Disaster in the carb rebuild dept...

[Lucky]

I as a lowly apartment dweller, have to put up with a certain amount of shit...

my shop is a5' x6' area under a second story bathroom.  the way the place is constructed (built in the early 1800's) there is no water lines running thru there, but there is a drain for the tub.

It seems my incredibly stupid neighbor tried to unfreeze the frozen trap to the tub by filling it with hot water. What the idiot never considered was the possability that when the trap froze, it also split...

Well, the hot water did it's trick, and they ran 3 showers in a row, 2 days in a row.  consequently I have a 5"-6" coating of Ice on everything in the shop...Tools, benches, books, chemicals, Vision parts, more Vision parts, my 82 carbs, drill press, bench grinder, all my power tools, etc, etc, etc plus a skating rink for a floor.

*Sigh* I have a heater going in there now.  I have no clue what will survive, and what won't.  It should be interesting too because there is no floor drain, so it probably all end up in the lady's apartment adjacent to it. (she's half a level lower, Basement apt)

to those who I have rebuild commitments to already, I'll figure out a way to get yours done, & done well, I just don't know what is what just yet.

Oh, and if you think the landlord will compensate me, you can forget it, ain't happening. (long story)

--Lucky

[RobTx]

I think the good thing is that everything is frozen.  I would chip out stuff and melt/dry things one at a time.  Carbs will be ok, most tools (dry and oil anything that moves before it rusts), chemicals if they're sealed.  I wouldn't put a heater in there and melt the ice, landlord might sue you for damage to the lady next doors apt.  He might say you knew where the water would go if you melted the ice.  I'd chip out the things you need, report the damaged drain to the landlord and let him take care of it.  Just don't give him any ammo to turn it around and make it look like your fault somehow.
Rob

[Lucky]

the heater was his idea, and it's his heater (and the stupid peoples electric)

[RobTx]

Ok, I understand.  In this day and age you have to make sure to cover your ass.  Good luck cleaning up the deluge.
Rob

[Robert Lamoureux]

Hey Lucky,

     That sucks :'(

Do you have renters insurance?

[Walt_M.]

Lucky, I think it's time for you to move back to Florida! One of my last winters in Ohio, I was living in a duplex and the neighbors pilot light in their furnace went out. They called me to light it at around 10:00 the next morning and it had been out since midnight. The wind chill that day was -50 degrees! I went over to relight the pilot and there was an icicle on the kitchen faucet and the water in the toilet bowl was frozen over. I'll never move back north!

[Rick G]

You wouldnt believe  how many people  paged me  to come out and fix their furnace , at  3 am  on a Sunday  in January. AND complained about the double time charge!!!  (this was when  lived in MN)  the biggest problem was dead birds  in the combustion air blower , The land  on the edge of the "chinamans hat" vent  cap  and died from carbon monoxied posioning  and then fell down the stack and jammed the blower wheel!  Its no fun to have some one wake you in the middle of the night  and have them tell you your a crook!
Still, I really miss Minnesota!

[Lucky]

renters insurance wouldn't help, this is a srevice area of the house, acsess to the pipes, etc.  it's not part of my lease or anything, just a small area the landloard is letting me use.

the cap on the one of the chimeny's blew off onece in hurricane force winds, later that winter we had a bird in the heater pipes, they sit on the chimney to warm up, pass out & fall in, but are very much alive, I have to pull the pipe out & scare them into a shopping bag to get them outside.

Gotta love New England, lol

[QBS]

Would some type of a screen sheild keep them from falling down the pipe?

[Lucky]

they have screens for the chimney opening called caps.  they replaced ours last fall

[Rick G]

Yes, modern vent caps  will prevent birds from getting in . the problem is when  new furnaces are  installed on old style  vents with out upgrading the vent cap. Ususally  the furnace die's during the winter and NOBODY in his right mind will go up and replace the vent cap (or even suggest  it be replaced)