&*%$#@ Frozen Pipes!

[BigFish]

Get up to take a nice hot shower this morning......nothing! My bathroom has an unheated crawl space under it and that is where the water pipes run to the sink and shower, well, the hot water pipe is frozen solid and the cold water pipe is just a trickle! I have no idea what to do other than wait for it to thaw. I cannot fit into the crawl space (and would not go in there anyway) and there is no access panel to the pipes. I hope they do not burst! Any suggestions would be welcome! I am blasting the heat to the bathroom to try and thaw it!

[fishweewee]

blowtorch

[missing link]

try a blowdyer if u can see the pipe

[Flaptail]

Ufortunately you cannot do nothing as they are surely to burst as the worst is yet to come tonight and again next week. Is there an electrical outlet outside nesr the crawl space? If so get your ass to Home Depot and go to either the electrical dept. or Plumbing and get a heat trace kit with a built in t-stat. You need to get under there and wrap the heat trace ( which is a cable) aorund those pipes and insulate the s&%# out of them with either blanket and foam pipe insulation or just load it up with the blanket stuff. You gotta get in there Bro or it's gonna blow and you will be screwed. I am a facilities manager for three different towns and a school district and I deal with this s*&% all the time, over 60 million in property,you gotta get in there before it goes.

[BigFish]

FWW thats how they set that house on fire in Somerville. No access to the pipes at all ML. Old house, poorly done work with no thought at all about keeping the pipes from freezing or at least having access to them if they do. Not our house...we rent! Thanks though! (In keeping with Grumpy Forum)

[BigFish]

Thanks Flaptail, but the only access is a crawl space door easily accessable from the outside but the crawl space door is approximately 22" wide and my shoulders will not nearly make it into there. Maybe try to heat the space???

[fishweewee]

thermite

[Goose]

Parents have the same problem in the finished basement...they crank up the space heater with a small fan blowing heat in.

[Bill L]

Keep the cold dripping at the sink, may keep it from freezin solid and buy you a little time, same with the hot if you can get anything ou of it

[Flaptail]

BF, if it's a rental call the landlord he is liable by law!

[BigFish]

Thanks guys, will let you know how I make out!

[BEETLE]

Come by the power plant - I'll show you some frozen lines Having fun today at work - been outside since we got here dealing with S@#T freezing all over the place.

good luck BigFish

[fishaholic18]

Good luck BF, better get some heat in there before you have a huge problem.

[BigFish]

Had to wedge my huge butt (shoulders) into the narrow crawl space and wrap pipe with heater cable, very tight fit, door to crawl space measures 18 inches, thank God for long arms! Anyway, about an hour after I turned on the cable the water started to flow! Whooops....sorry, thats enough of that (couldn't be helped) how is that better? So now we can shower! Thanks for all the help you Grumpy bastages....I hope you hate watching the game and anyone of you that goes freezes your arse off! (Only kidding, trying to maintain grumpiness).

[Moose Nuckle]

Hey Big Fish,
I'm glad it worked for you. Where did you get the heater cable? I guess it worked fine for you. How long did it take for it to work? Thanks....Moose

[BigFish]

Bout an hour, got the cable at Home Depot! How you doin' Moose? Instead of a bunch of little cold ones we are having one big cold one, huh big guy? Later.

[Moose Nuckle]

Big Fish,
I'm doing fine. Thanks.................