Missing running water

We can hardly wait to get to our cottages and cabins. People on mainland with roads to their cabins have had a significant jump on islanders. Last Wednesday evening, my wife Marnie, and I launched our boat and headed to our cabin in the south arm of Rainy Lake.
It was clear running. Ice had piled up on the west side of islands and rocks from the winds on Tuesday. As we neared our island, the bay leading to the dock was iced in with shards of ice and small ice sheets. I slowed. Marnie had never travelled through ice with a boat.
I eased the bow of the boat into the ice. The ice opened and spread around the boat as we motored forward. Ice completely surrounded the dock. We reached the dock. The warmth of the late afternoon sun filled the sun room of the cabin. Sitting on the deck, you could hear the tinkling of the ice as it rose and fell in the light winds.
Nothing had been disturbed over the winter months. We would be at the lake for the long weekend. I chose to take Friday off to open up the cabin and get things ready.
Power had to be put on. Outdoor furniture had to be moved up on to the deck. The beds had to be made. Water had to be restored.
I like everyone has to cross their fingers and pray to the god of water pumps that the water will flow. There probably are a million and one things that can go wrong in starting a water pump. In the past we have had a foot valve pull out by ice action. We have had holes in the pipe that goes from the pump to the cabin. We have had pipes from the lake wear thin rubbing again the rocks in low water. We have had O-rings break down. We have had circuit breakers fail along with cracked pressure gauges that allowed air into the system.
This year, with only a year old water pump, the water system should have been easy to get going.
After several attempts to get the water moving, close examination of the intake pipe showed a slow leak. The hole was no bigger than a 1/16th diameter, but was enough to bring air into the system. The system could not suck up water. It may have been there last year, but would have been under water when the new pump was installed.
Over the years, knowing all the problems that can exist in getting pumps to work, I have a shelf of two or three of everything. Extra foot valves, extra check valves, extra pipes and pipe fittings fill the shelf.
I chose to simply put a new pipe into the water. I’ll connect it to the old existing pipe to the new pipe when the water warms up.
That simple fix and priming the pump, had the system operating and pushing water. We always run the pump for a while to rid the system of any rust, and clean out silt that may have built up. Valves are opened to the hot water system and tanks are filled. The water filtration and purification system was up and running. Life was good.
The pump shut off. And when the pressure gauge called for water the pump started up again. Water did not run. Water existed everywhere in the system, but was moving nowhere.
We returned to the bucket system, heating kettles and pots of water on the stove. You don’t realize how much you miss running and hot water until you don’t have it. Obviously, I didn’t cross my fingers long enough. The pump is at the pump doctor. Hopefully it can be fixed so it can again be up and running for this coming weekend.

–Jim Cumming,
Publisher