primitive has exploding water faucet

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11583273

Oh my.

mrmpa (2,285 posts)    Sun Aug 3, 2014, 04:03 AM

Plumbing question

This evening in the bathroom the hot water faucet flew off its base & of course water went everywhere including to the condo unit downstairs.
 
I was not home, my 84 year old mother was. She was asleep in her bedroom when she heard an explosion and then water gushing everywhere. She called a neighbor who called maintenance, who got it cleaned up.
 
My question is, what would cause this to explode off its base. I think either too much water pressure, or possibly something else building up pressure.
 
I am looking for possible answers, because my maintenance fees pay for water and the maintenance of common elements which are the pipes. I want to at least sound knowledgeable when I meet with maintenance on Monday. I don't want to have my insurance company pay for something I'm not responsible for.

intaglio (7,468 posts)    Sun Aug 3, 2014, 04:42 AM

1. Hot water faucet? it is likely to be steam

Something may be wrong with your boiler and/or its thermostat

mrmpa (2,285 posts)    Sun Aug 3, 2014, 05:18 AM

2. I'm in a high rise...............

condo & on the 4th floor. The boiler is on the 1st floor. I have no way of knowing if anything is wrong with the thermostat or the boiler itself.

jeff47 (12,680 posts)    Sun Aug 3, 2014, 09:45 AM

3. Here's a few possible reasons

1 - just a defective faucet. The hot knob wasn't built properly and it eventually failed.
 
2 - High water pressure. Do your toilets make A LOT of noise when they fill? More than anyone else's? Does the water come out of the faucets much harder than other places you've been? (Or you could get test the pressure - there's a cheap gauge you can find at a home center that screws onto a hose bib) Sometimes the city will upgrade the water system, and buildings that used to not need a pressure reducer suddenly need a pressure reducer.
 
3 - High water pressure mark 2: To protect the water system, cites are installing backflow preventer valves in the water line. What they do is keep water from flowing from your building back into the water system. The city doesn't want to have to worry about what you might have put in the water.
 
Where this can turn into high pressure is your hot water heater (or the building's hot water heater). Water, like most substances, expands when heated. Before backflow preventer valves, the expansion was absorbed by the water system - the extra volume just went back a little in the pipes. With backflow preventers installed, your hot water heater needs an expansion tank to absorb the extra volume.
 
If the backflow preventer is new, an expansion tank may not have been installed.

lululu (209 posts)    Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:42 PM

4. rust?

I noticed rust in the innards of the handle of my bathroom hot water faucet and my plumbing friend said that was because the innards were not brass. I can imagine if left long enough that might loosen things.

Hassin Bin Sober (11,458 posts)    Mon Aug 4, 2014, 07:48 PM

5. Can you post any pictures?

I'm curious to see what this failed faucet looks like.

You also might try :

http://www.plbg.com/forum/list.php?1

That site has a bunch of old salty plumbers. I would definitely post a picture there (and here) Though Jeff has some good ideas too.

<<<like GOBUCKS, likes to read stories about primitive woes.

[JohnnyReb]

When you've had your water cut off for a while and they turn it back on suddenly, like they want to get away from you as fast as possible, you may get a "Hydraulic Hammer" effect.....keep your water bill paid.....is said DUmmie in Detroit?

[FlippyDoo]

Not one disgruntled spirit-guide, ghost chicken, garden gnome, sink fairy, or BFEE mentioned. DU is slipping.

[GOBUCKS]

This DUmmy isn't telling most of the story.

He doesn't mention the do-it-yourself plumbing job he was doing the evening before.

Once again, I've been to five county fairs and a half-dozen goat breedings and I've never heard of anything like this happening unless a DUmmy was fiddling with the plumbing.

On the other hand, few of us have ever been inside a Section 8 apartment building, so who knows what kind of fixtures they have.

[67 Rover]

This DUmmy isn't telling most of the story.

He doesn't mention the do-it-yourself plumbing job he was doing the evening before.

Once again, I've been to five county fairs and a half-dozen goat breedings and I've never heard of anything like this happening unless a DUmmy was fiddling with the plumbing.

On the other hand, few of us have ever been inside a Section 8 apartment building, so who knows what kind of fixtures they have.

[/color]


Most likely the finest your money can buy if it is similar to a Massachusetts section 8 housing unit. 

Photos of Aunt Zutuni's apartment were published somewhere and it was disgusting how "high end" everything was Stainless appliances and glass front cupboards etc.

[Ptarmigan]

Did the DUmmy screw the plumbing up again?