Hot water again

It was the thermocouple, as it turned out.

The plumber called around 3:30 - the previous job he was on had a bad surprise involved with it, he wasn't quite done, would 4:00 be okay?

As I had nowhere I particularly needed to be, and as the only other option was to wait another day, I said fine. (Besides, I've had my share of "bad surprise" home repair stuff).

He got to my house right around 4, listened to my description, agreed that it was very likely the thermocouple, and went to work.

I will say one good thing about my enforced stay at home from 3 to a bit past 5: it gave me a chance to do some cleaning. I had already done some work in the kitchen (where the hot water heater is), but I also cleaned the dining room, living room, and bathroom while I waited for him and while he worked.

Part of it was to work off the nerves - I am always nervous when having work done in the house; part of it is the unsettled feeling of having a stranger in the house, but a bigger part of it is the worry of "what if the problem CAN'T be fixed?"

But also, I've been SO busy, things had gotten away from me. And while my house wasn't terrible, it still was beginning to make me twitch, so it was good to clean. (And I broke down the boxes I have been accumulating - including several from various Amazon affiliates that contained bits and pieces of the office supplies needed for my promotion packet). They're in my car now; if I have time this afternoon I'll drop them off at the recycling center. (Gah, I wish we had curbside. I'd even be willing to pay a little for it.)

Anyway. I kept listening to the various clinks and thumps as he worked, hoping he'd be able to fix it. Finally, he went out to his truck (I think he also had to take a call he got). And I realized I heard the heater running - it's in a former closet off the kitchen, so you can hear the whoosh of the gas flame running.

I said a small prayer of thanks for easy fixes. The plumber came back in. Told me it was the thermocouple, but he also had to clean the intake screen on the bottom of the heater - this model, the screen has very fine openings that can get clogged with dust and hair (and, I suppose, lint: my dryer is right next to where the heater is. I guess I'll have to be more careful about immediately disposing of the lint I remove).

One thing I like about these plumbers - and one reason why I continue to use them - is that they treat their clients like human beings who have brains and may just be unfamiliar with some things about plumbing, and not like idiots who don't deserve to be initiated into the Mysteries.

He also showed me the various cut-offs (gas, water, the electrical line to the starter) so that I could quickly cut power to anything if the heater started to go rogue (not that it's likely; he said it was a "good solid install.") I knew where the main gas cut-off to the house was but was unsure of where it was specifically to the heater, so that's good to know.

He also told me how I could clean the screen myself in the future: shut down power to the heater, get one of those refrigerator-coil cleaning brushes, and just reach under the heater to clean it. (He did say, however, that the clogged screen did not cause the thermocouple failure; apparently sometimes thermocouples just burn out)

I suppose they figure that by encouraging routine maintenance, they get fewer emergency calls. I think they probably have enough business as it is without trying to fish for more: the plumber who worked on my house said he had two more jobs left to do for that day (and that was at 5 pm).

I commented that I was glad the heater had not failed altogether, as it was only 3 years old, and the previous one I had had was over 20 years old when it failed. He kind of laughed and said, "They don't build them like that any more; we generally tell people that six years is the point after which a tank can fail." I also remarked that our hard water doesn't help that, and he agreed, that calcium buildups tend to kill the tanks faster here than in some parts of the country. (Then again: the old-style artificially softened water isn't as good for you to drink, because it's higher in sodium, and there's some weak evidence that calcium and magnesium ions in the drinking water may have a protective effect against heart disease.)

I'm thinking maybe, if I get one of them out again some time for some other matter, to ask them to take a look and tell me if one of those tankless jobs would be feasible for a future replacement. I know they're more expensive - but if they have a longer lifespan, that would be good.

After that, I had my second evening meeting for the week.

Tonight, I have no meetings. I also did my hour's piano practice by getting up extra early this morning. So after I get out of class, I'm taking my car in for an oil and filter change, and then I am going home and not doing anything. Because I'm tired.