barbaric cold froze my water pipes

Hi lcb,

Woke up to no water in the house. Called the city asked if water main break is in the area and there isn't. Turns out my water pipes froze from this blasted barbaric cold. If they burst I am screwed. Pipes are in crawl space area and makes no sense to try and thaw out now until the cold snap breaks. Worst deep freeze I've seen in years. Believe it's unpreventable but ideas, suggestions would be helpful.

sincerely,
Prisoner in a igloo

Hi elevator,

where you at wher it is so cold, and how cold is it?
I hate cold winters, over here it is now still 10 degrees celcius, but when winter really "hits" here it could go freeze 6. 7, or maybe 8 degrees, only for a few days......

Good luck with youre pipes, hope it all comes to a good end.......

  Jo   

I did a quick search for info and found this:

PREVENTION

There are a number of preventative steps you can take to keep your pipes from freezing:

    Check the insulation of pipes in your home's crawl spaces and attic. Exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing.

    Heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables can be used to wrap pipes.  Be sure to use products approved by an independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories Inc., and only for the use intended (exterior or interior). Closely follow all manufacturers' installation and operation instructions.

    Seal leaks that allow cold air inside near where pipes are located. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents, and pipes, and use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out. With severe cold, even a tiny opening can let in enough cold air to cause a pipe to freeze.

    Use an indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house.

    A trickle of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. Let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.

    Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but further drops in the temperature – more common overnight – could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.

    Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls.

If Your Pipes Do Freeze...

Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst. Here’s what you can do:

• If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
• If your house or basement is flooding, turn off the water valve and immediately call 911.
• Do not touch or use electrical appliances in areas of standing water due to electrocution concerns.
• Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Every year, many building fires are caused by people trying to thaw frozen pipes. All open flames in homes present a serious fire danger, as well as a severe risk of exposure to lethal carbon monoxide.
• You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe.
• Again, if your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on and call 911. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it. Likely places for the water turn-off valve include internal pipes running against exterior walls or where water service enters a home through the foundation.
• If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat set to a temperature no lower than 55ºF.

Info copied from hopatcong-sparta.patch.com

Hope it helps.

Heat lamps work well. I used to work on a  horse farm as a kid and they were a regular part of our daily routine. Just go to a pet store and get one of them for failry cheap and then put in right on the closest part of where the pipe starts. just be sure to check it every so often. We used to leave ours on most of the day and it never caused an issue, but this was also outside. Id be a little more careful inside a house, but still shouldnt be a problem.

Once thawed just make sure to run the water once an hour or so to keep them that way

Oh no that's awful! When I was growing up our pipes would freeze all the time. My dad would have to go under the house. I hope with all the helpful hints, you make through the cold madness!

We opened all the cabinets under the sinks.


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That's awful elevator. My furnace went out, just couldn't keep up with the near record cold. It is a complete nightmare. I hope you get it fixed soon. I can hardly wait until this cold spell breaks.

This must be really awful, and I really hope the cold weather will pass soon... I just hate winter (at least when you are in the city) and all that goes with it....

I can't stand winter. I hope everything works out elevator. I wouldn't mind if it was warm all year long. I don't need the seasons to change. Not a fan of snow or cold.

I love winters only if I was on some tropic island though....

Hi lcb,

Ty for replies and help. Busted water pipe cost $900 in repairs and more repairs and expense after he had to tear part of the wall to get to it. I live in Wisconsin and weather forecast predicts warmer weather rest of the week. Happy new year 

Damn nice surprise for the new year. Sorry bout that buddy and good thing you were able to afford the repair. Wisconsin is freezing u been there your whole life? You'd have to be used to it to withstand such temps.

Time to start packing up and head straight south. Cold like that don't make sense buddy.

Ah, what a start of the year elevator. Well, at least the forecast is promising, that's good. I don't mind winter and cold weather though I've never experienced such freezing temperatures. Hang in there.

I wonder if you can get insurance against weather like that... Although I am sure that the insurance companies would find a way around it...
@elevator Sorry to hear that your new year started with a horror story like that....

I am not 100% certain but i don't think insurance companies cover that. It falls under "Act of God" which in many cases doesn't cover damage due to weather elements. It is tricky how they determined it though. I had hail that dented the siding on my house and insurance covered it so who knows...........maybe.