Making a not so big leak - Public service announcement

[RacinBob]

Just a public service announcement that if you own a house with indoor plumbing, you would be well served to get a couple of these. AMAZON

I am presently working in the basement when mine went off due to a leak 15 feet from me that I never noticed. It was a pinhole leak in the humidifier supply line. The alarm went off, I walked into the shop to find soaked indoor, outdoor carpet near the humidifier. Without an alarm, it might have been days before I would have found it. Cheap insurance....

One plumbing tip. When you have a fitting or valve stem that has a slight drip, wrap it with a towel and let it sit. In a week or so, it will lime up and stop dripping. Meanwhile the water will evaporate off the towel as long as it is big enough. That's what I did after the repair.....

[VincentMalamute]

@racinbob I don't like those saddle valves for that very reason.

[interstate366]

Why was I reminded of this

[functionoverfashion]

@interstate366 Oh man there's a light on my boat that's bright red, right in the middle of the dash. It comes on when oil pressure in (one of) the transmission(s) is below a certain point, but only above a certain RPM. In other words, it's below the point for triggering the light when you're at idle. But if you're doing more than idle, it should be off unless there's a loss of oil pressure. We call it the "EVERYTHING IS OKAY" light. So much of the time we're in the boat it's at idle, and that light is on.

[Boxer_4]

@racinbob we have moisture alarms at work; ours are a bit flashier...

[RacinBob]

@racinbob I am not sure what was leaking. It was either the compression ring that cut into the line on the back side or it was just a pinhole leak in a 30 year old 1/8" copper line.

It had a pinhole spray from somewhere. I shut it off, cut it back an inch and put it back together.....

[іди на хуй Влад - formerly known as Distraxi]

@functionoverfashion Owners of classic Citroens call it The Red Eye Of Doom

[functionoverfashion]

@distraxi Wow that's amazing, and fitting.

[іди на хуй Влад - formerly known as Distraxi]

@functionoverfashion It’s typical Citroen of the period - clever, elegant, useful, and not somewhere the rest of the industry wanted to go.

It’s wired to come on whenever any other warning light of the “you may have a serious problem” variety illuminates. Some variation on the theme was on most Citroens from the 50s to 80s.

[Albino Kangaroo]

@vincentmalamute Yeah, I think they are illegal in most areas of the US. I have a 1/2" ball valve to a split feeding my humidifier and reverse osmosis system.

[VincentMalamute]

@66p1800inpieces ah, didn't even occur to me that they might be against code. And I do enjoy converting the screw valves to ball valves whenever I get the chance.

[A Former User]

@vincentmalamute said in Making a not so big leak - Public service announcement:

And I do enjoy converting the screw valves to ball valves whenever I get the chance.

[trivet]

@racinbob
As someone who has experienced a flooded basement due to a malfunctioning sump pump (twice), I can't recommend an alarm enough.

I have a couple myself, including one that texts & emails when there is an issue. I'll be picking up a couple of these as well as they are so cheap.

Like @RacinBob says, it's cheap insurance.