Could pipes still be frozen?

spiral2010

Hi all,
I have been without water now for 10 days and even though there has been a thaw for the last 3 days, I still have no mains water supply. Could the pipes still be thawing out or is it time to call the plumber? Any help/suggestions greatly appreciated as I'm completely clueless:o:confused:

Sunnyisland

I had no water for the last 10 days also and it only came back yesterday,it depends were you are and have you checked surounding homes,

tipptom

Could it be air locked

spiral2010

I was thinking that myself TippTom. I assume only way to sort that is to call a plumber?

tipptom

geez no,if you had someone handy around that could open the pipe for you under the sink and coax it back.

Micky Dolenz

Your mains supply will not air lock as it is under pressure. Could still be frozen

spiral2010

Thanks for that! Is it possible that a pipe has burst? Just cant believe pipes are still frozen after 3/4 days to thaw??

AlisonN

Hi

Im a long time member but hardly ever post. I just wanted to reply because I'm in the same boat. My water is gone 12 days and still no sign of it coming back. I'm in mullingar. My head is really wrecked at this stage!! :mad:

I rang westmeath co co and their suggestion was to "wait for the thaw and you'll be grand". What happens if the pipes don't defrost in the thaw? Does it mean I could be without water til the new year??? :eek:

spiral2010

I know, it's so frustrating! I'm in Cork and thaw is well and truly here now. I'm worried that it might be something more serious than frozen pipes now. And as you say, if there's another freeze any time soon there's no chance of getting water back. Thanks for the reply, at least I know I'm not the only one. Hope you get your supply back soon.

the west wing

I'm in the same boat here in Limerick. It's day 11 of no water. With three days of thawing we were sure that the water would be back today. When it wasn't we decided to go down to the mains meter and see if the meter was running. We live on a farm and were afraid that the pipes had burst down the fields. When we got down to the meter, it was frozen solid. Completely solid!!
Now we're afraid that it won't have thawed by the next freeze and we won't have water for Christmas!! Imagine not having water since the 1st December until Christmas!!!

the west wing

Sorry never mind. I just woke up to the sound of pipes gurgling in the attic. I was sure the pipes must have burst but no it was just the sound of water coming back into the house. I've never been so happy to flush a toilet in my life. Happy days! I hope others benefit from the thaw soon.

spiral2010

Glad to hear you have running water back west wing! I haven't been home yet today (have temporarily shipped out to my mum's due to water situation), so fingers crossed same will be true for me! I'll never take running water for granted again;);)

samboshy

mine are still frozen

Sparkpea

its the stopcock thats probably frozen if anything, a small heater or hairdryer around the stopcock may help, or if you know where the stopcock on the street is then a couple of kettles of boiling water down the hole may help (bought bottled water I guess you'd be using to fill the kettle )

spiral2010

Thanks for that Sparkpea. I did try the hot water over the stopcock a few days ago to no avail but thankfully I have my water supply back now. Never thought it would take so long for them to thaw out!

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to prevent this happening again? I heard we're supposed to be getting more cold weather around Christmas time and I don't want to be without water for so long again!

Sparkpea

if it freezes outside then no theres nothing you can do really about it freezing underground. a blow heater or even leaving the cupboard door open where the mains stopcock is should help. The only thing to stop freezing is heat.

AlisonN

Delighted some of you got your water back. Unfortunately I still have no water I've had the council out here again and he basically theres nothing they can do :mad: I got the name of the engineer in charge of the water services and I have emailed him and also posted him a letter outlining my complaints and insisting that something is done, since this is the 3rd year my water has gone and I can't take it anymore. I also emailed my local councillor with a copy of the letter asking him to help me so fingers crossed he'll get back to me (he will if he knows whats good for him). God help any councillors that canvas at my door for the next election!!!!!

AlisonN

Well after almost 17 days I finally have my water back!! After more than two weeks ringing the council they told me that actually it was nothing to do with them as they hadnt taken the estate over from the builder (they couldnt have told me that in the beginning :mad:) so one phone call to the builder and he had it working for me this morning Thank God. I flushed all the loos in celebration Im looking forward to the long bath Im going to have tonight!

Sparkpea

its due to snow again alot this next 4-5days so I would start filling buckets again

ShatterProof

Can somebody tell me if the following might work or is it a load of ****e...

To stop the stopcock from freezing cover it in that expanding foam that you spray on. Then if you need to get at it again pour some petrol on it and it will melt away.

Heard somebody say it was a way to prevent it from freezing but he is a barber not a plumber/builder

Micky Dolenz

ShatterProof wrote: »

Can somebody tell me if the following might work or is it a load of ****e...

To stop the stopcock from freezing cover it in that expanding foam that you spray on. Then if you need to get at it again pour some petrol on it and it will melt away.

Heard somebody say it was a way to prevent it from freezing but he is a barber not a plumber/builder

Not true, it may stop the outside surface of the metal freezing, unlikely though, but it won't stop the water inside freezing.

astra2000

Hi Guys our water was gone last year for days on end, so when it went again this year my husband was detirmined he was going to find the point where it was freezing. We live in the countryside and ours was the only house on the group scheme where it was gone so we knew it was frozen somewhere on our grounds. It turned out the freezing point was our outside tap and it had froze back to the sink cold tap. It took about 30/40 buckets of hot water to thaw it out on the two occasions that it froze this year so far, so my advice would be if you have a location where you think your water has frozen and you have the means of getting water from a neighbour, perserve it may take more than a couple of kettles.
Also guys when our water was gone last year for 4 days we got hold of some 20ltr drums filled them up and filled tank in attic every day so at least we had water to have quick wash and could put openfire on without fear of blowing backboiler.

the west wing

I'm getting worried that our pipes are going to freeze again tonight so I'm going to let the taps run. I hate to do it as I hate wasting water but I don't want to be left with no water again for 11 more days!

AlisonN

I left my tap on last night. I also hate doing it as it is a colossal waste of water but I had no other option. After 17 days without water I won't risk it again. Anyway, so far so good. I still have water and hopefully it won't go again.

the west wing

Well pipes are frozen again!! Kept the water running through the night so I thought I was safe. Went to town yesterday at about 10am. Came home about 11.30am and the water was gone!! It was freezing so hard yesterday during the day. So angry! If the thaw doesn't happen soon, we'll have no water until after Christmas Argh!!! I've already had to deal with 11 days of no water last week, I just want a break from all of this.

Plombier

Be careful leaving taps running I have seen the running water from the waste pipe freezing leaving an overflowing sink inside.

astra2000

Hi all ok our pipes froze again and this time the gazillion buckets of hot water didnt work was getting worried as there seems to no sign of a thaw for a while, anyway rang a builder we knew who has a large blow torch, he used this over the stopcock on footpath near outside tap and where there is a pipe near the surface and it worked. We are on a group water scheme so our only other option was to wait till the thaw. My sympathies to anyone with frozen pipes it is so fustrating best of luck.

hadook

Much to my dismay I got home to frozen pipes last night and only remembered a couple of hours ago that there used to an outside tap under the kitchen window. Sure enough, there's still a bit of sealed off pipe without a speck of insulation.

I've insulated that and pulled apart the kitchen to get at the pipes where they come into the house & I've a small fan heater running full whack in behind the presses. Anyone any idea how long it would take to defrost the pipes if this were the frozen spot? Don't fancy going to bed and waking up to a lake in the kitchen if the pipe bursts but also don't want to stay up until the wee hours staring at a wall...

My darling husband is staying with his parents as he can't cope with living in a house with no water so I've no one else to delegate this task to. Chaps, I miss having a landlord

k mac

astra2000 wrote: »

Hi Guys our water was gone last year for days on end, so when it went again this year my husband was detirmined he was going to find the point where it was freezing. We live in the countryside and ours was the only house on the group scheme where it was gone so we knew it was frozen somewhere on our grounds. It turned out the freezing point was our outside tap and it had froze back to the sink cold tap. It took about 30/40 buckets of hot water to thaw it out on the two occasions that it froze this year so far, so my advice would be if you have a location where you think your water has frozen and you have the means of getting water from a neighbour, perserve it may take more than a couple of kettles.
Also guys when our water was gone last year for 4 days we got hold of some 20ltr drums filled them up and filled tank in attic every day so at least we had water to have quick wash and could put openfire on without fear of blowing backboiler.

Had the same problem last year water froze and did not thaw for 8 days,also went earlier this month so i dug up my lawn .The pipe was 18 inches down but must have froze cause when i got the blow torch to it water came back so i insulated the pipe with lagging and covered in sand which is supposed to be good to insulate.Determined not to be caught again during this cold spell i have been leavin tap dripping every night and got up this morning at 8 and had water however to my horror 2 hours later froze again . I don t know anything about plumbing but i am confused about the outside tap being the cause, does your mains water pipe not come into your house ant then split with i pipe going to your kitchen sink and the other pipe up to your tank in the attic and if this is the case would the pipe going to your tank still be bringing water to the tank and just the kitchen tap without ?

astra2000

Hi k mac the outside tap has a pipe running down the wall to mains connection apparently in really cold weather it can freeze right back. I have left water dribbling all day yesterday and today as it is still so cold during the day. Our water froze again a couple of nights ago and this time water trick didnt work builder friend used a blow torch on an exposed pipe and got it back, I dont want to take any chances on it going again, last year it froze within 20mins of me turning off a tap. Would it be worth you using blow torch on the area where you know the pipe to be without digging up the garden again. Hope it comes back soon it is so fustrating waiting and wondering when it will return.

freddyuk

Most of the problems I reckon are caused by builders not burying pipes the required depth ie. 750mm. There is a reason to bury them that deep but because we had mild winters for years they decided to not bother and just put them below the surface.
The builders should be re laying all these pipes except most have taken their money and run!

shawnee

astra2000 wrote: »

Hi Guys our water was gone last year for days on end, so when it went again this year my husband was detirmined he was going to find the point where it was freezing. We live in the countryside and ours was the only house on the group scheme where it was gone so we knew it was frozen somewhere on our grounds. It turned out the freezing point was our outside tap and it had froze back to the sink cold tap. It took about 30/40 buckets of hot water to thaw it out on the two occasions that it froze this year so far, so my advice would be if you have a location where you think your water has frozen and you have the means of getting water from a neighbour, perserve it may take more than a couple of kettles.
Also guys when our water was gone last year for 4 days we got hold of some 20ltr drums filled them up and filled tank in attic every day so at least we had water to have quick wash and could put openfire on without fear of blowing backboiler.

Was just installing one of those infra red lamps in the attic when I noticed that the water wasn't coming into the tank. Obviously frozen somewhere along the way. Anyway the guy installed the infra red and I went away for an hour and hey presto the waters now working. Cost 80 euro to install the socket , thermostat and bulb , but has well paid its way now. !!

shawnee

My cold water at the sink was running but when I checked the tank at the attic it wasn't getting any water. Installed an infra red bulb in the attic and after an hour its running ok. Also noticed that the outside tap was frozen and doused that with buckets of hot water , so am not sure which one got the water running but hey presto its running at the moment and thats brill. Hope it helps someone else

k mac

astra2000 wrote: »

Hi k mac the outside tap has a pipe running down the wall to mains connection apparently in really cold weather it can freeze right back. I have left water dribbling all day yesterday and today as it is still so cold during the day. Our water froze again a couple of nights ago and this time water trick didnt work builder friend used a blow torch on an exposed pipe and got it back, I dont want to take any chances on it going again, last year it froze within 20mins of me turning off a tap. Would it be worth you using blow torch on the area where you know the pipe to be without digging up the garden again. Hope it comes back soon it is so fustrating waiting and wondering when it will return.

Thanks astra i think my system is different a connection comes out of the wall from behind the kitchen sink to the outside tap so it would have to freeze back a long way to be the problem .Think i will be digging again

k mac

Well dug up my lawn as far as the pipe goes under the driveway an there is a connection there where i caught with a digger before and opened it and water came out. it means worse again that it is frozen somewhere under the tarmac or concrete footpath don t know anyway of heating under them ? Could it be possible there is a pipe frozen in the attic, i would think it would still come to the cold tap in the kitchen even if there was a problem up there ?

foxinsox

oh I feel all your pain!

This happened to me two years ago and I had now water which meant no heating for two weeks...

I felt like the smelliest, greasyist, unclean person.. I had so many clothes on I was like Michelin man gone wrong..

Possible short term solutions:

I am not a plumber or an expert of any kind....

just a girl who really really wanted to have a proper wash without having to drive to friend's houses for shower!

So here's my girls' guide to what I learnt about frozen pipes:

THE MAINS STOPCOCK IS THE HORSESHOE SHAPE LID THING USUALLY AT END OF DRIVEWAY OR ON PATH OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE OR NEAR YOUR GATE.

You will need a flathead screwdriver probably to open up the lid.

Kettles of hot (not boiling!!!!) water poured down over the stopcock where the mains enters your house. Could take several kettles/pots full.

Water mains travel in a straight line from this horseshoe shape thing.
I cleared snow in straight line from this horseshoe type thing and put salt down. Tried to keep it clear. I'm embarrassed to admit I also poured hot water in a straight line up and down my driveway!

I did all the above endlessly and it drove me insane.. worked in the end though..

I heard someone else saying they wrapped an old jumper around the horseshoe stopcock and that worked.


NEXT important thing I learnt:

The builder drew up plans, the council checks them and says yay or nay. If they say yay builder builds houses, council must check that they were built to plans as submitted and approved. The fact that you are living in the house means the council said yay to this stage in the process.

Whether it is a private estate or not the council are reponsible for water mains from then on, as they approved building. So if pipes are not deep enough council have to fix it..

That's what applied here in Carlow. So that February I think they came dug up my driveway and lowerd mains pipe. I am one of three houses that got this done, we are the only houses out of 200 with running water at the moment here..

So check with your council, maybe mention what I said up there. Might be worth a try..

I hope you all get sorted soon as possible..

I am not a plumber or an expert of any kind so I'm only telling what happened to me...

I am not advising any of you to do any of the above just because I said to!