Wait, you actually had to learn that the hard way? (that sounds downright awful, not gonna lie). My stomach just dropped thinking about what your "hard way" might have been. Those kinds of lessons usually leave a mark that doesn't fade fast. Really hope you're doing okay now after whatever went down.
Remember when water heaters were supposed to last forever? Ours went at 2 AM on a Tuesday, flooded the whole utility closet. That cold water wake-up call was something else.