off the topic but learn from my mistakes...

[princesses2]

and check your water heaters frequently. mine cracked and water leaked big time. it's costing me a small fortune to replace/dryout because of this mess. i had just started to save up for down payment for 2007 cruise which i was going to book in september. but looks like i won't be saving up much anymore.

honestly, i had no idea how much these things cost. i'm still in shock. and though i found out that home owners insurance will cover for part of it, my deductible is $2000 so i may not benefit from it at all. insurance won't cover for the water heater which cost me $750 to replace. add to that another $1500 to $1800 to dry out the basement and it'll be a while before i recover from this financially.

i keep thinking i could be half my way to a disney magic western cruise for what all this is costing me.

 

[WithDisneySpirit]

Hate to say it, but if you claim it on your insurance at all, it could make your premiums go waaaay up!!! For the money you've described, I'd just take the hit So sorry for you though

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

I'm sorry. It happened to us also.

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

To clean up i bought a big wet/dry shop vac and got a new 75 pint/day dehumidifier with an auto pump to pump water up a small tube and out of a small hole in side of house.

 

[mikesmom]

FYI for those who want to TOTALLY avoid this possibility in the future they now make water heaters that have no tank. Kind of looks like a computer sitting on the wall, it basically turns on and starts heating water when you turn the tap on and heats water as it passes through it. Two advantages: first, lower utility bills as you are not paying to keep water hot that is sitting in a tank . Second, it constantly heats the water as it passes through, so you cannot run out of hot water! Great if you have teens (the third person to shower in our house always got a cold one). And, of course, no leaking problem.

They are pricey, but the utilities savings pretty much pays for it in 3 -5 years (sort of like DVC!). Can't remember the brand but if you Google on "tankless water heater" you will get several options.

 

[princesses2]

i appreciate everyone's replies. and thanks for the tip, mikesmom. will keep that in mind in the future.

on a brighter note, DH will be doing some OT at work which should cover these expenses so i think we'll be alright. whew! now i can go back to planning my 10th wedding anniversary cruise.

 

[utahkennedys]

Another tip - get a water alarm at home depot or improvements.com which alerts you the moment water touches it, then place it anywhere you have a concern about water, like near a water heater. Only about $15, saves a lot of hassle!

 

[lillasmom]

FYI for those who want to TOTALLY avoid this possibility in the future they now make water heaters that have no tank. Kind of looks like a computer sitting on the wall, it basically turns on and starts heating water when you turn the tap on and heats water as it passes through it. Two advantages: first, lower utility bills as you are not paying to keep water hot that is sitting in a tank . Second, it constantly heats the water as it passes through, so you cannot run out of hot water! Great if you have teens (the third person to shower in our house always got a cold one). And, of course, no leaking problem.

They are pricey, but the utilities savings pretty much pays for it in 3 -5 years (sort of like DVC!). Can't remember the brand but if you Google on "tankless water heater" you will get several options.

Wow! That sounds cool. I'll have to look into one of those.

 

[Pa@okw95]

You should shut your water off when you go on vacation. I always do. I had the same thing happen to me but I was home-no damage.

 

[CharlesTD]

We had the same thing happen recently thankfully we opted for the rental agreement through our gas company rather than the purchase so they came out and replaced it for free and had a company come and clean up the mess. It only costs us 53 dollars every 3 months fopr the rental of a high efficency water heater.