Totally agree about crawl spaces—had a similar experience a couple winters ago. Thought I'd sealed everything up tight, but turns out the insulation under the kitchen floor was sagging and left a nice little gap for cold air to sneak through. Woke up around 4 AM to this weird dripping sound...yeah, pipe burst right under the sink cabinet. Spent the next couple hours half-asleep, wrestling with towels and buckets.
Also, good point about appliances on exterior walls. My washer hookup is in the garage (which isn't insulated), so now I wrap those pipes with foam sleeves every winter. Seems like every house has its own little quirks and weak spots you only find out about after something goes wrong. At least it makes for good DIY stories later, right?
"Seems like every house has its own little quirks and weak spots you only find out about after something goes wrong."
Yeah, learned that the hard way when we moved into our current place. Previous owner swore everything was insulated properly, but our first winter proved otherwise. Pipes froze solid in the downstairs bathroom—no burst thankfully, but had to spend hours thawing them with a hairdryer at 3 AM. Now I double-check insulation every fall...trust issues, I guess.
Haha, been there—nothing like a midnight plumbing adventure to make you question your life choices. Had a tenant once call at 1 AM because their kid flushed a toy dinosaur... let's just say T-Rex didn't survive the extraction. Hang in there, it gets easier (mostly).
"Had a tenant once call at 1 AM because their kid flushed a toy dinosaur... let's just say T-Rex didn't survive the extraction."
Haha, that reminds me of the time my son decided our plumbing needed some "eco-friendly improvements." He was about five and had just learned about saving water at preschool. Sweet kid, really took it to heart. One night around midnight, I heard suspicious splashing noises from the bathroom. Walked in to find him proudly stuffing handfuls of leaves and twigs down the toilet, claiming he was "helping nature." Apparently, he thought toilets needed natural filters like streams and ponds.
Needless to say, the plumbing did NOT appreciate his environmental activism. I spent the next two hours elbow-deep in toilet water, fishing out soggy foliage and desperately hoping to avoid calling a plumber at 2 AM. Thankfully, nothing permanently damaged, but let's just say we had a long talk afterward about indoor plumbing vs. outdoor ecosystems.
Ever since then, I've been hyper-vigilant about what goes down our drains. Installed drain strainers everywhere, and even put up gentle reminders for guests about what's flushable (hint: leaves aren't on the list). I love being eco-conscious, but sometimes you gotta draw a line between nature and home plumbing...lesson learned the hard way. Hang in there—you'll laugh about it eventually (mostly).
"Apparently, he thought toilets needed natural filters like streams and ponds."
Haha, kids' logic is something else...but hey, at least your son had good intentions. Honestly, plumbing mishaps at midnight are like a homeowner's rite of passage. Been there myself—nothing like wrestling with pipes in the dead of night to make you appreciate preventive measures. Sounds like you've got it covered now with those strainers. Hang in there, these stories become family legends eventually.
