Pumbing question

[mrmpa]

I cross posted this in DIY-Home Improvements.

This evening in the bathroom the hot water faucet flew off its base & of course water went everywhere including to the condo unit downstairs.

I was not home, my 84 year old mother was. She was asleep in her bedroom when she heard an explosion and then water gushing everywhere. She called a neighbor who called maintenance, who got it cleaned up.

My question is, what would cause this to explode off its base. I think either too much water pressure, or possibly something else building up pressure.

I am looking for possible answers, because my maintenance fees pay for water and the maintenance of common elements which are the pipes. I want to at least sound knowledgeable when I meet with maintenance on Monday. I don't want to have my insurance company pay for something I'm not responsible for.

[edgineered]

1. Most likely the faucet itself was the problem

Your hot water system is protected by a temperature and pressure valve on the hot water heater, and even without that functioning correctly there would not be enough pressure in the lines to blow the core out of the faucet.

There are different types of valves used in the faucets, the valve stem or surrounding housing could corrode and it let loose.

Another cause could be the gland nut rotating off of the assembly. This is most likely what happened.

There are other cases too, but they are more speculative.

In either case it is probably not something on anyone's maintenance checklist.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. This^^^

[hollysmom]

2. corrosion or improper installation combined with water pressure.

I do my own plumbing, I realized why, since it just cost me 300 dollars because I could not hold a wrench, ugh. must get hand better soon.
I don't think it could be water pressure alone or it would have blew off long ago. How new is the faucet? was the water pressure increase lately (by turning the valve to allow for more pressure)? If a cheap faucet is used, the metal will not be as strong as it used to be, that I why I always by quality faucets and do not cheap out on them. I lived in an apartment where the faucet went in under 10 years when the landlord replaced it with a cheap one. When I lived in a multifamily house, I had to instruct the panicked owner to call the fire department to turn off the water because the cellar was flooded and that was where the power line was as well, there was no way that I was going to wade in there to turn off the water. So if you can't reach the maintenance people , call the fire department.

[mrmpa]

4. About 8 years old is the age.......

[lovemydog]

5. Something like this happened to my dad in his condo.

From a legal standpoint, make sure you understand your condo agreement, and make good with the people below you to make sure they didn't suffer any damage. My dad's problem was somewhat different but it was very costly because the people down below him suffered some damage and neither his insurance nor his condo association would pay.

[mrmpa]

6. believe me......

I understand the condo agreement Have been a board member & have called out board members who have tried to divert all costs to owners. I'm just trying to figure out how this happened, what may have caused it, etc. If it's my responsibility I will pay for costs, if not, well, we'll see.

[hunter]

7. Possibly water hammer...

http://www.plumbingmart.com/water-hammer-information.html

Especially if you've been hearing thumps and clunks in the system.

By my own experience it's usually cheap (often imported) fittings and fixtures installed by underpaid and unqualified people.

We live in a place where the groundwater is chemically aggressive. It's safe to drink and it's buffered by the water company to tame it, but once it gets loose in air (from the smallest one-drip-an-hour leak) it starts chewing holes in anything but carefully formulated metals, ceramics, and plastics.

Ask around. Other people in the condo may be having similar problems.

Sadly, if this escalates into a war of competing insurance companies and lawyers, then the actual residents of a condo complex rarely win. Sometimes it's best not to pull too hard on a loose thread and simply deal with problems as they occur.

A second informed opinion is also helpful. Do you know any honest plumbers or home inspectors who'd take a look under your sinks and behind your toilets?

[mrmpa]

8. Yep.........

I am going to meet with management tomorrow and see what they have to say. If I'm leery of their explanation then I am going to get a plumber to check it out for me.

Thanks.

[edgineered]

9. Hopefully your silence isn't by bad news.

I would like to hear what they said, i know some basics - so do others here. Sometimes the contractors like to overwhelm with a lot of time wasting. Sorry that I can't be here at all tomorrow.

[mrmpa]

10. Okay this is what has happened.........

I met with the Head maintenance guy (over paid & underqualified) imo. He looked at the tap and said it had corroded (I could see some), and that had caused the tap to fly off.

I can see the corrosion, but I do't understand how water pressure would blow it off.

[edgineered]

11. Think of it this way.

On a hammer or an ax there is a wedge that gets pounded into the handle, spreading the wood out to the edges of the head. When the ax or hammer handle ages the wood dries and shrinks. Now the handle is both smaller and loose. The corrosion does the same thing, but in a faucet there is a seal in between the two. Either the inner post corrodes and shrinks (maybe breaks), the faucet body gets bigger by corroding, or the seal blows out allowing the core to blow out of the hole, just like the head flying off of the hammer.

Does that help?

[mrmpa]

12. Indeed it does........

that is a very good explanation and visual for me. Thanks.