Cracked Commode

[TiggerTrigger]

So, this happened in the middle of my workday...



It's not super easy to see, but the crack traveled all the way down to the underside of the tank. Thankfully, DH and I were working from home. DH works on the first floor where he he could hear the dripping. He ran upstairs, shut off the water to the toilet and drained the tank. We still have some minor sheet rock damage but it shouldn't be tens of thousands in damage like it would have been if we were away. The closest thing I can compare it to...in 2007, our last dog chewed up a first floor toilet's tubing while we were out at work. I'm not sure how long the water was flowing, but she flooded most of the first floor of the house and the damages were around $7k. Of course, that was a first floor issue.

In light of this, it's made me wonder how many of you turn off the water to your homes while you're away? And if you turn it off, is it only for extended travel or is it a daily sort of thing?

 

[Micca]

I don't think we ever turn off the water, but there is someone here a couple of times a day to feed the cats. BTW "Cracked Commode" is the new name for my metal band.

 

[fla4fun]

So, this happened in the middle of my workday...

View attachment 919192View attachment 919195

It's not super easy to see, but the crack traveled all the way down to the underside of the tank. Thankfully, DH and I were working from home. DH works on the first floor where he he could hear the dripping. He ran upstairs, shut off the water to the toilet and drained the tank. We still have some minor sheet rock damage but it shouldn't be tens of thousands in damage like it would have been if we were away. The closest thing I can compare it to...in 2007, our last dog chewed up a first floor toilet's tubing while we were out at work. I'm not sure how long the water was flowing, but she flooded most of the first floor of the house and the damages were around $7k. Of course, that was a first floor issue.

In light of this, it's made me wonder how many of you turn off the water to your homes while you're away? And if you turn it off, is it only for extended travel or is it a daily sort of thing?

I turn the water off to the house anytime I will be away overnight. I have an easy shut off valve where the line enters the house, so it just takes a couple of seconds to flip it. I started doing that after we had a waterline burst in the garage (fortunately no damage other than repairing the line) and a pressurized toilet tank fail violently (no damage other than the toilet itself but it would have been catastrophic if I hadn’t been in the next room when it happened - it literally blew the tank lid off onto the floor). I just feel better knowing I have done what I can to minimize potential problems.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I don't think we ever turn off the water, but there is someone here a couple of times a day to feed the cats. BTW "Cracked Commode" is the new name for my metal band.

Awesome band name! Yes, at least you have someone coming by the house.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I turn the water off to the house anytime I will be away overnight. I have an easy shut off valve where the line enters the house, so it just takes a couple of seconds to flip it. I started doing that after we had a waterline burst in the garage (fortunately no damage other than repairing the line) and a pressurized toilet tank fail violently (no damage other than the toilet itself but it would have been catastrophic if I hadn’t been in the next room when it happened - it literally blew the tank lid off onto the floor). I just feel better knowing I have done what I can to minimize potential problems.

We have a whole home filter with a valve that can shut off water to the house. That’s what I used with the 2007 dog situation. We used to have a pressurized toilet in our very first home. Thankfully it didn’t do anything catastrophic when it died. I think we’re going to follow your lead and start shutting it off the water when we travel.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not daily, but if we're traveling overnight, we turn water off to the house.

We started that after being away for the weekend, and when we walked back into the house (late on a Sunday night) we heard water running. The fill valve in our 2nd toilet split. We have no idea when (we had left on Friday and returned on Sunday). Tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Ever since then, we turn off the water, but not daily.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Not daily, but if we're traveling overnight, we turn water off to the house.

We started that after being away for the weekend, and when we walked back into the house (late on a Sunday night) we heard water running. The fill valve in our 2nd toilet split. We have no idea when (we had left on Friday and returned on Sunday). Tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Ever since then, we turn off the water, but not daily.

Oh wow! That’s horrible. Definitely another story to make me add it to my pre-travel must do list.

 

[Dan Murphy]

We turn the water valve off when away overnight or longer.