Basement full of water
I have a rental home that was vacated a month ago and the power turned off. I have been terrifically busy on duckweed projects so I didn’t get around to prepping the house in order to put on the market until just yesterday. I had to go down into the basement for something. Imagine my surprise to see a quiet, shimmer of a deep pool of water instead of a dry concrete basement. If it had been a swimming pool, it would have had a marker stating, “3.5 ft deep No Running.” I noted the bobbing washing machine and dryer tethered by hoses and cords. Then I nearly cried at the sight of my two-year old, relatively new electric water heater, drowning quietly in the corner. What the heck? How did THIS happen? What do I do? HELP!!!
Naturally this event has fallen on a holiday weekend.
“It’s just water,” I reasoned and came up with a holiday weekend fix. This morning, I enlisted the aid of one of my sons to help me load up my beloved trash pump and hoses from my ponds. It only took 45 minutes to move all that water to a now-flooded backyard. (300 gal/minute- that pump doesn’t mess around.)
Who knows what the basement will look like in the morning as my electricity won’t get turned on for at least a day or two and I don’t know if it is because of a broken water line or all the rain we’ve had lately plus a sump pump without electricity. How do people cope with this? I turned off the main breaker but don’t know what else to do. Are my appliances and water heater ruined for good?
Has this happened to you?
Duckweed Gardening 
If it’s a broken or leaking water pipe, it should show at the meter. It will be twirling, if it’s like mine. Have someone check it asap, if you haven’t already.
Sorry this is late — all the illegal firecrackers on the Fourth scared my web modem to DEATH, and I just got it replaced.
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What a horrible mess. My condolences. We’ve dealt with rental houses… oh boy.
I suppose you could just hang grow lights on the ceiling and make it an indoor duckweed plot!
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Why didn’t I think of that??? Brilliant!
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Carl, glad to hear from you!!! Give Carrie my love. Am happy all is well with you both in general. Will have to have a phone conversation and catch up on everything.
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After thoroughly drying your appliances, you should check them for short circuits before plugging them again. Any technician can do it with a multimeter.
Any idea about how much time do they were under the water?
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HI Eduardo. I’d guess they have been under water for at least a week or two. I have a multimeter. Guess it’s time I Googled how to use it.
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Basically, you should check that there is no contact where there is not supposed to be. But it’s not only the multimeter, you need to know where to check…
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Absolutely right on the moisture. Multimeters- some things are better left to the pros, but I have been wanting to learn this so I can fix my toaster and understand my solar electricity projects better.
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Hi Tammy ~~ Sorry to hear about your “flood” and don’t envy having to take care of it.
Hope otherwise all is going well. We’re about as usual — which means Carrie is having
to get more PT attention for her back. Otherwise, we’re perking (??) along about as usual.
Love,
Carl & Carrie
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