The Broken Pipe Saga

Yesterday, Christopher discovered a wet spot in the dirt at the base of the house. Of course he asked me if I had turned the faucet on the day before. I replied that I had not. Fannnntastic!

This means that we have a broken pipe, and it looks like it is the one to the kitchen faucet. Ohhh great! We had a full day scheduled of birthday celebrations with multiple family members. When were we going to squeeze this in? Do we call a plumber, ON A WEEKEND, or do we investigate first?

We decided to attend the breakfast party then come home and see what we could uncover. Remember we live in a 1908 Craftsman. Fixing things like this can open a can of worms that we don't have money to repair. Fingers crossed at this point.

We returned from breakfast to begin the digging. This is where Christopher really had to step up. (I injured my knee a few days ago and I could not get down on the ground.) It was incredibly hot yesterday, and Christopher began the task of digging around the pipes. He discovered where the leak was and determined we could do a quick fix that would hold until we could scrap pennies together and have the house re-piped. Off to the store we go. We buy what Christopher deems is the best fix. He spent several hours between digging and repairing. At this point we have had to turn the water to the house off. YIPPEE!!! You don't realize how much you need that until you don't have it. Here are a few pictures that don't even begin to cover the scope of this disaster.

Here is the culprit. It is the small rust colored pipe next to the large pipe on the wall.

Christopher is working his magic on the repair kit.

Lots of dirty words taking place here.

We let the first step of the repair cure overnight. Today, we will hopefully have it fixed and the water turned back on. If not, we call in a plumber and try to find the money hidden in the cushions to pay for it. In the meantime, I'm making trips to my mother's house for full bathroom/shower privileges. Oh the joys of owning a 107 year old house. I keep reminding myself that one day there will be more money for repairs and that this is just another bump in the road to a beautiful home.

Hugs,
Jenni