It was a Friday early afternoon; I was just getting into REM sleep in my “Comfy Chair,” and I felt my right shoulder moving back and forth. My wife stated: “Joel, you promised to change the whole house water filter. It’s been 3 months. I replied, “Okay, just let me wake up!” Owning a house is a never-ending job jar! This job is essential. We have to change the whole house filter at 3-month intervals because we have a Reverse Osmosis filter system, and it needs clean water. It needs clean water to be able to put out clean water. Hmmm.
I woke up and headed down to the basement to change the filter. My wife will assist. I opened the closet that houses the filter. I looked down, and I was reminded why I hate changing the filter. It was plumbed in about 20 years ago, and it is located 12 inches from the floor. 20 years ago, that was okay; I was younger, and bending down was more manageable. In the last 5 years, it has been increasingly difficult to use the wrench to take off the filter housing. Of course, it’s only four times a year.
The frustration only returns when I return to wrench off the filter housing. I turn the valve and push down the button to release the water pressure inside the filter. I strained with the wrench, and it didn’t move. I never noticed, but the filter is plumbed in and held together with just copper piping. It turns out that every time I would take off the filter, I would weaken the weld on the copper.
I decided that I needed more force to open the filter housing. I held the upright copper pipe in my left hand and torqued the wrench with my right hand. And then it happened! In a micro-second, I must have broken the weld on the copper pipe that I was standing over, and it released a geyser right up my derriere! 40 pounds of pressure gushed water with a temp of 42 degrees straight up in the air.
When it happened, I was in a state of shock! I thought that I heard Captain Ahab yell out, “Thar she blows!” I have an oversized holding tank, so this episode went on for a few minutes. It was like a reverse “Waterboarding” I would have said anything to make it stop.
I yelled out to my wife, “Turn off the water pump at the main.” She replied, “I don’t know how!” the pressure tank was just about empty, so I ran over and turned off the breaker for the water pump. There was water everywhere! I was drenched!
We gathered every towel in the house and began mopping up water. My floor is water & mildew proof, so that helped. In about 20 minutes, the water was contained and mostly up off the floor. I was so cold I was shaking. I grabbed my phone to call a plumber, and my fingers were so cold that I could not get the touch screen to work.
I changed and ran my hand under warm water, I called the plumber, and they had no staff available to come out. Jerry, my daughter’s mate, came over and saved the day. He is a very talented mechanic, with skills in everything. He was able to replumb and get water service back into our house. A lifesaver!
It took me most of the night to warm up, drinking lots of hot beverages and two warm showers.
Life is full of surprises!
“Remember, every day is a gift! Some are just a little more fun to open than others. – Joel, author of the book: “The Guinea Pig In The Freezer!” joelmvernier@aol.com © Joel M. Vernier January 16, 2022
