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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMy plumber just told me, I'm on my own.
At least he took my call. He told me he can't even get out of his neighborhood as there are so many people in his one little area that he wakes up each day to a line of people camped outside his house. He is a good man and will not turn away a neighbor in need, however, since I am not in his neighborhood (next one over) he told me today. "Sorry, can't help you."
He also told me that supplies are out, so even if he could get to me, he probably would not have what he needs to do the job. Maybe next week or the week after before supplies get back online.
None of the plumbing companies I call are answering their phones.
So glad I have a pool and a survival water filtration unit. A shower would be nice though...lol.
The horrible part about all this is that there are many people worse off than we are. No power, no water, no gas or electric, grocery stores empty...it just gets so much worse for everyone affected.
My son who is in Austin is now out of food, water and power.
The only shining light in all of this is the knowledge that it shall pass. However, the pain and suffering during this event was avoidable had our elected officials just DONE THEIR FUCKING JOB.
Thank you for letting me vent...love ya'll.
dutch777
(3,035 posts)cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)Wawannabe
(5,678 posts)Thinkin about ya!
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)But we expected it, kind of.
Thanks for the well wishes.
rdking647
(5,113 posts)use radiator hoses and clamps from autozone as a temporary fix.
i know a couple of people near me that have done it and so far so good
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,606 posts)It should say on the radiator cap.
DownriverDem
(6,231 posts)Did Texans even know how bad it was to be on their own grid? Did they pay less for decades? Do they understand who is at fault now?
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)I am not an expert of what other people know.
Just a guy with busted pipes and no plumber.
soldierant
(6,921 posts)In settting up this flimsy grid and entrusting the safety of the people to corporations to save a little money (and that not for the people) they thought they were doing their job.
And that's really why Republicans are so toxic.
SWBTATTReg
(22,166 posts)cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)Like that was ever going to placate those who know what he did and why he did it.
Wishing him all the green eggs and ham he can eat.
SWBTATTReg
(22,166 posts)dalton99a
(81,570 posts)Most Austin residents still have no running water. Stores there have no water to sell, and the snow is melting fast.
Shermann
(7,433 posts)I'd exhaust my fresh water supplies before drinking any pool water though, assuming we're even talking about a fresh water pool.
I assume your pool is shut down and not chlorinating? You can age a bucket of pool water to let the chlorine drop below 4 ppm or so.
Some people use various exotic pool products which would be an unknown, hopefully you kept things simple. I'm a BBB (bleach borax baking soda) man myself.
Pool water also contains CYA (50 ppm or so), and there isn't much you can do about that. Don't drink a lot. It can't be filtered out but isn't highly toxic.
Pool water is great as grey water to flush toilets. No issues there.
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)It was last chlorinated a week ago and I have buckets sitting out, but it has been venting for a solid week and I, like you go very simple on the chemicals.
I have a test kit, in case we do need to drink it, but we are at least 4 days from that scenario. Right now it is grey water only for dishes and flushing.
By the time we would need to drink it, the stores will have bottled water, so I don't think we will need to go there, but we will if needed. It is why I bought the filtration unit anyways as I do have other sources of water on my property.
Shermann
(7,433 posts)MyMission
(1,850 posts)She's in Dallas. They had some teenagers chop and break up the ice, which is how they got the 4 inches measured.
Luckily she has a gas stove, so has been able to heat food, water, soup. She's originally from Canada, and has winter clothing so they bundled up to stay warm. She's been in Dallas since the late 70's. We were reminiscing about the big ice storm of 1980? She's waiting for the thaw to see what condition her pipes are in.
Wishing you all the best. The plumbers in Texas will certainly be busy for a long while after the pipes thaw.
Maybe some plumbers will come from other states to help out, like the power crews that come from all over when there are serious outages.
questionseverything
(9,659 posts)good luck
ProfessorGAC
(65,168 posts)While I like your simple combination of products, there are few "exotic" chemicals used in pool treatment except the organocopper compounds used to shock treat algae.
The antimicrobials is pool treatment are stable quaternium salts, with labile chloride. The active chlorine content at any point in time is lower than when using household bleach.
And, they are chlorine stable in the digestive system, so at pool concentrations, the will pass straight through the urinary tract.
I've done a considerable amount of work on those compounds including toxicology & antimicrobial efficacy.
I know more about the products than I even wanted to.
What you use is a perfectly fine idea, so I'm not encouraging you to change anything. But, drinking pool water is very, very low risk, especially if we're considering a temporary situation.
panader0
(25,816 posts)Cool.
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)Another reason for my love of DU.
Thank you, ProfessorGAC!
lunatica
(53,410 posts)Good luck to you and your son!
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)moonscape
(4,673 posts)sorry for what you and your fellow Texans (except Cruz) are going through.
Fingers crossed for good plumbing repair news soon.
niyad
(113,553 posts)there in my heart and prayers (well, all of you except for the puke pols, may they rot"
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)And lets hope that the rethugs do all rot...that picture alone makes me happy!
SergeStorms
(19,204 posts)The damage to pipes alone is incalculable. Hang in there. Texas will soon be flooded with people calling themselves "plumbers". Research carefully. Remember the trouble in Florida after hurricane Andrew. "Roofers" flooded the state, asked for huge deposits to be "put at the front of the list", and were never heard from again. Caveat emptor, my friend, caveat emptor.
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)I know I will not get stiffed and the job will be done right.
A little survival week just makes you stronger...lol.
DENVERPOPS
(8,844 posts)Some call the taking advantage of freezing situations by corrupt plumbers: RAPE AND RUN
Usually during a freeze, the pipe(s) are usually only frozen and burst in one or two locations.
A situation like this, I would expect all of the lines in the house will be frozen and burst in all the pipes.
The worst will be houses that they run the water lines through the attic.
The horrific damage and outrageous expense is caused by the people not turning off their water valve at the main. The amount of water in the pipes is minor compared to you not shutting off the main, and all the leaks as the pipes thaw, will be shooting water everywhere, much like a sprinkler system if you don't shut off the main.
My bet is that no news station will be telling people to shut off their main water valve in the yard or where the water line enters the house. THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT THING! Period. Fixing pipes is one thing, replacing all the sheetrock, flooring, furniture, belongings is another.
dianaredwing
(406 posts)has plumbers?
OAITW r.2.0
(24,610 posts)I hope all Texans start thinking about the word interdependence.
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)They are so dense and thick headed that they believe it is a sign of weakness to even suggest that there is a problem.
They'd rather die in the wilderness shivering with cold then admit that they need a coat.
CaptainTruth
(6,601 posts)From what I've seen there's a massive amount of plumbing work to be done, & Texas doesn't have automatic reciprocity for any state's plumbers license, they consider it case by case:
"Requests for a reciprocal license in Texas are considered on an individual basis, regardless of the home state. A letter bearing the (home) state's official letterhead outlining the individual's licensing and proof of experience must be submitted to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners."
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)There would also have to be pricing regulations put in place as well.
Seems like a perfect storm for grift.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)Consider moving to Michigan.
We may have cold winters, but at least we can keep shit running, unlike the political hacks you have running the show down there.
God be with you all.
trof
(54,256 posts)Not nearly as bad as you case, but still waiting for new roof from Sally damage in September.
Good luck.
Demovictory9
(32,475 posts)dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Lots of guys scoff at blue collar work, but a competent plumber or
electrician and/or all around handyman can find steady work esp.
in the county seat areas that have enough homeowners who need
that kind of help.
Have a pretty strong feeling Mother Nature is gonna keep on
contributing to the need in the months and years coming up.
luvtheGWN
(1,336 posts)been making about emphasizing college education and relief for student debt. He said he believed that this emphasis alienated many young and not so young blue collar workers, making them feel less valued in society. These feelings nurture resentment, and I do think that bubbles over into politics and anti-government actions.
Everyone is not suited to higher education. Where would we be without plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists, chefs etc. Apprenticeships should be widely available and certainly valued just as highly as a university education.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)The Community Colleges used to offer exactly this type of instruction back in the 1970's. Low cost, hands on, and even field placements with licensed
plumbers/electricians, which leds to jobs.
Community college here in town in our lil rural southern area is returning to that type of skills offering now.
ancianita
(36,133 posts)construction trucks headed to FL after Irma.
Maybe you can call in a nearby state? And maybe get FEMA money reimbursed? Maybe the FEMA setup there can help, too, for that matter.
https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual
Liberal In Texas
(13,576 posts)crickets
(25,983 posts)Glad to hear you are hanging in there. I am so sorry for what you and the rest of Texas are going through right now and I hope things improve soon.
samnsara
(17,635 posts)...and Im sleeping downstairs to make sure she doesnt harm herself. So last night Im trying to get comfy on the sofa (I've slept there for eight weeks now!)....I was hot, the blankets were itchy and my pillow wouldn't fluff. I stopped mid mind bitch and realized i DO have heat and water and blankets and there are people in Texas freezing to death so just shut up and go to sleep. I even felt guilty that i could sleep
Skittles
(153,193 posts)hey, I too feel more fortunate than many others so I donated to AOC's fundraiser for Texas
Laelth
(32,017 posts)Hope the dog is feeling better soon.
-Laelth
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)Never feel guilty for that which you have, feel empathy for those who do not.
Peace and love, cayugafalls.
reader1
(55 posts)For whats it is worth, once saw on the Weather channel Stuart Creek survival show to place a piece of paper towel on the filled cap of Clorox. Let it saturate enough to start dripping, then count 11 drops of chlorine to sterilize/sanitize each gallon of pool water. Not sure how scientific this is , but have read similar methods else where. Wish I could be more helpful, but good luck.
MRDAWG
(501 posts)1000 times. My father was a Texan and went to the UT law school. Even he said Texans are stubborn.
Warpy
(111,339 posts)I said last week the real disaster will be water, that's going to take a very long time to fix.
Biden is going to sign a disaster bill, which should get city and county services back up. Homeowners are going to be last on the list, I'm afraid.
And you're right about that long line of nitwit politicians, so beloved by Hellfire Baptists and the oil bidness. They've got to go.
Evolve Dammit
(16,763 posts)machoneman
(4,010 posts)I'd bet money on it. Once again stupid Texas R voters will forgive any and all errors, misjudgments, lies and more. Can't have any evil Democrats get in now can we?
Their battle cry? Own the lib's!
Laelth
(32,017 posts)We thaw tomorrow. It will be the same story. No plumber will be able to help us ... either because they are already too busy or because they lack the supplies to do the job.
-Laelth
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)Laelth
(32,017 posts)Your sympathy and the virtual hug mean a lot. Thanks.
-Laelth
drray23
(7,637 posts)Hopefully you are handy enough to do the repairs yourself if you can find supplies for it ?
Laelth
(32,017 posts)Even if I felt comfortable doing plumbing work, which I dont.
Still, it could have been a lot worse.
-Laelth
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Vent all you need to, you are entitled. I hope things get better for you soon!
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)They have it so immeasurably worse. My home is not destroyed and we do have power now, so we are very fortunate. All this money that will flow in to the state, will it go to people who need it, or will it be grifted and used by others to enrich themselves?
I am truly humbled by the love shown here at DU
Snoopy 7
(528 posts)I still remember what the creep would say when on was hurting or needed assistance "pull yourself up by your own boot straps". Now we are loosing more and more people after every emergency/catastrophic event. I'm old enough to remember pre-regan when OUR GOVERNMENT worked for the people, now they just work for the oligarchic class. After all the oligarchs sit on the boards, run the companies, make government laws, and the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. Remember "The poverty rate rose to 14% in 1981, when Reagan took office." That was our first sign and before you knew it the republicans had control and we lost our country. I have heard on two separate radio stations how people who live in the affluential part of town never lost power while they could go to the lower income areas who lost power for days. I told Rep. LLoyd Doggett that these weren't "rolling blackouts" these were "selective backouts".
littlemissmartypants
(22,804 posts)The DU family brain trust came to my rescue a while back when I was having plumbing problems in the middle of the night. I felt so loved and fortunate to be able to get the best, immediate, compassionate help.
So many intelligent people who genuinely care live in this space that I don't think it's possible to go wrong by reaching out here.
Of course, what you need now is personnel and I survived with the excellent advice until the plumber could be scheduled. My situation was much different.
The phrase "This too shall pass" may not be the immediate answer but as a mantra it may be a temporary fix. If not physically then maybe spiritually.
I hope you are back to normal soon. I am of the mind that if you're able to help someone who could benefit from your time that's a good way to keep your mind off your troubles. Just a suggestion. Keep us posted.
All the best to you and your family. Stay encouraged.
❤ lmsp
gab13by13
(21,405 posts)if they aren't too hard to get at and if you can find the stuff to buy to fix the cracked pipes. You need a tubing cutter, if the split pipe is in a tight place you need a minnie tubing cutter. Buy a section of copper pipe. If your pipes are split on a straight pipe just cut out the part that is split with the tubing cutter, buy a bunch of quick connect collars(unions) cut out a new piece of pipe to fit and just push the fittings on, no soldering is needed with quick connect fittings. If your pipe is split at an elbow you are going to have to buy a new elbow to add to the previous repair.
Maybe you can order those parts on line if they aren't available in local stores. Really the cost for the parts isn't that expensive.
rdking647
(5,113 posts)i went in to buy stuff for an emergency repair if i needed it for one pipe im worried about. wont know for sure til tommorow when the snow is gone.
they are out of a lot of plumbing supplies
I know someone that used a piece of radiator hose from an auto supply store as an emergency repair
cayugafalls
(5,643 posts)Last edited Sat Feb 20, 2021, 05:06 AM - Edit history (1)
The pipe is split in 3 places. Ordered 4 couplings.
Hopefully they get here quickly and they only cost 25$.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)option when as the roads clear, and they are, USPS, FedEx, UPS and Amazon trucks will be rolling. I kinda forgot that.
rwsanders
(2,606 posts)disaster response.
This has continued to happen since Katrina. The problem was there long before, but Katrina should have been the event that changed things, like the Exxon Valdez disaster did for oil spill response. It is horrible to see this continue as I had an insiders view as a contingency planner for the USCG.
FEMA is very limited in what they can do based on resources and mandate. Essentially FEMA sees itself as a conduit to channel resourses to state and local responders. But if the locals are overwhelmed or incompetent things quickly get out of hand, because planning and expertise takes money to maintain.
Additionally, all the federal agencies that can be called in to assist under a National Disaster Declaration all plan on showing up and sleeping in local hotels, eating in local restaurants and/or buying food in local stores. When what needs to happen is responders show up like an invading army would, bringing their own food, shelter and medical care and be able to provide that to the affected community.
So the easy fix to me is that FEMA could be given full authority to respond and control the response efforts, with the agreement of the president and the govenor of the affected state, then use military resources to respond as they are the only ones who hold the personnel with the training and skills in hand. This could be done by beefing up and preparing the Army Corps of Engineers, the Navy SeaBees, the Air Force Transportation Command, and of course the Coast Guard. I know there are other units that could help that sit idle during disasters. The army has a fleet of large landing craft. The Maritime Adminstration has a fleet of cargo ships that are kept at ready.
If we are going to continue to say we are "Number One" we should at least be able to take care of our own people.
Not rocket science. If I can figure it out, it must be easy.
UpInArms
(51,284 posts)In 1994, we had a cold winter ... and we had filled our 500 gallon fuel tank, so we thought we could leave for a couple of weeks ... well, the temperature dropped even further while we were away ... we should have drained our pipes, but we were new to this area (nw Missouri) ... with the thermostat set at 55, we ran out of fuel in about 10 days. Pipes all froze and burst ... neighbors came and turned the water off at the main and told us the bad news while we were en route home.
When we came back, we called a plumber (thinking the cost was going to be astronomical). Hubby and the plumber went in the basement.... after a while, the plumber left and hubby came back in the house.
He said well, I have good news and bad news.
I said tell me the good news first
He responded Its not going to cost as much as we thought.
Okay, I said. Now tell me the bad news.
Youre looking at your plumber.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,414 posts)PVC pipe is about the easiest. Mixing different types of pipes, e.g. copper and PVC, just requires the right transition parts.
Take care and hang in there.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)emergency repairs to get water running, wouldn't have to be a professional job to code if that wasn't possible. My husband's handy. With instruction from others on the internet, once water was available at the street he could avoid unfortunate mistakes in getting it into the house, or at least to. Parts and tools would be the issue, but I suspect parts will become available before skilled plumbers.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,414 posts)I had to submit a plan to the local plumbing authority. He took one look at it and said, "You've been reading a how-to book." There were a few things on my plan that didn't match local code but he helped me straighten it out. It passed visual inspection and pressure test. Can't say that about my son's house, which was plumbed by professionals. I showed him how to fix the leaks that appeared later. They failed to clean (prime) every joint and failed to hold the joints still long enough after applying cement.
As long as you're not having to design the system, plastic pipe is straightforward. You might even get by with simply following instructions on the cans of cleaner and cement. Sizing is weird -- pipe sizes are nominal, not actual -- due to making everything backwards compatible. Cut with utility knife, hacksaw, wood saw, or pipe cutter; deburr with pocket knife or sandpaper or deburring tool; clean with the solvent that matches the type of plastic; apply cement, put together with a twist, hold. CPVC for hot and PVC for cold. Match what's there for repairs.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)ours but didn't tackle the plumbing.
"Match what's there for repairs." Three quarters to home free with most jobs probably, but I wouldn't let my husband touch plumbing without making careful plan ahead of time anyway.
That's because of what happened to the paintings and photos I'd stored in the guest shower while we were painting. They were all damaged or outright ruined when my husband was working on some plumbing problem somewhere else and managed to run water UP the shower drain, over the pan, and across the bathroom floor, hall, foyer and into the dining room. So busy fixing that he just didn't think to block a pipe or turn a valve off before doing something else. Fortunately, at least the warping of our pine floors disappeared over the next few weeks as they dried out and gravity finished the job of settling the wood fibers back in place.
All those people with much worse water damage...
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,414 posts)DWV -- drain, waste, vent -- is the only complicated part of typical plumbing. If you get something wrong on the supply lines, you just get something wet or nothing comes out of a faucet or you get hot when you expected cold. If you get DWV wrong, you can have some stuff where it shouldn't be or even have some sewer gas in the house, either of which is dangerous.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)but any continuing problems with DWV must be foreseen and forestalled. Fun times.
drray23
(7,637 posts)we bought an old farmhouse, interior plumbing was shot. I used pex and its very easy to work with. Outside lines are regular copper running in the space below the house which is sitting on brick pillars about 2ft above ground. I wrapped all of these pipes with insulation. Between that and the skirt around the house, we have not had any pipe freezing even when it goes in the 10's.
riversedge
(70,299 posts)BobTheSubgenius
(11,564 posts)First, there should be some temporary shelter. Leaving your citizens to freeze and starve is indescribably awful. A couple of tons of explosives, and you'd have Stalingrad.
The military has trades specialists. Is it illegal to use federal troops for disaster relief? A few dozen plumbers sent here and there could make a big difference.
Home Depot and the like could be sponsoring part of the effort, and AT LEAST making sure there were lengths of pipe and fittings to repair burst lines. It takes little skill to cut out a leaking piece of pipe and replace it. With Sharkbite fittings, you don't even have to solder, in the case that it's copper, and plastic pipe uses glue joints.
Hell, I'd be doing some of it, was the opportunity to help in front of me.
dlk
(11,576 posts)When one finally showed up yesterday, he didn't have the materials to fix the leak and even worse, didn't know how to do the job. He left after saying someone else would come by "soon" to do the repair (of a single pipe connected to their dishwasher). As of this morning, no one has shown up. Many Texans have been living without water for days and are unable to even find a plumber willing to make an appointment. Plumbers are doing spot welds on burst copper pipes because no new copper piping is available, unless the plumber happened to already have some in inventory.
We can put a rover on Mars but can't keep the water running or the lights on in Texas. Republicans have turned Texas into a failed, third world state. Yet, when election time rolls around, they will throw out their usual racist tropes, and will no doubt get re-elected. Fear and hatred are powerful emotions and Republicans have perfected the art of manipulating them to win elections, even without their pervasive voter suppression and gerrymandering. Texas is screwed for the foreseeable future.
barbtries
(28,811 posts)but Texas is suffering more than any other state.
Our standard of living in the USA has been among the highest in the world, because of INFRASTRUCTURE. We built coast to coast highways, installed sewers all over the country, built an electrical grid, FDR's New Deal, etc. Republicans decided to drown it all in a bathtub in the name of capitalism. Now you have a mayor who attacks his needy constituents and Rick Perry declaring that Texans would rather die than be part of the national electrical grid.
I hope more and more Texans will see this situation and start voting for Democrats. Also I am very sorry for your and your son's hardships. It's unconscionable.
DSandra
(999 posts)Where the strong can prey on the weak, since everyone is on their own. Republicans must have their predatory fix anyway.
This is why voting Republican is akin to aiding your abuser. America has been in an abusive relationship with the sociopathic Republican Party for decades.
womanofthehills
(8,763 posts)Order a camping solar shower on Amazon and fill it with heated water.