Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Coffee Spill Costs Community College $200,000
Foxnews ^ | 9/21/2009 | Staff

Posted on 09/21/2009 4:18:55 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis is perking up with jokes about the $200,000 cup of coffee. But officials at a college and its insurance company aren't laughing.

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park must foot the bill after a coffee maker rigged to a faucet and left on in a photo lab led to a ruptured water line in July. About 10,000 gallons of water spilled down four floors, damaging ceilings, walls, computers and files.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

1 posted on 09/21/2009 4:18:55 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

OK the obvious question is why anyone would rig a coffee maker up to a faucet.....?


2 posted on 09/21/2009 4:25:53 AM PDT by leenie312
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

“... a coffee maker rigged to a faucet and left on in a photo lab led to a ruptured water line ...”

How does a faucet left on lead to a ruptured water line?

More like the faucet was left on and flooded the place.

I guess it was too much work to fill the pot and then fill the coffee maker...


3 posted on 09/21/2009 4:32:54 AM PDT by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DB
I guess it was too much work to fill the pot and then fill the coffee maker...

And we have a winner!
4 posted on 09/21/2009 4:33:45 AM PDT by Red in Blue PA (If guns cause crime, then all of mine are defective!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: leenie312
The not home style Bunn coffee makers that you see at many restaurants can be attached directly to a water line.
5 posted on 09/21/2009 4:36:30 AM PDT by stayathomemom (Beware of cat attacks while typing!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA
Coffee Spill Costs Community College $200,000

Didn't a grandmother get 20+ million dollars from McDonalds when she spilled the coffee?

6 posted on 09/21/2009 4:37:01 AM PDT by TYVets (Let’s Roll!!! The leadership of the GOP has no spine and no guts, but we conservatives do)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: leenie312
Ihave TWO machines tapped into water lines. All I do is set the timer before I go to bed, 10 minutes before I wake up. I get out of bed, tinkle, and have a cup of coffee without wait. Same in the office.

Much more reliable than having the wife wake up 15 minutes prior .. besides .. that would disturb my precious sleep.

Oh .. reread the post .. rigged up to a faucet??? still not sure what the problem was unless it was a very bad rig. Even the washers in kitchen bathroom faucets can sustain back flow pressure, and if their was an auto valve at the downstream side at the pot, the worst you could get would be equalized pressure on either side of the kitchen/bathroom faucet. Need more information that what was given to make a rational judgment.

7 posted on 09/21/2009 4:38:21 AM PDT by HiramQuick (work harder ... welfare recipients depend on you!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: HiramQuick

I have a coffee maker with a timer that makes my coffee fresh for me 15 minutes before I get up. But at night I pour a pot of water into it. I don’t need to hook it up to a faucet. You must have some kind of restaurant model. I never saw a home model that hooks up to a faucet.


8 posted on 09/21/2009 4:45:34 AM PDT by samtheman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

Years ago, over a weekend, someone left a valve open somewhere in the air conditioning system while they were working on it. Well, Monday morning arrived, the system was turned on, and I walked into my office to find water pouring out of the ceiling. What a mess.

Even well-intentioned people make mistakes and do stupid stuff.


9 posted on 09/21/2009 4:48:51 AM PDT by Fresh Wind ("Prosperity is just around the corner." Herbert Hoover, 1932)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: samtheman

Ours is the same. Husband fills the resevoir the night before and then turns on the timer. By the time he’s downstairs, it’s waiting for him. He never had to hook it to a water line to have it ready.


10 posted on 09/21/2009 4:50:37 AM PDT by ktscarlett66 (Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

There are a lot of water-sensor alarms on the market that are easy to install and inexpensive to operate. Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20!


11 posted on 09/21/2009 5:06:02 AM PDT by SES1066 (Cycling to conserve, Conservative to save, Saving to Retire, will Retire to Cycle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

I used to leave the fawcetts attached to the hoses of my clothes washer on all the time, until one day one of the hoses developed a big leak, probably from being under pressure 24/7.

I don’t think its unusual for people to jerry rig things right up to the edge, where it takes only one oversight to something minor to fail or for a person to forget something to cause havoc.

Smoking in bed....

Forgetiing to turn off the stove before leaving the house...


12 posted on 09/21/2009 5:07:17 AM PDT by ChronicMA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HiramQuick

Thanks...I just couldn’t figure that out...not being a coffee drinker...


13 posted on 09/21/2009 5:08:12 AM PDT by leenie312
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Fresh Wind
Even well-intentioned people make mistakes and do stupid stuff.

American voters...

14 posted on 09/21/2009 5:08:41 AM PDT by listenhillary (A "cult of personality" arises when a leader uses mass media creating idealized/heroic public image)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

A faucet is plumbed to at most a 1/2” supply line. Most coffee makers that plumb to water lines use a very tiny flexible copper tubing. 10,000 gallons is a huge amount of water for someone not to notice. Something more here than a small supply line bursting.


15 posted on 09/21/2009 5:12:48 AM PDT by bitterohiogunclinger (America held hostage - day 163)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA
Somewhat in the same vein.....
These braided stainless steel hoses are what you should use to connect your washing machine
They will not rupture if you forget to turn off the water to your washing machine
alt

My father advised my sister to get these....
She didn't and her standard rubber hoses (which come with your new appliance) sure enough ruptured and flooded the basement. One line blew

16 posted on 09/21/2009 5:14:35 AM PDT by dennisw (Free Republic is an island in a sea of zombies)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: leenie312

Ours are that way at work. Filtered water automatically fills the pots.

It’s just like the water line hooked to the ice-maker in your refrigerator.


17 posted on 09/21/2009 5:17:09 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

Gee you could rack up a similar bill for Haz-Mat clean-up from breaking a CFL bulb and releasing its toxic mercury.


18 posted on 09/21/2009 6:05:43 AM PDT by The Great RJ ("The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." M. Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red in Blue PA

If this mess was caused by someone making decaf. someone needs to get a rope.....


19 posted on 09/21/2009 6:14:40 AM PDT by Rebelbase
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bitterohiogunclinger

A completely open 1/2” line can put out 10 gallons a minute or more. At a conservative 10 gal/min, that’s 1,000 minutes, which is 17 hours. Assuming this was a lower flow pipe, it would take longer. Over a weekend or during a longer time when classes were not scheduled it could escape notice, especially if maintenance and/or security are not doing their job.


20 posted on 09/21/2009 6:30:46 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-23 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson