This weekend we returned to the cabin. There were a couple more burst pipes since last time, due to a second cold spell we had recently. Pat installed some new light fixtures, and I set up something that I hope will reduce the chance of burst pipes in the future.

Preparation Meets Opportunity

Friday night we arrived around 9pm, and of course it did not take me long to realize that I had some more water leaks under the cabin. After our previous experience, we were well prepared and experienced.

There were two problems, one was a burst copper pipe, and the other was a compression joint that had come appart. Both types of problems we had dealt with before. Since last time I kept all the tools and some spare parts onsite, and after the second cold spell, I anticipated some repairs would be needed from time to time. I figured it was cheaper to keep supplies handy than to have to go looking for them each time.

It took me about a couple of hours to get everything working again, so that we had hot and cold water working again. Pat was tired, and let me finish on my own.

Installing New Lighting

The next morning, it was Pat's turn to shine. She installed two new light fixtures with minimal help from me. First we turned off all the power, so that there was no risk of electrocution. Then she took down the old fixtures, and installed the new ones according to the manufacturers installation instructions.

Above you can see a fixture in a bedroom. Note we are using compact florescent bulbs throughout these days. They are quite cheap now and they save on our electric bill.

On the left is a hanging light fixture that is in the kitchen. It was a bit dark in the kitchen, and now there is more light to see by.

Reducing The Chance Of Burst Pipes

Finally, I installed an external light sensor that is used to turn on external lights at night time. I ran an extension cord from that, and under the cabin. Under the cabin, near most of the plumbing, I hung an inspection light with a 60 watt bulb. This should provide some heat which will keep the pipes from heating on cold nights in the future, and save me having to crawl under there.

Duncan

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