I Did Not Know That
At 1:13 this morning I learned something that I did not know. I was, you understand, awaken from my slumber by the fire alarm system here in the house.
Did you know that a fire alarm will go off when full of water?
In my investigation of the alarm, the first indication of the problem was wet feet. Now, you further understand, I don't have a sprinkler system, yet there was a torrent of water running down the main hallway. And, even more amazing, the water was coming out of the fire alarm in the ceiling at the end of the hall. This did not compute in my muddled brain at 1:13 am. Smoke, yes. Water, no. The cacophony of screeching alarms (not unlike a flock of crows on speed, I would imagine) did not help. This, folks, is the stuff of a bad dream but — pinch — I was wide awake.
Did you know there is no circuit breaker in your electrical panel to turn off your fire alarms? (Even though interconnected by electrical wires, they are battery operated.)
This was frozen water pipe #2 but in the upstairs bath rather than the basement. It is most likely the same pipe that froze the last time it got this cold. And, it is most likely the hot water line leading to the rightmost of two lavatories there. (This I concluded after yanking the offending smoke detector from the ceiling and tossing it outdoors for the night in order to regain by faculties.) I had, you understand, taken a shower yesterday morning in the tub using both hot and cold water. I had also run the cold water in that lavatory, but not the hot. It was just waiting around until 1:12 am to thaw. (The second lavatory is furthermost from the outside wall and was unaffected last time.) So it is that I get to remove the lavatory cabinets and dig under the (tiled) floors to find the second frozen water pipe come daylight.
Did you know that repairing frozen water pipes will make you irritable?
Did you know that a fire alarm will go off when full of water?
In my investigation of the alarm, the first indication of the problem was wet feet. Now, you further understand, I don't have a sprinkler system, yet there was a torrent of water running down the main hallway. And, even more amazing, the water was coming out of the fire alarm in the ceiling at the end of the hall. This did not compute in my muddled brain at 1:13 am. Smoke, yes. Water, no. The cacophony of screeching alarms (not unlike a flock of crows on speed, I would imagine) did not help. This, folks, is the stuff of a bad dream but — pinch — I was wide awake.
Did you know there is no circuit breaker in your electrical panel to turn off your fire alarms? (Even though interconnected by electrical wires, they are battery operated.)
This was frozen water pipe #2 but in the upstairs bath rather than the basement. It is most likely the same pipe that froze the last time it got this cold. And, it is most likely the hot water line leading to the rightmost of two lavatories there. (This I concluded after yanking the offending smoke detector from the ceiling and tossing it outdoors for the night in order to regain by faculties.) I had, you understand, taken a shower yesterday morning in the tub using both hot and cold water. I had also run the cold water in that lavatory, but not the hot. It was just waiting around until 1:12 am to thaw. (The second lavatory is furthermost from the outside wall and was unaffected last time.) So it is that I get to remove the lavatory cabinets and dig under the (tiled) floors to find the second frozen water pipe come daylight.
Did you know that repairing frozen water pipes will make you irritable?
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