Fixing a water leak

 

 

 

 

I think Hubby may have finally fixed the mysterious leaking washing machine. I spent time laying on my stomach on top of the washing machine, with a flashlight trained on the pipes to see if I could isolate the leak. How hard can it be? Very difficult, it turns out. I gave up at one point.

Then, as I was running a load through the washing machine, I heard a loud splash. Both Son #2 and I looked at each other, said "Uh oh" and simultaneously and jumped up to check the washing machine. 

 

Still puzzled. 

 

I had Hubby take a photo of the pipes and head over to the plumbing supply store and to see if they could help him figure out the problem.

They suggested there may be a blockage and recommended a product to clean out the pipes. He had already tested that theory, he stuck the garden hose down the pipe and turned it on full force. 

 

No blockage. 

 

He actually figured it out on his own, he deduced that there was an airlock in the pipe at one point of the cycle. He replaced a hose, and problem fixed.

I was hoping to get the hole (caused by water damage) fixed in my kitchen wall before now. It's so attractive. But of more concern is mold. With the experience we had in our old house with mold, I'm a little wary.

So, we're waiting to make sure one of the 2 x 4's in the wall is completely dried out. Hubby also cut out all the damaged wall board and will replace that. We just happen to have a can of 'Kilz' from other water damaged walls (from other leaks). 

 

It is a special primer that blocks moisture and mold growth. So, we'll paint the wall with that first, then a new coat of a warm, sunny yellow paint for the kitchen.
 

 

I found a resource on line about mold clean up, it's on the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website. 

 

You can cut and paste this into your browser.
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldbasics.html

Anyway, I hope no one else is having water leaks. If so, get it cleaned up-fast! The longer it sits and leaks, the more chance there is for mold. Not what you need if you have asthma. 

 

Just one more thing for me to watch out for on my quest to keep my kids healthy with their asthma.....