Date:         Tue, 10 Jan 95 11:20:09 PST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Dave Kautz <dkautz@hpsidms1.sid.hp.com>
Subject:      Re: Flooding in Cal

> Steven Johnson writes;
> This is not a VW discussion so if you're not interested, hit 'd' now.
> 
> I had some fun this morning trying to rig my Polaris pool pump so
> that it would help pump out the water from my sump.  After getting
> everything hooked up right, I couldn't figure out a way to prime 
> the pump which the Polaris must have. :(  I'm waiting for the traffic 
> jams to dissapate before I go get a new pump.
> 
> Hope everyone else is okay.
> 
  What an unbelievable amount of rain! I was out until after midnight digging
  little drainage trenches trying to get all the water stuck in my backyard
  <and up against the foundation> to move out towards the street. I haven't
  yet mustered the courage to look under the house and see how much water is
  in there. Besides, my only sump pump was doing full time duty pumping out the
  sump for my pool cover - I think the water table has risen to a point where
  the poor pump is trying to dry out the entire neighborhood. All of the 
  equipment that pulls and pushes the pool cover, including the motor <arrgh>,
  was completely underwater.

  Using the pump for the Polaris is an interesting idea, but I think I would
  have the same priming problem. Mine is fed from the pressure side of the
  circulation system and acts more like a booster than a suction pump.

  My brother up in Sonoma county has been without power for two days. He gets
  running water from a well, which stops working when there is no electricity. 
  They are collecting rainwater for drinking, washing, etc.. At least there is
  no shortage of that.

  Jeez, it's just started coming down again in SHEETS! When is this going to
  stop?

  VW related content:
  I went up to Kohlweiss yesterday and bought those little rubber plugs to
  keep water from getting in to the rear brakes through the adjusting holes.
  All I need now is a dry spot so I can crawl under and put them in.
  I parked it recently with wet brakes, set the parking brake, and when I 
  came back the brakes had seized. It took a substatial application of power
  and clutch slipping to get them to break loose! Is this a result of metallic
  pads? Is is stupid to set the parking brake when it is wet out?


  Rain, rain, go away, come again another day....


  Dave Kautz