COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!!

[LVSteve]

There are no well people or plumbers who live off the mountain?

 

[SMSgt]

We live in a BIG house on a "small lot"---275 acres in the Sequatchie Valley in "East Tennessee"------all that's left of the 3,000 or so acres amassed by the Boss Lady's forefathers (and foremothers) after they arrived here in 1816---on their way west---from Virginia. This, where we are, is the "home place". This BIG house is the last of several built on the same piece of ground---the remainder after parceling off the rest to preceding generations.

So far, so good! Not surprisingly, our water comes from a well. It's presence is noted by "the pump house".

The weather here is such that it doesn't snow hardly at all----a dusting now and then, and the winter temperatures are "mild". So far, so good!---again.

It snowed here about ten days ago-----and it got COLD here about ten days ago. Now when I say it snowed, there was about 8-10" on the ground--and when I say cold, it stayed below freezing---for the most part.

All this is no big deal for me, having spent from 6th grade through 10th grade in Fargo, North Dakota---where, if you spit on the sidewalk at 44 degrees below zero---it will BOUNCE when it hits! I kid you not!!

The Boss Lady, on the other hand, has a heightened sense of awareness for all such as this, and sent me off to the pump house to see if the little heater was going.

It was not going. Not only that, but water was GUSHING out of a hole in one of the "pressure tanks"!! "OH ****!!"

The bottom line here is we have been without water for the last ten days----because the water well folks live "on the mountain"---and couldn't get off. (I reckon they could get off, but they'd play hell gettin' back on!!)

We made do with bottled water for our ice tea, and one thing and another, and by gathering and melting snow for water to fill the "water closet" of the toilet. (The ice for our tea came from the grocery store.) To save you the trouble of trying that out for yourself, it ain't no fun AT ALL!!! A bath/shower?----forget about it!! That's the last ten days---during which we used up all the hard dishes and such, and were on paper plates---for take-out. We could get take-out because the Boss Lady's little truck has 4-wheel drive---and goes anywhere---through anything!!

The doorbell rang this morning---the water well folks are OFF the mountain! The doorbell rang again just awhile ago---"You have water!" And damned if we didn't!

We're like kids with a new toy!

Don't try this for yourselves!!!!

Ralph Tremaine

Lesson learned--keep a Gerber baby food jar full of boiler plugs on hand for water-tank leaks.

 

[wundudnee]

I worked in a DuPont manufacturing plant in the powerhouse. We processed nearly three million gallons of water a day. Some was raw water, soft water for process, deionized for steam and potable for drinking. It was satisfying and interesting job. No one knew who you were or what you did until an interruption. Then you were everyone's friend. Water, power and sewer are all magic, they all are just there by the turn of a valve or flick of a switch.

I have lived rural most of my life and have always tried to be prepared for these situations. I keep what plumbing supplies I think I may need and plugs and caps of most sizes. While working I even kept a few dowel rods and broom sticks sharpened like a pencil to drive into tank leaks. It works. Water plants also freeze up at times. It's all magic

 

[BC38]

We live in a BIG house on a "small lot"---275 acres in the Sequatchie Valley in "East Tennessee"------all that's left of the 3,000 or so acres amassed by the Boss Lady's forefathers (and foremothers) after they arrived here in 1816---on their way west---from Virginia. This, where we are, is the "home place". This BIG house is the last of several built on the same piece of ground---the remainder after parceling off the rest to preceding generations.

So far, so good! Not surprisingly, our water comes from a well. It's presence is noted by "the pump house".

The weather here is such that it doesn't snow hardly at all----a dusting now and then, and the winter temperatures are "mild". So far, so good!---again.

It snowed here about ten days ago-----and it got COLD here about ten days ago. Now when I say it snowed, there was about 8-10" on the ground--and when I say cold, it stayed below freezing---for the most part.

All this is no big deal for me, having spent from 6th grade through 10th grade in Fargo, North Dakota---where, if you spit on the sidewalk at 44 degrees below zero---it will BOUNCE when it hits! I kid you not!!

The Boss Lady, on the other hand, has a heightened sense of awareness for all such as this, and sent me off to the pump house to see if the little heater was going.

It was not going. Not only that, but water was GUSHING out of a hole in one of the "pressure tanks"!! "OH ****!!"

The bottom line here is we have been without water for the last ten days----because the water well folks live "on the mountain"---and couldn't get off. (I reckon they could get off, but they'd play hell gettin' back on!!)

We made do with bottled water for our ice tea, and one thing and another, and by gathering and melting snow for water to fill the "water closet" of the toilet. (The ice for our tea came from the grocery store.) To save you the trouble of trying that out for yourself, it ain't no fun AT ALL!!! A bath/shower?----forget about it!! That's the last ten days---during which we used up all the hard dishes and such, and were on paper plates---for take-out. We could get take-out because the Boss Lady's little truck has 4-wheel drive---and goes anywhere---through anything!!

The doorbell rang this morning---the water well folks are OFF the mountain! The doorbell rang again just awhile ago---"You have water!" And damned if we didn't!

We're like kids with a new toy!

Don't try this for yourselves!!!!

Ralph Tremaine

I hear ya' Ralph.
I'm in southern Arizona right now camping out (literally) at my mom's place in Elfrida (30 miles from Mexico).

They have been having intermittent well problems for the last 4 months or so. Several "fixes" have been tried and none worked for more than a month or so to keep their well pumping water.
I finally called in a well driller and pump expert and they discovered that
1) the rubber bladder inside the pressure tank had a leak - so there was no reserve pressure and every time they turned on a faucet the pump had to start up immediately, and
2) from all the on/off cycles of the pump, the pump motor startup capacitor had overheated and spewed all it's insulating material (a tar-like substance) all over the inside of the controller box.

So, after installing a new pressure tank and a new controller - to the tune of $1,500 - the problem is fixed and now they have a reliable supply of water again.

I guess I shouldn't complain. Everyone's first thought was that their well had gone dry, and the estimates to drill it deeper were in the $20k range.

So yeah, I'm counting my blessings too!

 

[rct269]

You may not have noticed that little red square down at the bottom of my first post. That translates to "Received Infraction". I received it because I deserved it----having violated a rule---a Golden Rule.

It wasn't THE Golden Rule, the one about "Do unto others-----", but it's a Golden Rule nonetheless---the one about "Them what's got the gold makes the rules!" Them what's got the gold here are the Boss Man---every time, ALL the time! There's no need to be feeling sorry for me---like I said, I had it coming-----and it ain't like I got flogged or anything---just like a good smack upside the head! Those translate to PAY ATTENTION!!---and believe those rules---every time, ALL the time!

And if you're even the least bit inclined to even bend a rule, you best get a whole lot more creative than I did!

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Having lived with a well for water the last 60 some years, I know what you guys are going thru. Here in Calif. the power company is Pacific Gas and Electric, better known as Pacific Graft and Extortion or Pigs, Goats and Elephants. We put in a Generac 16 KW fired out of a 100 Gas tank. Power outages are common here. Also Solar too, so is snow.