BRODHEAD - Quick action by Brodhead teacher Brent Bockhop prevented serious flood damage at Albrecht Elementary School Sunday.
Bockhop, who teaches physical education at the school, found a broken hot water pipe in the third grade classroom on the southwest side of the school.
Bockhop came to the school to get his classroom ready following Christmas vacation when he discovered water leaking into the room. Principal Dave Novy said it was fortunate Bockhop came to the school Sunday afternoon.
"It looked like the water was leaking for a couple of hours. If he hadn't found it, it would have leaked all night," Novy said.
There were two rooms affected by the flooding.
Those are divided by a partition and the partition was open, Novy said.
The flooding occurred because a damper for a heater in the classroom froze open and the cold temperatures from the outside caused a hot-water pipe to burst. Novy said the 190 degree water and 60 degree classroom created a lot of steam, to go along with the flooding.
"It was like a sauna in there," he said.
Computer equipment was wet, but not damaged. Novy said the only damage was to ceiling tiles. Novy said the wet tiles buckled and were replaced Monday.
Bockhop enlisted the help of a couple people, to help clean up the rooms.
The floors were mopped and fans were brought in to get rid of the steam from the hot water. On Monday, Brodhead Superintendent Charles Deery and several teachers arrived at school to help put the desks and equipment back into the rooms.
"A lot of teachers came in to help this morning so we didn't have to interrupt any classes," Novy said.
Novy said Bockhop deserved a lot of credit for finding the leak and preventing more damage.
Bockhop, who teaches physical education at the school, found a broken hot water pipe in the third grade classroom on the southwest side of the school.
Bockhop came to the school to get his classroom ready following Christmas vacation when he discovered water leaking into the room. Principal Dave Novy said it was fortunate Bockhop came to the school Sunday afternoon.
"It looked like the water was leaking for a couple of hours. If he hadn't found it, it would have leaked all night," Novy said.
There were two rooms affected by the flooding.
Those are divided by a partition and the partition was open, Novy said.
The flooding occurred because a damper for a heater in the classroom froze open and the cold temperatures from the outside caused a hot-water pipe to burst. Novy said the 190 degree water and 60 degree classroom created a lot of steam, to go along with the flooding.
"It was like a sauna in there," he said.
Computer equipment was wet, but not damaged. Novy said the only damage was to ceiling tiles. Novy said the wet tiles buckled and were replaced Monday.
Bockhop enlisted the help of a couple people, to help clean up the rooms.
The floors were mopped and fans were brought in to get rid of the steam from the hot water. On Monday, Brodhead Superintendent Charles Deery and several teachers arrived at school to help put the desks and equipment back into the rooms.
"A lot of teachers came in to help this morning so we didn't have to interrupt any classes," Novy said.
Novy said Bockhop deserved a lot of credit for finding the leak and preventing more damage.