A fluke and a flood downstairs

RUBEN TELLS ME that yesterday, he and a plumber were in the process of restoring gas service to the sanctuary building. (Why the gas had been off for a month is a story for another time.) They were in the downstairs kitchen’s closet, bleeding air from the gas line to the water heater. Suddenly, they heard a loud pop and a whoosh. 

Sprinkler shutoff valve
(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

This post describes what happened next, and its import.…

Workers Compensation and the Hiring of Contractors

WHEN WE LOOK FOR SOMEONE to do a maintenance/repair job for us, occasionally we come across a self-employed licensed contractor (or even an unlicensed one) who seems qualified and willing and affordable — except that they don’t have workers compensation insurance. (A small contractor who has no employees is legally exempt from the requirement to carry workers comp.)

This post discusses how to proceed in such a case.…