Worst week in the shop: flooded basement from a burst pipe took out 4 Leica bodies and a Hasselblad waiting for CLA

After that disaster I finally caved and bought a water alarm system from a plumber buddy in Denver, and now I'm actually glad I did because it already caught a tiny drip under the sink last Tuesday.

3 comments

3 Comments

shane_hayes1mo ago

Man that's rough, I had a pipe burst in my garage last winter and it took out a few old Nikons I was saving up to get fixed. I picked up a simple Wi-Fi water sensor from Lowe's for like 30 bucks and it's already beeped at me twice for a slow leak under the washing machine. Honestly just having that little thing gives me way more peace of mind than I expected.

fiona_kim1mo ago

Didn't someone say those detectors pay for themselves the first time they actually go off? Sounds like your plumber friend saved you more than a few headaches. That's brutal about the Leicas and Hasselblad though, I still wince thinking about what that kind of damage costs to fix or replace. At least now you've got a system that catches even a tiny drip before it becomes a flood again. Water damage is no joke, especially with camera gear that old and expensive. Makes you wonder how many shops learn this lesson the hard way before getting smart about prevention.

aaronsullivan1mo ago

Is it just me or does it seem like most people only think about water damage after something major happens? I've got a buddy who ignored a tiny leak under his sink for months because he didn't want to pay a plumber. Then one night the whole pipe split and flooded his kitchen. Now he's got three sensors in there and checks them every day. It's like nobody wants to spend 30 bucks on prevention until it costs them a thousand in repairs.