Had a pipe burst last night, water spraying everywhere, total nightmare. After scrambling around like a headless chicken (um, not my proudest moment), finally got the main valve shut off. Got me thinking tho: when something like this happens, what's your immediate reaction? Quick poll:
- Shut off main water valve ASAP
- Grab towels and buckets first
- Call plumber immediately
- Panic and stare blankly (been there)
Curious how everyone else handles these disasters...
Definitely main valve first, learned that the hard way myself. Couple years back, had a pipe burst in the basement at like 2am. Half-asleep, I grabbed towels first (rookie mistake), and by the time I remembered the valve, it was practically a swimming pool down there. Towels were useless at that point...lesson learned. Now I always tell folks: valve first, panic second. Glad you got yours sorted without too much damage!
Had a similar experience during my first year apprenticing. Middle of winter, freezing cold, and a pipe decides to burst in the crawlspace. My first instinct was to grab buckets and towels too—didn't even cross my mind to shut off the valve until my mentor yelled from upstairs. Felt pretty dumb afterward, but hey, that's how you learn, right? Glad yours wasn't too bad...we've all been there.
Been there myself, buckets and towels seem like the obvious move at first. But honestly, shutting off the main valve is drilled into us so much you'd think it'd be second nature by now...yet somehow, panic kicks in and logic goes out the window. I guess it's one of those things you only really learn after you've soaked your boots a couple times. At least next time you'll know exactly where to run first.
