No hot or cold water

[esmollin]

Hello,

This is a problem i am having in my upstairs bathroom sink.

I had a Moen single knob chateau faucet that stopped working. It started where I could only get hot water (when i turned the knob to the left), and not any cold water (when I turned the knob to the right). I could see that there was a piece loose when I looked inside the semi-clear knob handle, and was hindering the turning motion.

I decided to buy a new faucet. I uninstalled the broken faucet and closed the shut off valves before disconnecting both hoses. No problem. I got the old one out and was ready to install the new one. I hooked up the cold and hot water hoses and turned the shut off valve to the open position. I turned both of the knobs, nothing. I closed the shut off vales and I then unscrewed both hoses. Just for curiosity sake I opened up the shut off valves (with NO hoses attached) and still no water came out for either hot or cold with the valve wide open.

The bathrooom is in the middle of the house, upstairs, and all other devices in the house are working fine, including the shower in the upstairs bath.

It is very cold here (cleveland), but I don't think any of the pipes are frozen. The place stays pretty warm...

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
- Eric

 

[fast pasquale]

No Idea. Good Luck!....

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Kordts]

Probably frozen pipes.

 

[Randyj]

I'd guess at frozen pipes also...however. I assume you're speaking of supply line valves. One way to check them is to remove the handle if possible then loosen the packing nut. See if you can open the valve a little more as you loosen the packing nut. At some point you should be able to determine if the water is making it all the way to the supply line valve. Sometimes, for God only knows what reason, old valves will get clogged. Seems very unusual that you would have both hot and cold stop up at one time...but I've seen lots of valves and supply lines clogged completely from the crap that builds up in metal pipes and from the shavings of PVC being sawed. I've also had to replace gate valves after the gate dropped and the stem wouldn't pick the gate back up. I'd definitely double triple check the possibility of frozen pipes before I started tearing things apart. If you determine that a supply line valve is clogged you should turn the water off then remove the valve stem and run a wire (coat hanger works) thru the pipe to dislodge the blockage then reassemble and turn the water on. If you can leave a little pressure on the line while doing this it will blow out the crud...be careful not to flood the house when you have a valve torn apart or removed from a pipe.

 

[esmollin]

Thanks for your suggestions.

You think it could be frozen pipes even though both hot and cold water work in the same bathroom no more then 3 feet away from the sink (which doesn't work)?

Thanks.

 

[Rancher]

I think your angle stop valves are filled up with crud or a broken washer. I installed a washer kit in my kitchen sink (delta) and now my cold water runs at about half speed... but I'm too lazy to fix it.

Rancher

 

[esmollin]

Update: so i turned off the main and removed the compression fitting and then the stop valve for the cold water line. slowly turned on the main and still no water. i could look down the pipe and did not see any water, though all other sinks, toilets, and showers are working fine...

 

[Randyj]

Something obviously clogging it. Reckon it's ice?

 

[Cass]

It sounds like a frozen pipe, be ready for a possible flood when it thaws out.

I would be sure to turn off the water at the main shutoff every time I left the house. If it thaws out while you are not home and the pipe is burst you won't like what you have when you get home.

 

[esmollin]

and the winner is... FROZINE PIPES!

thanks for all the replies. i had someone come out with a pipe dethawer and that did the trick. now i just need to find where the draft is coming form and insulate.

thanks again!

 

[Randyj]

Thanks for the update... makes me feel "worthy"..
RJ