Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes aren't flowing!! The winter's come...

[Dover]

Oh Danny Boy,

What to do?
So obviously my pipes are frozen because so more water is coming out.
Now what? Just hope the water flows again (without leaks/breakage) when if warms
up again outside in a few days? I've got bottles of water on hand, and so glad
I did the laundry, dishes, etc. before this happened...but still, one can't function
for long without running water.

[Dover]

1. WHAT? All I get is a friggin' "recommend"???? I need advice...any plumbers in the house?

Or those with more winter survival experience? :P

[brer cat]

2. How do you get your water?

Well? City/county? Is your electricity on? Pumps usually need that to work. Do you have snow or ice to melt to flush toilets?

More info, please.

[Dover]

4. Well. Electric is on. No snow or ice on the ground.

I'm in central Texas so it's not like I can't just go buy some more water if I run out.
But I'm concerned about the pipes. I didn't leave them dripping, but instead took the
advice on the news to wrap up the outdoor spigots well. So I did, but had to turn them
off to do that.

[Bonobo]

3. You need to hurry.

Try to warm the pipes with a heater, blow dryer, anything.

[Dover]

5. Seems like that might work for a minute but I can't heat ALL the pipes

and I'm guessing they'll freeze again when I stop, yes? I'm also guessing that the frozen pipes are outside and the ground is just so cold they froze.

[Festivito]

8. We drain our pipes each fall and close them from inside, here up north.

Try to get them to drip again, a little movement can stop icing.

[ET Awful]

10. Once you get it flowing, keep a trickle flowing, keep the water moving.

It's wasteful, but it'll keep them from re-freezing usually.

[WhiteTara]

16. Dover, once you get the water flowing again

don't let it stop. Let a TINY trickle keep flowing and the pipes won't freeze.

[Dover]

17. Thanks. But no luck getting the water to run yet.

I don't know WHY it didn't occur to me to let the indoor faucets trickle. I had let the outdoor
ones trickle, but then took the advice of the weather guys to cover them with an insulating sock (which required I turn off their drip). So I did that but needed to then turn on the inside ones.
Sigh...oh well. Lesson learned. I just hope they thaw out without bursting in a few days.
At least I have plenty of water onhand to drink and cook with. But a hot bath sure would feel good!

haha...I was so concerned to inform DUers about this storm early enough so people could prepare in time and then I go and do this....too funny.

[Festivito]

6. Agree. Here in the north our thermostats won't go lower than 45 degrees.

Ice in a pipe is SERIOUS and ultimately hugely expensive, burst pipe, water damage, expensive drying techniques avoiding eventual mold. Waste the money on heat now.

[brer cat]

7. and open all cabinet doors where pipes are

in the kitchen, bathrooms, etc. check them frequently for dripping is case one burst. most have a cut-off valve, hopefully before, not after where the leak is. Do you know how to turn off the main water supply to the house? If there is a leak and you can't cut the water supply from inside the house, you will have to turn off all the water until a plumber can come replace the burst pipe. Work with the pipes near exterior walls first.

Wish I could send you happy solutions...am sending you good vibes.

[Dover]

9. Thanks. Yes I can turn off the main valve if needed. No burst pipes that I know of...yet.

Problem is I'm just not sure where they are frozen (in the house or in the ground outside).

But I'm taking everyone's advice and opening cabinets/doors and heating up the pipes under
the kitchen sink. It won't get above freezing for a few days so if I can't get any flow
going I guess I'm out of luck until it warms up again. And then I hope there are no burst
pipes.

[tigereye]

13. that's not always a good idea- that can start fires...

or so they say on the news...

[liberal N proud]

11. If you can get to your pipes, inspect them for splits

Then try to get some additional heat to them. Do not use an open flame. If you use a space heater make sure it is to so close to cause a fire.

If there are splits (leaks) in your pipes, shut off the main and call a plumber.

If you get them thawed, let the water drip from the hot and cold side of your faucets it will keep them from freezing again.

[Dover]

18. Thanks. I don't see any splits but there may be some pipes I haven't found yet.

I've opened all the cabinets to expose the pipes to indoor heat and added a heat lamp in one small room that doesn't get central heat, the washer/dryer room. Still no running water as of tonight so guess I'm just going to have to wait it out. But I'll follow your advice if for some reason they start to run again. I should have done that from the get go.

Thanks for the advice! :hi:

[bluerum]

12. Err. Step 1. Turn on heat. 2. Open faucets to relieve pressure. 3. Wait for water.

[GoCubsGo]

14. Ooops.

Should have read all the posts..

The others have already offered excellent advice on thawing your pipes. Can't add to it.

[Tesha]

15. Do you have heat? Is it still on?

If so, then there's not too much reason to assume that
any of your pipes in "the conditioned space" (~inside)
are frozen. There's also little likelihood that any
underground pipes are frozen; it takes more than a
day or two for a freeze to get down even a foot or
so into the ground.

That leaves pipes in unconditioned spaces like
uninsulated walls or crawl spaces. Is that what
we're talking about here?

And again, as others have mentioned, if a pipe actually
has burst from freezing, it often won't be apparent
until after it thaws again.

Tesha

[Dover]

19. Well that's good, clear deductive thinking. Thanks Tesha.

Makes sense to me.
I put a heat lamp in the one non-heated space early this morning and still no running water tonight,
so 1) either that's not the problem area or 2) the lamp isn't putting out enough heat to thaw the pipes if they are frozen in that wall (which is a northwest wall and I believe the wall through which water enters the house - where I have a washer/dryer). So maybe I'll consider other ways to heat that wall just in case it IS the problem area. Other than that I don't know what else to do but wait it out with fingers crossed.

Thank you for the advice. I think I'll be readier for the next storm!