# Frozen pipes throughout



## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Last night it got down in minus single digits, high was bout 20. Same thing tomorrow and evening. I been hammered with calls, some are houses that are frozen up totally in attic from lack of insulation or poorly insulated. Everything is frozen, (poly lines mostly). I don't really know what to do that would be feasible for them and me as well considering I'm turning away calls cuz I just can't get to them. I don't have all day to spend on any one job. Seems the damage is done and it will be in mid 50's on fri. I know gonna be one flood after another. Meantime I just don't know a quick way to get these full attic freezes thawed quickly. Any tips from you guys who live where it really gets cold?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Fan forced gas powered heaters? Trouble is, when it thaws your going to have allot of wet insulation and drywall spots on the ceiling. Maybe hook a vacuum pump up downstairs and heat from the bottom up? 

Dunno, never seen pipes freeze in attic down here. Heck they rarely freeze up outside in the wind.



mpsllc said:


> Last night it got down in minus single digits, high was bout 20. Same thing tomorrow and evening. I been hammered with calls, some are houses that are frozen up totally in attic from lack of insulation or poorly insulated. Everything is frozen, (poly lines mostly). I don't really know what to do that would be feasible for them and me as well considering I'm turning away calls cuz I just can't get to them. I don't have all day to spend on any one job. Seems the damage is done and it will be in mid 50's on fri. I know gonna be one flood after another. Meantime I just don't know a quick way to get these full attic freezes thawed quickly. Any tips from you guys who live where it really gets cold?


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Well it layed it on us. I don't know how many thaws I done but they were in small areas not full house freezes. I would lift the lines anywhere and hear the ice snapping. And I have 3 or 4 tomorrow to do besides other calls.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Oh and to top it all off my truck got an electrical short and I had it towed to get it repaired.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> Last night it got down in minus single digits, high was bout 20. Same thing tomorrow and evening. I been hammered with calls, some are houses that are frozen up totally in attic from lack of insulation or poorly insulated. Everything is frozen, (poly lines mostly). I don't really know what to do that would be feasible for them and me as well considering I'm turning away calls cuz I just can't get to them. I don't have all day to spend on any one job. Seems the damage is done and it will be in mid 50's on fri. I know gonna be one flood after another. Meantime I just don't know a quick way to get these full attic freezes thawed quickly. Any tips from you guys who live where it really gets cold?


 


Is it typically that cold in New Mexico this time of year? 

Whatever you do in the attics of your customers, I would be selling them pipe insulation at a minimum.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Yeah no kidding. I think I could do well selling blanket insulation as well to lay over the piping. Have to get them thawed first and without burning them down. Got a lady in country in well house and 4'x4'x10' chase that has 4 -11/4 pvc lines. All frozen. I thawed piping and Softener in well house. I put 3 electric heaters and left. Our elevation is near 3600 ft. It don't get down in minus bracket very often but does nonetheless. Nice thing is like this week its cold as heck and snowing but by friday it be in mid 50's. Just enough to make a mess.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

I think I'm goona be hammered with calls too. Had my first froozen pipe repair of this blizzard yesterday. CPVC burst in attic. It's been around around 0-10 degrees the last few days. I think we may get above freezing Friday or Saturday. That when the floods are going to start happening.


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## luv2plumb (Apr 30, 2010)

Houston is starting to get the same way...suppose to snow today and tomorrow. It will be in the 50's and 60's this weekend. Should be busy the next couple of days.


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## vinpadalino (Aug 27, 2010)

Is was below 0 last week in NJ. My phone didn't stop ringing. pick and choose the best calls, Give the other calls to someone you know. I'm a 1 man show and there was no way I could hit every call. But when it warms up your going to be slow again.


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## luv2plumb (Apr 30, 2010)

vinpadalino said:


> Is was below 0 last week in NJ. My phone didn't stop ringing. pick and choose the best calls, Give the other calls to someone you know. I'm a 1 man show and there was no way I could hit every call. *But when it warms up your going to be slow again.*


Not here; this cold has jobs on hold, so when it warms up I will be slammed with a couple grounds to put in.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

I started getting the frozen and busted pipe calls about 4 yeasterday, by 530 they stopped, must froze up again. I will be busy when it gets back abouve freezing.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Day 2 of solid freeze related plumbing. All else been put on hold. Made alot of calls, turned away alot cuz I just could'nt be at but one at a time. My truck went in shop too, come to find out the a/c compressor locked up. So been limping along trying to make it work in personal truck pulling the trailor. I'm getting fairly decent at getting those total freezes thawed out. Took a bit to get my "groove' on but it's happening now. :thumbup:


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## shakeyglenn68 (Dec 29, 2010)

When you boys get tired Call me. I tend to 6 apartment complexs, 3 office parks! 135 lines split so far, 75 compression fittings pressed apart by ice flow (ice in line pressed the shut off/hose bib shut off off the copper line. 17 bad solder joints (seperation by cold and ice) one of which was a 2" hot water line poorly insolated!

Silflossed 16 1/2" split elbos & resoldier the joints, silflossed 8 2" split elbos & resoldier joints. That has been since wenesday morning. 24 hour on call, go out even if its 3am!

The 1 that has me puzzled is a 1 1/2 brass compression dresser coupling on a hot water line 44" down stream from the 80 gal. hot tank split! why it had a dresser instead of a solder coupling is beyond me.. but we're also talking about apartments that used DIY to repair everything!

1 office park w/3 office buildings, 14 offices within all without power, 2 story buildings upper floors sewers are frozen, had to pull test tees at first floor drain partly and flush antifreeze into sewer lines, I'm certain these buildings are going to need some serious work after this freeze discovered 4 w/c exploded by freezed "S" traps!


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Where are you man, You sound bored.:laughing:


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

*Up shot.*

Up shot is I started selling blanket insulation to the folks that would hear it. Right now it is triage, will come back in a few days and start insulating. Weather permitting.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I just heard on the news that alot of people in New Mexico had no natural gas. People were without heat and hot water. But the news didn't say why the gas was off. National guard was there along with utility workers from other states lighting stoves for people after gas was back on. What happened to the natural gas in NM?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

This should be a lesson for you southern guys ...

stop putting water lines in the attic.....

what are you going to do if global warming or the axis of the the earth tilts.....

actually if the climate changes that you have our weather and we have yours it would be the greatest thing that ever happened...


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Not sure, I understand that's going on in Taos, NM. Been running too hard to have radio on even. I'll be watching the news tonight. I know here during all this the radio and news were telling people to keep cold water running not hot. So you can imagine what a lot of my calls are. I'm still running triage on last weeks mess so it's been good for me.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> This should be a lesson for you southern guys ...
> 
> stop putting water lines in the attic.....
> 
> ...


Hmmm, how bout you have our weather, we'll take Hawaii's, and give them yours?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> Not sure, I understand that's going on in Taos, NM. Been running too hard to have radio on even. I'll be watching the news tonight. I know here during all this the radio and news were telling people to keep cold water running not hot. So you can imagine what a lot of my calls are. I'm still running triage on last weeks mess so it's been good for me.


If both hot and cold are run in the attic you would have to run both to stop it from freezing


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> Hmmm, how bout you have our weather, we'll take Hawaii's, and give them yours?


real cold is normal up here most nights it gets down to - 30

we do have a lot of frozen pipe problems but the are inside the house....

if pipes were run in the attic up here .... your first call would be in October


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> If both hot and cold are run in the attic you would have to run both to stop it from freezing


Exactly.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> real cold is normal up here most nights it gets down to - 30
> 
> we do have a lot of frozen pipe problems but the are inside the house....
> 
> if pipes were run in the attic up here .... your first call would be in October


My hat's off to you. How do you repipe, bust floors up if concrete? Or are they all basement homes.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> real cold is normal up here most nights it gets down to - 30
> 
> we do have a lot of frozen pipe problems but the are inside the house....
> 
> if pipes were run in the attic up here .... your first call would be in October


Plumbers around here have been running pex in attics on new houses for a while now. I get some complaints about not having cold water in summer.
I dont understand it water goes under slabs, and water heaters go in mech rooms, not attics.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> My hat's off to you. How do you repipe, bust floors up if concrete? Or are they all basement homes.


around here almost all homes are with basement because of the frost levels in the ground. minimum basement footing is at 4.5 ft below ground level.

most frozen pipes are located close to the outside walls unless there is an insulation or vapour barrier problem then the cold air gets in and the pipes break... also it gets so cold here that on many occassions landlords would call me that the hydronic heating system pipes split on the rads.

this was because somebody left the window open a small crack during the night... the cold air goes straight to the rad and splits the pipe even though both the heating system and the cir pump was operating..


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> Plumbers around here have been running pex in attics on new houses for a while now. I get some complaints about not having cold water in summer.
> I dont understand it water goes under slabs, and water heaters go in mech rooms, not attics.


Your telling me I was suprised the first time I heard that guys were putting HWT in the attic...

I guess the cold water would not be so cold in the summer months if it was in the attic


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Our weather would be a cake walk for you. Some years winter seems to almost pass us all together. I'm glad to see it this cold, we appreciate the insect control for upcoming summer.


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## shakeyglenn68 (Dec 29, 2010)

Went to supply house for waterline inso, the young man came out with armaflex for HVAC lines. I said "waterline Inso, Not Donkey!" 

"This is what we use up here." Was his reply
90% of the home was already insolated with the stuff, re-insolated the waterlines after 7 lines froze and seperated.

Went to another store (same company) and got the right inso.

So word of warning if your shopping the Locke Supply on NW39 Expressway and Councel (Show Room) Youll get crap for Inso.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> Our weather would be a cake walk for you. Some years winter seems to almost pass us all together. I'm glad to see it this cold, we appreciate the insect control for upcoming summer.


My goal in life....

to move where it is the same temperature year round......

No worries for heating..... or freezing pipes


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> Your telling me I was suprised the first time I heard that guys were putting HWT in the attic...
> 
> I guess the cold water would not be so cold in the summer months if it was in the attic


I see it all the time,,, high dollar houses, 2 storys with tongue and groove ceilings, chandeliers, and 2 - 50 gal Wh's in attic right above all this. Pan or not it's a disaster on the way.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

OldSchool said:


> My goal in life....
> 
> to move where it is the same temperature year round......
> 
> No worries for heating..... or freezing pipes


Our winters are mild or non existent by your standards, but how do you handle 100 to 105 temps? No humidity though, wink wink.:laughing: We have mountains with 7000 elev, peaks less that 70 miles away though. You might actually want a long sleeve shirt there.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> I see it all the time,,, high dollar houses, 2 storys with tongue and groove ceilings, chandeliers, and 2 - 50 gal Wh's in attic right above all this. Pan or not it's a disaster on the way.


Really .... Big house and no room for the HWT on the main floor...

I see it alot here.... there is never enough room in the mechanical room..

I have been saying this for years.... there should be something under the building code that states that a mechanical room has to be a certain size... to accomadate HWT .. heating and cooling...

and my pet peeve that there should be sufficent exterior wall space to vent everything properly


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

mpsllc said:


> Our winters are mild or non existent by your standards, but how do you handle 100 to 105 temps? No humidity though, wink wink.:laughing: We have mountains with 7000 elev, peaks less that 70 miles away though. You might actually want a long sleeve shirt there.


Actually I was thinking more central america once I finally make the move and sell everything


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Water heaters in attic or 2nd floor should be outlawed all together. And if going to have a mechanical room, there should be required access to each unit no matter if WH, or furnace, etc to access and replace same as furnaces in attics. I was repairing freeze burst copper piping today, 4 leaks behind the water heater, which was pinned in corner by a pool sand pump that was plumbed into all the pool filters and crap. Only way I see to get the old unit out is to disect it, and good luck getting new unit in. I had to all but stand on my head to make those repairs.


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

i live in indiana. my water is all in the attic. 15 years give or take. no problems. you just have to be smart enough and then it ain't a problem. -10 or -15 f sometimes, not very often. breid................:rockon:


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