Difference between Air Lock and Frozen Pipes.

nanook

All

Can someone help me with this. We have had water all during the christmas when neighbours have had frozen pipes. but this morning, when the thaw is on, we have no water. I have talked with a neighbour and they have water.

What can I do to check.

heinbloed

They propably connected to your system.....

nanook

i dont understand, what connected.

heinbloed

They diverted your flowing water into their water distribution. And switched you off to keep-up pressure. Just a suggestion.

A pressurised water system is not influenced by air locks.

nanook

but my neighbour has water. this is what is confusing me. We both had water all the way through the bad freeze, but now nothing.

Buford T Justice

It could just be short term, if all the neighbours tanks are filling etc..... then they would be taking the pressure. Give it some time and see.

babaduck

Same problem with us - we've had no problem with our water through the two cold spells in December & now that it's started to thaw, we've no cold water in our kitchen tap today. I've put the heat on (GFCH) & opened the door to the attic to allow some heat into the space.

We do have hot water, but I assume that's from the tank so am not using that at the moment to conserve the little we have left.

I'd appreciate any other suggestions you very helpful peeps may have

William Powell

I'm wondering if its possible that now that there's a thaw any ice left in the main pipes has been flushed down towards the houshold that still had running water? Even if that just constricted the flow a bit with neigbors tanks being refilled on mass you might not get any water untill is a) thaws a bit more or b) your neighbors demand reduces.

...anyway just a guess

Edit> also check that no one with a burst has been out and swtiched your water off instead of theirs ?

nanook

Threw some hot water over the valve at the front if the house. All was back up and running in 20 minutes

Just check when you are pouring hot water over the valve that the water is subsiding. You don't want the valve submersed if there is another freeze.

JackieChan

Nanook, I could gave written the same!!
Has your supply returned? I have a tap 1/2 open to see when it starts to return.

nanook

We are back to normal thank god.

JackieChan

Just read what worked for you... I must give that a go. Good to hear your back in business.

babaduck

Have tried the airlock tap trick to no avail. Now using hairdryer on cold copper pipe under sink. Must get dressed & venture out to stopcock with a boiling kettle now. Such a pain in the butt - we were fine all the way through the freeze & only now the water goes :mad: I suppose this wasn't helped by local town council turning off mains from 19.00-09.00 every night

babaduck

Our external stopcock cover needs a special key to open it, which of course, we don't have, so I've poured 10 litres of boiling water via the keyhole. Not a dribble of water & it will be turned off at 7pm again. Such a pain in the arse, as we are the only house affected :mad:

JackieChan

I gave ours a good soaking in hot water and it made no difference. Still not a drop from taps

dollydishmop

nanook wrote: »

but my neighbour has water. this is what is confusing me. We both had water all the way through the bad freeze, but now nothing.

Something similar here.

We've had running water here all through the cold snap(s), and definitely still had running water from taps at 11pm last night.

8am this morning, +4°C, big thaw, and no water from taps. Nothing all day.

Spoke to a neighbour, who seemed quite surprised, as the other 5 houses down our lane have been without water since Wednesday. (Have to say I feel very guilty now, if I'd known they could have come here for drinking water, showers etc)

Nothing on my local Coco website since 23rd Dec...so don't really know what is going on at all?

Hubby has *borrowed* a couple of BIG water bottles from the cooler in his office for drinking water/washing up etc, and brought home a small bowser of river water for flushing the loo etc.

Just can't believe our water has gone, on the warmest day since (it feels like) forever!