So for the past weeks we’ve been having hot water issues. Thought it was the heater so I was mucking around with first calling the heater company since its less than two years old. Ended up then on my own changing out the thermostat and heating elements. The electric bill came with notice about the huge spike in electricity usage! What is going on? Was about to get a new heater, then the water guy came by and told us there’s been a spike in our water usage!
Damn, there’s a hidden leak in our hot water line. That explains it now. But the house is built direct on the slab, so the piping goes into the slab. So this is not looking pretty. I did some Dr. Plumbing myself with a stethoscope, could hear water running at the heater and kitchen pipes, but not much at the bathrooms, so hopefully the leak was near the heater. Time to call in the pros.
Was wondering if he’d bring in some kind of sophisticated equipment, but ended up diagnosing it old school by opening pipes and running water through them and seeing where water went down. Fortunately the leak was indeed in the line between the heater and the kitchen. So the guy right now is in the process of running new pipes from the heater, overhead, then into the closet and kitchen. With minimal disturbance of existing walls. If the leak was further down line to the bathrooms it would have likely involved cutting into walls. So it is probably best case scenario we could have here.
Now I have to go cancel the order for new heater. Probably a good thing since I ordered one that had a computer, and we all know computers are evil.
I’m glad that worked out with as little pain and reconstruction as possible!
Though I’m sure Fabio is disappointed he didn’t get to bust out his jackhammer.