Anyone else have no water? Frozen taps!

icescreamqueen

We have had no water at home all day! It's desperate and it doesn't look like we'll have any tomorrow either. Our pipes are frozen stiff! I don't know how we'll cook the dinner tomorrow or anything. It's times like this that you realise how much you actually use water in your everything life.

Cul a cnoic

The neighbours here were also without water here and were busy all morning sorting it out but they both got it running again. I left an outside tap dripping last night and luckily enough got away with it. If the water is moving in the pipes, it should not freeze.

Water, never missed until its gone...

Graces7

The cold water kitchen tap has been frozen for two days,,, the whole system froze overnight..

Thanks to boards ie and the accurate forecasts, I bought in 2 very large bottles of water last time I was in ASDA..

Steaming uses less water by the way and you can improvise using a colander or sieve...

As the water does not touch the food? Clean melted snow?

Next time i will remember the dripping tap; two others have reminded me of that.

Cul a cnoic wrote: »

The neighbours here were also without water here and were busy all morning sorting it out but they both got it running again. I left an outside tap dripping last night and luckily enough got away with it. If the water is moving in the pipes, it should not freeze.

Water, never missed until its gone...

Glenalla

had no water for a few days, neighbours also without water, all part of country living though.

Aoife9

No water here either and no heat the boiler broke on Christmas eve so we are stuffed like the turkey! we have a few borrowed electric heaters going but still very very cold! Don't know how we survived when we were kids we didn't have central heating.

Graces7

We did though. Just the fire in the sitting room; no heating anywhere else .

There is no central heating in this house, so it has been an electric heater and the fire of course.

It has been bitter in here..

Santa came y'day in the guise of the landlord, with a brand new Super Ser gas heater, which is a huge help

I think it was seeing the amount of clothes I am wearing that impressed him.

And at least you can still cook...

Stay warm...

Aoife9 wrote: »

No water here either and no heat the boiler broke on Christmas eve so we are stuffed like the turkey! we have a few borrowed electric heaters going but still very very cold! Don't know how we survived when we were kids we didn't have central heating.

Hootanany

I genuinely feel really sorry for you my father has no water and his gas pipe froze also where is the emergency services in a time like this

Harps

Our gas froze for the past 2 nights, managed to get it going eventually but it wasnt looking good for a while for the dinner!

Waters been fine though, leaving the tap dripping slightly seems to do the trick

danjo-xx

This is amazing in 2009, freezing mains supply, which is usally made of hydrodare piping, and burried deep enuf to prevent freezing or maybe I'm missing something.

Graces7

Ah but we are not on mains water up here.. even so taps were frozen in Donegal Town last night; probably just where it comes into the house.

Not sure if the others are also not on mains?

danjo-xx wrote: »

This is amazing in 2009, freezing mains supply, which is usally made of hydrodare piping, and burried deep enuf to prevent freezing or maybe I'm missing something.

Hootanany

Are the Council suppose to do something for the elderly who are trapped in there houses

irish1967

Pipes froze while away. House flooded. Disaster.

Cul a cnoic

irish1967 wrote: »

Pipes froze while away. House flooded. Disaster.

Just left an inlaws holiday home and it had a burst pipe in the attic. Sitting room destroyed. A total mess.

Max Power1

Hootanany wrote: »

I genuinely feel really sorry for you my father has no water and his gas pipe froze also where is the emergency services in a time like this

Are emergency services not for, i dunno, EMERGENCIES? Like gas leaks for example? Gas heaters not working hardly qualifies as an emergency now does it?

Graces7

So sorry; that is dreadful.

I realise now why all the pipes are outside and exposed here....If they burst no flood inside.

irish1967 wrote: »

Pipes froze while away. House flooded. Disaster.

Graces7

I don't know; maybe if they have Home Help etc?

ie are on their books?

In times past, everyone kept an eye out for old ones; but these days?

And this is not something that even Social Services would take on.

Hootanany wrote: »

Are the Council suppose to do something for the elderly who are trapped in there houses

Hootanany

Max Power1 wrote: »

Are emergency services not for, i dunno, EMERGENCIES? Like gas leaks for example? Gas heaters not working hardly qualifies as an emergency now does it?

No he cant get out of his driveway as its on an incline do they grit peoples driveways that all

Graces7

Ah no; he needs a good neighbour or handy man; we have got too reliant on "official" help.

Hootanany wrote: »

No he cant get out of his driveway as its on an incline do they grit peoples driveways that all

rushnaldo

I wish someone had of given a warning about the severity of those really cold nights of -10. Its froze the water tanks in the attics in alot of houses and bust pipes causing water to stream down through the roofs causing substantial damage.

Anyone who has a holiday home or a house nobody has been in over christmas I would advise to get someone round asap to check all is ok.

Jumpy

Max Power1 wrote: »

Are emergency services not for, i dunno, EMERGENCIES? Like gas leaks for example? Gas heaters not working hardly qualifies as an emergency now does it?

An elderly person trapped in a house with no heating in below freezing temps classifies as an emergency. There is a risk of death.

babaloushka

irish1967 wrote: »

Pipes froze while away. House flooded. Disaster.

So sorry to hear that - I know what a mess water makes. Happened to one of my sisters a few years back while they were on holiday and it took a loooong, expensive time to put right. We double lagged all our pipes and the water tank after that - also keep a light on in the attic. I know it's cold comfort to be saying that now

muffler

Loubytee wrote: »

Anyone else in Gort without water? We have no mains water coming into the house. The mains supply in the kitchen tap stopped early last week and now we have no water at all.

We were away over Christmas Day and yesterday and came back today to running water again so we thought we assumed it had thawed out and all was back to normal. Now it's ran out again and because of the thaw don't think it's from frozen pipes.

We're on the town mains supply although we're quite rural and on the edge of town so starting to think it's the town supply that affected and not because of frozen pipes to the house. Why would it fill the tank back up again while we were away only to run out again tonight? Going to call the County Council in the morning but very confused!

I think you have the wrong forum. I'll see if I can do something with this.

irish1967

Mains pipe burst leading to tank. Down through bedroom ceiling and then through floor and through living room ceiling. Power tripped out. Spent night in friends B&B. Spent since 8am this morning cleaning. Still no water. Built in wardrobes flooded. Herselfs clothes all completely soaked. Not a great Christmas.

muffler

Really sorry to hear that irish1967. Hope you have the insurance up to date.

irish1967

irish1967 wrote: »

Mains pipe burst leading to tank. Down through bedroom ceiling and then through floor and through living room ceiling. Power tripped out. Spent night in friends B&B. Spent since 8am this morning cleaning. Still no water. Built in wardrobes flooded. Herselfs clothes all completely soaked. Not a great Christmas.

But my beer is still cold:)

icescreamqueen

irish1967 wrote: »

But my beer is still cold:)

At least you still have your sense of humour! Hopefully you saved your IPHONE too?! You'll have to buy a new wardrobe of clothes for your wife! The weather has been so bad, I don't think anyone was prepared for it to be that bad. I've never lived through this severity of weather before.

Graces7

Then call Social services or get them to a hospital if you cannot help yourself.

This is where I was also headed; saved by a caring neighbour ie my landlord who came with a gas heater.

We need more neigbourly people, simply.




quote=Jumpy;63669500]An elderly person trapped in a house with no heating in below freezing temps classifies as an emergency. There is a risk of death.[/quote]

peewee3ie

No water in Donegal Town last nigh but back this morring

Hi Irish1967,

did you have water this morring and what part of the town do you live in.

I am out the old Laghey Road.

I am starting to think that DCC truned off the water to stop us running all night

rushnaldo

Maybe they turned it off to stop pipes bursting. Neighbours house in Killybegs pipes bust in the attic lastnight all flooded. Must of froze hard lastnight

irish1967

Me up drumrooske there was no water up here yesterday but ok now. When my pipes are fixed it will be anyway.

icom

.-- .... -.-- -.. .. -.. -.-- --- ..- --. --- - --- - .... . - .-. --- ..- -... .-.. . - --- - .-. .- -. ... .-.. .- - . - .... .. ...

No trouble at all really !:)

Graces7

Common sense if you are going away in this kind of weather to drain the pipes and turn off the water.

Plumbers will be rich...

peewee3ie

I have Just heard on Ocean FM that DCC are trunning off the water at night to save it as they are saying it low and there is a lot of leeks in pipes need to save water for daytime use.

I would this will cause more bursted pipes around.

Graces7

Only way round that is to drain the system for the night..

peewee3ie wrote: »

I have Just heard on Ocean FM that DCC are trunning off the water at night to save it as they are saying it low and there is a lot of leeks in pipes need to save water for daytime use.

I would this will cause more bursted pipes around.

rushnaldo

Neighbour had the insurance man around today after the pipes froze and burst in the attic and the sitting room roof caved in such a mess. He told her about a brilliant fan heater that Mc Groartys in Donegal are selling. It only costs 20 euro and it kicks in once the temperature goes to 3 degrees or below..great job

mckayd

Cul a cnoic wrote: »

Just left an inlaws holiday home and it had a burst pipe in the attic. Sitting room destroyed. A total mess.

This seems to be a major problem with the current weather conditions which looks like its going to be here for another week or so.

I would suggest that all property owners check their water tanks on a regular basis. Ways of iliminating this is to allow heat to transfer from the lower floors into the attic space. Another method would be leave the cold water tap running in the bathroom. I know this isn't much help to you now but it may help others be aware of the situation.

Has the insurance company been notified?

babaloushka

mckayd wrote: »

Another method would be leave the cold water tap running in the bathroom.

Not a good idea on a number of fronts: reservoir supplies are at an extreme low right now and this is a terrible waste. In addition, as a direct result of low water supplies, water is being cut off to many places in the county from 8 at night until 8 in the morning.
A better idea is firstly to ensure that all pipes and the tank itself are properly lagged and then to consider some form of very low level heating in the attic, even a lightbulb (not the low energy ones) for the duration.

Cul a cnoic

mckayd wrote: »

This seems to be a major problem with the current weather conditions which looks like its going to be here for another week or so.

I would suggest that all property owners check their water tanks on a regular basis. Ways of iliminating this is to allow heat to transfer from the lower floors into the attic space. Another method would be leave the cold water tap running in the bathroom. I know this isn't much help to you now but it may help others be aware of the situation.

Was just looking at www.yr.no and the next 10 days have the same weather forecast, its far from over yet. The plumbers of the country are going to be kept busy.I have a tap dribbling away outside the house, just enough to keep the water moving.

mckayd wrote: »

Has the insurance company been notified?

Insurance company was notified alright

Cul a cnoic

babaloushka wrote: »

Not a good idea on a number of fronts: reservoir supplies are at an extreme low right now and this is a terrible waste. In addition, as a direct result of low water supplies, water is being cut off to many places in the county from 8 at night until 8 in the morning.
A better idea is firstly to ensure that all pipes and the tank itself are properly lagged and then to consider some form of very low level heating in the attic, even a lightbulb (not the low energy ones) for the duration.

I also have a bulb beside the inlet into the tank, it keeps the chill out of the air and therefore should be frostfree. As for running the taps, it dosn't need to be gushing out of the tap, a dribble is sufficient and this will keep the water moving. If the water pipe freezes and bursts, a lot more water would be lost.

North_West_Art

hi all... is the water still off in the Twin Towns area or Donegal Town? I hear on the news that Donegal, Carlow and Clare are still very low on water.. cheers

muffler

Not off in Twin Towns or at least in my area.