Two days ago, I awoke to the sound of a strange hissing noise. I didn't know what it was at first. I thought maybe I had left the sink water running. But when I stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway, I got quite a shock as my feet stepped in cold water soaked carpet! The hallway carpet was wet!
I went into the bathroom, looking for the source of the water. Only, there was water on the bathroom floor, but it wasn't from the sink or shower tub. I tracked down the strange hissing noise to the small closet that held the water heater. And when I opened the door, there it was, the source of the water and hissing noise. The water heater had broken and was leaking water onto the floor. I couldn't figure out how to turn the water heater off, so I did the next best thing.
I picked up the phone and dialed the apt manager's office. I explained to her the nature of my problem. And within ten minutes, maintenance showed up and turned off the water heater by shutting off the power and draining the rest of the water through the tub. My 20 year old water heater had broken down.
I reached for a mop, but the maintenance man told me not to worry. They would clean up the mess and replace my water heater with a new one. For the next four hours, they shampooed, washed, and cleaned my carpet in addition to installing a new, energy efficient water heater. Then they put a huge dehumidifier and a large, industrial size fan to dry the carpets. I was told the machines would be in place for three days to ensure the carpets are dry and to prevent any mold and mildew from forming.
Now, I fall asleep to the hum of large machines in the dry air of my apt. It's better than dealing with the awful humidity outside after the summer thunderstorms pass on by. I'm really glad that I was home when the water heater broke down. I can't imagine how much worse the water damage might have been had I not been at home to catch it early on. And having great maintenance staff is one of the reasons why I like renting an apt. I can't imagine the hassle and drama I would've faced had I been on my own, left to deal with the mess. I wouldn't have a clue of where to even start, except panic that there was water, water everywhere and it was going to be expensive to fix and find out what's happening. Thank goodness for great apt maintenance staff.
