Frozen-Pipes

I lost my hot water by 4pm yesterday(Sat). I didn’t realize it was so cold. Well, anyway, we had an electric heater on it all night long and it didn’t help. So today we went out and got the electric heating tape. Its been 5 hrs now and the hot water still is not thawed! Can anyone tell me how long it will be? Will the pipe bust? I have cold water just not hot.

Try opening the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater, if you get a forcefull flow of water, the frozen pipe is between the tank and the fawcet. You will need to trace the pipe to the nearest fawcet and if that fawcet doesn’t work, the frozen part is between those 2 locations. The pipe could be frozen where it goes through outside walls. Its hard to tell if it has burst, it depends on many factors, so make sure you know where the shut off valve is, you might need it ina hurry !

Added: There is one thing I just noticed that is a little ambiguous about your question. If water is coming out of the hot fawcet, but it is not hot, it is most likely a water heater problem. The way your question was worded, it made it appear that no water at all was coming from the fawcet which would be a frozen pipe issue.

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The temp is supposed to go down to 17 degrees tonite. It won’t last more than the night no doubt. Usually I just run a small steady stream of water overnight and that works fine, keeps the pipes from freezing.  A family member said, “I heard that pipes won’t freeze in a new house.” HUH?

Pipes are pipes and water freezes. Keep doing what you are doing and they won’t freeze. A builder’s advice.

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I have two small space heaters but am worried about the pipes in the basement.  I can’t afford to have them freeze.  What should I do? They will be back out tomorrow to turn the gas back on.  We live in Michigan and it will be below freezing tonight

Leave your water running really slowly in a couple places flowing water can’t freeze

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I think my pipes are frozen but I’m not sure. In my kitchen I have cold water but when I switch it to hot nothing comes out. I get hot water everywhere else in the house except for my kitchen.

Cold works but hot does not…Hmmmm strange but maybe hot is in exterior wall and cold is not. If all else fails try turning loud music with alot of bass on for a few minutes directed at the wall where pipes exist. Believe it or not this actually worked for me on accident after many agonizing hours of trying to defrost the pipe using heaters.

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My pipes keep freezing even though..?

I leave my faucets at a light stream (more than dripping but not all the way on either) I am so sick of this, my landlord says its just the way it is in a trailer…but I have never had this bad of a problem before in my other trailer homes. Is there ANYTHING else I can do? Is it common for them to freeze even when there is a more than steady drip? I already have read about the heat tape, and I’m going to try and buy some….any other suggestions?

The skirting around the trailer should be all tight with no holes or breaks in it. This keeps the cold wind out. Next-Wrap a heat tape right where the water pipe comes up out of the ground to feed your trailer. Wrap the heat tape around this pipe (make sure it does not touch itself. Keep the thermostat out to the open (don’t wrap it).

Next install a layer of heat tape insulation overtop of the heat tape. Wrap this insulation loosely using several layers. Hold it in place with some nylon zip ties. Plug in the heat tape to a working outside outlet. Buy several bales of straw and place these bales around the pipe coming out of the ground, this helps keep the ground from freezing around the top 1′ of soil around your water pipe.

If the heavy carboard underliner of the trailer is all in good shape. *This is the liner that you should see under the trailer. It keeps air from getting into the trailer through the floor, all your plumbing lines and heat ducts are above this liner. Patch any holes or tears with good quality duct tape.

Keep cabinet doors and vanity base doors open under the sinks-this lets warm air closer to water lines. For really cold situations I have even taken out a floor register and cut some small holes in the ductwork from above in the bathroom area and kitchen sink area. This lets a little of the heat from the ductwork go under the trailer between the floor and the cardboard liner.

You lose some valuable heat, but it will keep the plumbing from freezing up. Check where your water heater is. Sometimes on a trailer they are only accessible from the outside by taking off a panel of siding. You may need a heat tape on the cold water side of the water line. If it is inside the trailer and not on an outside wall it is probably ok.

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At what outdoor temperature do I run a risk of my pipes freezing without keeping the heat running?

I’m a new homeowner and I also drive semi truck. I am gone five days out of the week, so economically it is more efficient for me to leave my heat off and I also turn off my hot water heater when I leave for the week. I live in mid-Michigan, and it’s starting to get pretty cold out now.

Just wondering at what outdoor temperature I should start leaving my heat set at 50F so that my pipes don’t freeze? Also, should I be leaving my hot water heater running during the week in the winter?

Thanks in advance!

I live in Wisconsin, so we have similar weather. I also travel a lot, so I have the same concerns. I installed a “T” in my city water inlet with a valve and compressor fitting. I also set up bypass valves in the hot water heater so I wasn’t pressurizing the hot water tank. I leave the compressor right in the basement, so when I have to leave, I hook up the air and blow out my lines.

I also drain the water heater. (Make sure you shut off the electric before you drain) It takes me about 1/2 hour to empty the water lines. When I leave, I know if the furnace fails, my water lines are safe. I also leave the heat set at 40 degrees. It doesn’t use that much fuel, and it keeps the paint in the house from extreme temperature changes which can cause damage. I do my road trips without worry about freezing pipes and it only takes 5 minutes to turn on the valves and restore water to my house.

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To keep outside pipes/spigots from freezing will wrapping with a towel work as well as leaving water dripping?

I live in Florida and it doesn’t freeze here often. But tonight we’re expecting a hard freeze which will last about 10 hours. I’ve wrapped my outdoor water faucets loosely with towels to protect them from the cold. But will this work as well as leaving a drip going? Also, with the freeze not expected to last more than 10 hours, how much protection do I really need to plan for? The TV news stations don’t let up with the whole protect your pipes things, but it’s not like we live in Michigan! What’s the truth?

I would let drip, because if you have only a small leak on spigot you will wet towel and cause the spigot to freeze even quicker.

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To view video, click on the post title

How to repair broken water pipes

The FLOWSTOPPER™ plugging device is the plumbing tool that lets you instantly plug the residual flow of water when repairing and welding (soldering) broken copper water pipes (20mm / 3/4inch up to 100mm / 4 inch)

The FLOWSTOPPER™ plugging device is the plumbing tool that lets you instantly plug the residual flow of water when repairing and welding (soldering) broken copper water pipes (20mm / 3/4″ upto 100mm / 4″) FLOWSTOPPER™ is fast, effective and incredibly simple to use. Insert. Inflate. Weld and your done!

FLOWSTOPPER™ is for use on the outlet side of a water meter or other control valve (ie: not for mains pressure.)

Duration : 0:2:31

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No heat. How do I protect water pipes from freezing for 3 days?

I’m in NC. The boiler conked out in a 4-unit apartment building I own. Today is Friday. A new boiler will be installed on Tuesday. The night time temperature is supposed to get down to 14 degrees F. on Sunday, which is very cold for here. Day time temperatures will be a little above freezing.

How can I keep the pipes from freezing? I can’t put a heavy load on the electrical system. What’s best – - leave the water running a little? (which faucets??)? a kerosene space heater? electric pipe wrap? (on which pipes?) something else? I’m prepared to spend some money. (No problem with the tenants; they are getting rent relief.) Desperate in Durham

You’ll probably be fine if you keep all the faucets at a drip. It is highly unlikely that you will have a freeze-up at those temperatures for a short time. We have freeze-ups in the north east when the temperature is in the teens for 3 days straight. I don’t recommend kerosene heaters. they make you light headed after an hour. A small space heater near the meter, and one in each apartment would probably be sufficient, and not an overload on the electrical box. GL…..Rich

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Keeping pipes from freezing…

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