Frozen pipes, Winter 2018 pictures

[Terry]

A good reason to remove hoses in Winter.

This home is so cold even the water in the toilet tank is frozen.

This home got really cold. Ice cold!!

So cold even the water vapor in the chimneys is starting to ice over.

And drain lines filled with ice.

If at all possible, keep the heat working, remove outside hoses, open cabinet doors to sinks and lavs on outside walls to allow warmth to the plumbing in the walls. Plumbing on outside walls is where most freezes occur first.
If you have pipes in attics, lay insulation "over" the pipes. Try to trap whatever warmth you have.

 

[Terry]

How are you guys doing out there in this storm?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[LLigetfa]

It's -37C outside this morning but we're snug as a bug in a rug. We are prepared for this sort of cold with a backup heat source.

There are many deaths each year from CO poisoning with the use of alternate heat sources and generators. Lots of fires as well from trying to thaw out frozen pipes.

Air infiltration is often how the cold air enters wall cavities and freezes pipes. Folks sometimes go overboard to seal places that air comes in but overlook places where the air leaks out. When air leaks out through stack effect, cold air will come in where it can to replace it.

Most frost-free hose bibs are only frost-free if you take the hose off to let it drain.

Opening the cupboard doors only helps if there is heat in the house to let in.

 

[Michael Young]

We're freezing our asses off Terry

 

[Terry]

This looks too cold for me. This is someones home?

 

[SWong]

How are you guys doing out there in this storm?

Thanks for sharing Terry! I've lived in our home going on almost 40 years and this morning I wake up to find our kitchen (hot water side) faucet frozen. It's only happened twice in the 40 years we lived here in the city. Quickly ran water on all fixtures especially where I knew pipes were on exposed side of the house. Got wife to chase down her hair dryer and in 20 minutes we finally had water running on the kitchen sink fixture. Look's like I will be chasing down a quality heat gun to add to my tool arsenal. BTW, your pictures are frightening to see....cost to fix would pale in comparison to the cleanup involved. I'll be glad when the temps go above freezing this coming week and this past 8 days has been brutally cold especially when we all get older. I'm pretty handy and have done much of the heavy lifting at home however I'm pushing age 70 and now find it difficult hence now call in people to do the work which leaves other horrors.....lots and lots of shady contractors here in NYC and I watch them like a hawk.

 

[CountryBumkin]

I'm glad I live in Florida. I suggest this Homeowner invest in a seat warmer.

 

[Valveman]

Awesomely terrifying pictures! We have been having problems as well, mostly in the south like Austin to Houston, as well as Florida and Louisiana. These people don't prepare for the cold. They just have water wells out in the yard with a pressure tank sitting there. For weeks after a cold spell like this we will get calls for replacement valves and parts from freezing. We prepare for the cold pretty well here in Lubbock. But even so we have had things freeze this year that have never froze before.

 

[Dj2]

No comment from So Cal.

We deal with earthquakes, fires, droughts, Santa Ana winds, illegals, homeless, corrupt Sacramento and more...but nothing like these pictures.

A friend in NJ just told me that after Hurricane Sandy, homes on NJ shores were elevated up, leaving pipes exposed and now bursting.

 

[Terry]

I might like this picture the best for 2018. Imagine walking through a kitchen like this. It's almost art.

 

[Terry]

Maybe this is a Texas post this year.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Thanks Terry, Really lets us see what its like I've run into freezing pipes very little in my lifetime . but Worst for me was my travel trailer in Elko NV Had to repipe after a cold snap

 

[LLigetfa]

I service jobsite portable washrooms that are often powered by portable generators/lighting plants and when they fail, I see some interesting ice formations. They call me to complain that they ran out of water. LOL Usually they have icicles hanging from them or a nice frozen waterfall coming out the door. Sometimes it is a skating rink inside. Yup, ran out of water for sure... Not sure what they think it will help for me to deliver water except maybe to help them find where all the leaks are.

One of the units had frozen and busted a fitting on the toilet. Rather than report the problem, they would plug in the pump so they could keep using it and then unplug it when they were done. The lower level filled up with water, shorted out the heater and tripped the feed so the whole thing froze again. I had refused to service it long before that but there was enough water in the tank to flood the basement.

They strung an extension cord through the vent and stuck a space heater in it so they could keep using it. Of course without heat in the lower section, the holding tank did not take long to backup in the toilet creating a frozen sculpture. I felt sorry for the plumbers that had to get everything back in working order.

I sometimes come across one with a Herman Nelson Frost Fighter blowing hot air in through the small service door so know the genset likely ran out of fuel for a while and they were thawing it out. One time they let the heater run out of fuel so it ended up blowing freezing cold air into the unit. Both toilets were full and frozen and the morons forced the flush pedals, breaking them. There is no cure for stupidity.

 

[LLigetfa]

I sometimes come across one with a Herman Nelson Frost Fighter blowing hot air

A little Herman Nelson humor...