It Burns!! LITERALLY!! (RANTY!)

[SG15Z]

SG: I wish I could find a new place, but I'm under lease. They frown upon people breaking said lease, and I can't afford, financially mentally or emotionally, moving right now. I hate it. I know it sounds lame, and I hate it, but I just can't. Not right now, not with everything else.

Stupid lease. Still the moment you get the opportunity to move take it!

Just for shits and giggles I tested the water temp with my meat thermometer this morning, before going to see the apartment manager.

153.7 degrees. Farenheit.

Holy shit monkies! That should never ever happen!!! Dear Lord that's beyond boiling. You need some virtual non-touchy

I went and talked to the office manager today. <snip>

Finally a competent person that works there!!

So, after maintenance banged around, clanked around, and I went back to the office to find out what was going on, I get told that it's something to do with the city waterline, nothing to do with stuff that is the property's responsibility.

A part of me doubts that knowing how these people have given you the round-around in the past. But if it really is the cities fault in that the pipes froze. Why is it still frozen? We haven't been any where near frozen temps since our mini-apocalypse last Friday. Not only that it sounds like it happened a couple of days after the weekend. No way the pipes froze. They're not that far underground for that to happen in the weather we've been having this week.

It may just be me but something smells fishy about this.

[lupo pazzesco]

Oh, it's not just you who thinks it smells fishy, and honestly, if I were more injured, I might pursue it, but everythign seems to be healing up fairly well. Hopefully the super-sensitivity will go away in a day or two. Since there's been no blistering, I suppose I should count myself lucky. Plus, since the city has been out already and apparently admitted fault by signing a work contract for tomorrow, even if I tried to stick it to the property company, they'd probably wave that in my face and win.

I don't need virtual non-touchy hugs as much as I need real-life tangible drinkies, though.

Realize I also could be misinterpreting what they meant about the pipes being off, as when they said the valves were frozen in place, and couldn't be moved to open or closed, that's what I assumed. Who knows? I'll try to get more info tomorrow. Right now I'm running a bath, and plan on letting it cool a bit before washing up. I learned my lesson. Ha.

I also overheard my neighbors bitching about "there not being no water in the toilet!" and how someone better come out and fix it NOW.

Me? I have a bathtub. I have a bucket. Hot water in the toilet tank a few times (I'm told) isn't going to hurt it any. Apparently I'm the only one in my set of apartments in the building who figured this out, as mine is the only toilet I've heard flushing all day. So, go me!!

Think I'm done babbling now. After all the debacle last night, I realized i only got aout 2-3 hours of sleep, and it's starting to catch up with me.

[SG15Z]

Ok if the city admits it then that's that. Plus it's possible they probably said something and you just heard wrong. I still doubt it, but it's not worth fighting. At least you figured out a way to flush! Go you!

[lupo pazzesco]

Plus it's possible they probably said something and you just heard wrong. I still doubt it, but it's not worth fighting. At least you figured out a way to flush! Go you!

Yeah, minimal amounts of sleep plus owwie hurtiness probably isn't conducive to hearing and retention skillz.

IMing, a friend just asked me if putting hot water in a toilet tank then sitting on it is like a butt sauna. I am still laughing. Definitely think I'm overtired and it's time for bed.

[dendawg]

Just for shits and giggles I tested the water temp with my meat thermometer this morning, before going to see the apartment manager.

153.7 degrees. Farenheit.

Holy shit! You're lucky you got away with first-degree burns. It could've been a whole lot worse.

[lupo pazzesco]

Proof of the temperature, which I couldn't believe myself. Sorry it's a little fuzzy. Not the best photographer in the world. You can see the bathtub drain in the background, I've got the water running to measure the temp.

[42_42_42]

Holy shit monkies! That should never ever happen!!! Dear Lord that's beyond boiling.

Actually, it's about 60 degrees below boiling. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Still, very very hot.

[ArcticChicken]

Make sure you wear an extra sweater and stuff for the next few days, my friend the EMT (in training) tells me it's easier to get hypothermia when you have burns, 'cause your skin is damaged so it doesn't retain heat as well.

[SG15Z]

Actually, it's about 60 degrees below boiling. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Still, very very hot.

Oops your right. Silly me. I blame me not being in school the last 3 years!

[Rapscallion]

That the city has admitted it is good, but I don't understand how your building can't get cold water, when the hot water is assumedly piped in as cold and heated in situ.

Me baffled.

Rapscallion

[trailerparkmedic]

I don't believe that it's the city's fault. I'm not sure where you live, but I live inside the loop and the snow didn't stick to the ground at my apartment, which means the ground wasn't frozen. And like SG15Z mentioned, it wasn't near freezing when this happened!

When your lease is up, I know a good (free) apartment locator and reasonably priced movers.

[lupo pazzesco]

That the city has admitted it is good, but I don't understand how your building can't get cold water, when the hot water is assumedly piped in as cold and heated in situ.

Me baffled.

Rapscallion

I never claimed to understand, either, and they aren't exactly forthcoming with information. I went to campus this morning and took my final, then swung by the health center to get a once over. things are apparently healing nicely, though I'm told my skin is probably going to be sensitive for a few more days, and to just be extra careful. The aloe gel has helped, and there's really nothing the doctor could prescribe, since it wasn't all that bad. Just gave me some recommendations for over the counter stuff that might help, if necessary.

I came back home and tested the water taps. Still no cold water, though it's gone from spare drips to a minor trickle, so maybe progress is being made? I'm going to check in with the leasing office later, see when/if I can expect working water.

[Kogarashi]

I was going to suggest filling your toilet tank yourself (if you're worried about the hot in the tank, let the pot sit for a while--outside, if necessary--before pouring it in), but looks like you've got that one covered. My family had to do that whenever there was a power outage, since our well pump wouldn't work without power. We had jugs of water storage in the basement for non-food uses, which most frequently meant "filling the toilet tank when the power goes out."

Count me with Raps on wondering how there's no cold when the hot water is usually heated on site.

And may I recommend an anti-inflammatory medication (such as ibuprofen) in addition to the aloe?

I could see something like this happening in our apartment if the cold goes out. Our hot water is very hot, but we can't adjust it because we share a water heater with the rest of the 20 or so apartments in our building, and said water heater is behind locked doors in the basement. We've asked the building managers, but they said that unless they receive complaints from everyone, they aren't touching the heater's temperature. So we haven't taught our three-year-old how to turn on the water yet and keep an eye on her near faucets.

On the other hand, it's useful for sterilizing the meat cutting board.... (Though that's why my MIL has a dedicated super-hot tap in her kitchen next to the regular faucet.)

[lupo pazzesco]

Another update!

So, I went to the office a bit ago to discover if there was any news on the water issue. As I'm sitting there, a city official comes in to find out what's going on, and I asked the question about how I could have hot water and no cold.

He told me the way it's set up is there is one pipe that goes from the water main to the boiler(s) on property. Then, from the boiler, there are 2 pipes that branch out to deliver water, hot and cold respectively. He's laying odds that there is a tear or two in the cold water line, but not the hot, which would explain the issue. Further, because we have multiple boilers on property, which service specific buildings, then that's also why there are a few sporadic buildings with the same issue, while others are functioning just fine.

Since they're here, working on it right now, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that this means I'll have functioning water by tonight, and ask that y'all do the same! I'd like to take a real shower, and stop having to fill the toilet tank manually.

[Seshat]

Important, important note.

Drink a lot. Preferably water, but any non-caffienated fluids. (Caffiene is a diuretic - increases the rate at which the kidneys process water.)

Having soups or stews will painlessly add fluids to your diet, too.