelve hours, exactly, door to door, 703 miles, with our dog, cat, and bird as traveling companions. Then, it happened.

My bride said that the bottom of her bag which was placed on the master bedroom floor only a short time ago  was wet. Then, another. bag, and another was found wet. I walked over and there it was, a squishy feeling around my shoes; WATER, soaking water, filling the carpet with water. Thinking it had to be a leak penetrating the bedroom window from the recent heavy torrential downpours, I was resigned to getting good night's rest. My thoughts in my sleep led to me to a temporary insomnia so I pondered the water question. Hearing a drip, my hypothesis of window leakage went out the proverbial window. Next up, it could be the outside faucet leaking in the flooring.
The next morning the plumber was called after I moved the refrigerator, finding water behind the unit. Ah, the ice cube maker was broken and probably shooting high pressure water on the wall before seeping into the carpet in the adjoining room. At least that would give the plumber a purpose.

Not to be. The line for the ice maker was perfect, and the outside faucet was okay. However the plumber did hear a drip. Removing the skirting around the house the plumber with his flashlight found water, and a major leak coming from the house. We searched the kitchen water line, the main line, etc, etc, etc. Until I said, could it be my hot water heater "under the house" to which he said, "you don't have a hot water heater under your house". Embarrassed I responded that I did not know where the hot water heater would be then, to which he removed a few screws in a panel in the master bedroom and found not only the hot water heated but the source of the leak.The hot water heater was cracked and spewing water, rusted water.

Using about 15 towels, I started to sop up the water while he, the plumber checked for the availability of a replacement. Being late in the afternoon, we arranged to start work in the morning. Meanwhile, I continued to wring out the towels, wash each (in cold water), and dry before using again. Contemplating what this would cost got worse as the panel which originally hid the hot water heater collapse and disintegrated from the weight of the water. Now we would have the extra expense of replacing the panel in the master bedroom.

The water heater was replaced the next morn and a huge fan and a smaller one were strategically placed in the room hoping to dry out the rugs. But to no avail. So now I ripped out the carpeting and the padding beneath it, which was the true villain here. Cost will be a new carpet, padding and installation. And while we are at it let's re-carpet the guest room where we are now sleeping due to the horrendous odor of mildew in the master bedroom.

Adding this all up we have the cost of the initial plumber visit, the purchase of a new hot water heater, all the necessary materials needed to install said heater which includes new tubing, a pan, new electric line, new water lines both intake and out flow, new carpeting and padding, a measurement cost,and a carpenter with all materials to replace the wall. All this for our "vacation" home.