My hot water heater!!! NOOO!!!

[KarenAylwood]

I'm in NY right now with family and my DBF is in Virginia (where I currently live w/ him). Turns out that he was with his fam about 20 minutes from our apartment for Thanksgiving, and then came back to our apartment to find the carpet a little... wet. He's confused... looks over at his friend who had come in with him, and he's standing in a puddle of water! The freaking water heater broke in our apartment!!!

Everything was soaked. Went all the way to our couches, through our entire family room, in our hall closet, down the hall to the extra bedroom and through our wall to our bedroom closet (containing all my shoes/belts... obviously sitting on the floor). Thank goodness he was the one to deal with this because I would have lost it.

He called and they came with a new water heater, then a few hours later brought in the wet vac. They wet vac'ed out 20 GALLONS of water from the floor of our little 800 sq ft apartment. Now they've got industrial fans set up all over the place that are shooting up our electricity bill who knows how high.

None of our stuff was really ruined (well, according to DBF, the calm one.. but I've got to see it for myself) and they are drying out the place now... but do we ask the landlord to chip in for our electric bill? I'm not sure how much 5 industrial fans going nonstop until the place is dry will cost.

I'm just so frustrated and upset that I'm not there to see what is really going on.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

If you have Renters Insurance they should be able to help.

 

[Chuck S]

Renter insurance should help. Also, look at your next electric bill and compare the usage (not the price*) to what would be an average billing cycle for you. You may find that the fans use relatively little power. If you find a significant increase in the amount of power you used, then I'd speak to the landlord/management co. and ask them to chip in.

*because our bill may have increased even if you used the same amount of power that you usually do. Rates are up a little.

 

[KarenAylwood]

Moved in the apt late August right before we both started school again (him med, me grad) and had talked about it a million times but never followed through... so we never got renter's insurance

We will be now!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Sorry to hear about the freaking water heater, that is a bummer. We have had one of these http://www.basementwatchdog.com/water_alarm.htm for many years, has saved us more than once.

 

[Jeanny]

my hot water heater let go.... it cost me $1500 to get another one. You're lucky if your electric bill is up just a little...

 

[KarenAylwood]

I got home in VA yesterday morning and walking into the apt was like a rainforest! It was so humid and everything was moist (even the toilet paper! ew!). The fans were going- and when he said industrial- he meant it! I could feel the place shaking by just putting my ear to the door.

We went to open the windows and there was moisture alllll over them- even in the back extra bedroom where water only reached the entrance. I told DBF that we HAD to get a de-humidifier, that I couldn't stand it. So we called the landlord lady and she said she'd have someone over within and hour or two. We went for a walk (couldn't stand it in there) and came back, then waited for FIVE HOURS more and still no one. Couldn't get a hold of her either.

Finally at 6pm the guy came with it. It's been running every since... and as of this morning at 8, we had emptied 10 and a half LITERS from it. Wow. And it's still collecting water. The carpet is starting to get pretty dry too!

She said she'd chip in for some of our electric depending on how much of a difference it makes, and said that the few things that got ruined she couldn't do anything about b/c we didn't have renter's. I'm just glad things turned out the way they did.

And I can't wait until we can get back to some normalcy!

Thanks for the few who replied. and Jeanny- sorry about your water heater too