So we have had some of our coldest temps in a long time the past few days. Night before last, I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and when I turned faucet on it ran, than went to a trickle then after a few seconds it started running again.

Outside temp was 12 degrees and I figured the pipes were getting a little slushy. Last night before bed, I opened all the faucets to let a slight trickle run.

Woke up this morning and all was good, everything flowed when opened up. The problem is the hot water line isn’t flowing at all. Current temp is 28.

Garage temp where the Rinnai on demand gas water heater is in high 30’s, low 40’s. Of course the water lines are in the walls and no idea the in wall temp.

I have cranked the house heat, put a couple of space heaters in the garage. And have a couple faucets open for hot water. Just hoping/waiting to hear it start flowing.


The plumbing is the red and blue poly stuff, not copper if that makes any difference.


Thoughts or suggestions?

Its starting to warm a bit - If faucits will dribble a bit - let them - should be 40 by 2pm I hope - My furnace condensation drain froze - backed up to the attic where the furnace is. Luckily my "ceiling saver" did its job and shut it down. But house is cold - thawing it out now.
Good luck -

Annnd, hot water now flowing!

Pressure is normal so I am hopeful no damaged/perforated piping anywhere.

As you know I am in the same 'hood as you ... and we too had 12 F.

So far we are doing well, but fingers crossed and will know for sure when things warm up.

Being in a household of women, and myself being old, at least the bathrooms get used during the night so hopefully that water running kept things from freezing up. I do have those commercial " freeze bag " things over the two outdoor faucets.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old dino,

Wind chill is irrelevant when it comes to pipes. Get covers for the outside spigots and drip the water inside. Open the cabinets under the sink as well. When I lived in Wisconsin this was the routine ALL winter.
In case they freeze do not use a blow torch or open flame. Hair dryer works best.

My lines are in the slab, the MBR bathroom is on an exterior wall and the supply line is in the slab and that wall…it froze, now the toilet doesn’t have any water.

This happened last snowmageddon and I had to wait until the slab began warming…that toilet is in the only room in the house w/o heat or ac.

Your sounds like the supply line to the heater froze. If it’s in the slab there may not be much you can do but drip the warm faucet when it gets this cold.

And the red and blue stuff is PEX…

And I found out that they don’t use frost free outdoor faucets here in TX…I replaced all four of mine after they froze last time. Fortunately I know how to do plumbing and drywall and paint…

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Get covers for the outside spigots

Even that isn't strictly necessary, if you have modern frost-free spigots (or interior shutoffs that achieve the same effect, as has been common in the far north for a while now).

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
My lines are in the slab, the MBR bathroom is on an exterior wall and the supply line is in the slab and that wall…it froze, now the toilet doesn’t have any water.

This happened last snowmageddon and I had to wait until the slab began warming…that toilet is in the only room in the house w/o heat or ac.

Do you have a nearby electrical outlet to run a space heater? I have a small space heater with an internal timer and thermostat that I use for my "toilet room" when temperatures dip drastically below freezing. I set it so it runs intermittently.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
And I found out that they don’t use frost free outdoor faucets here in TX…I replaced all four of mine after they froze last time.

Good call. They're very handy, IF...

A) You disconnect any hoses before a freeze.
B) They're properly installed with a sufficient downward slope so that remaining water can drain out when the internal valve is closed.

At my last house, one of the frost free spigots was installed with an incorrect slope. As a result, water was able to pool inside it instead of fully draining, and it still froze and cracked one winter. I had to have it replaced and replumbed with a proper slope.

quote:

posted December 23, 2022 01:29 PM Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Get covers for the outside spigots


Even that isn't strictly necessary, if you have modern frost-free spigots (or interior shutoffs that achieve the same effect, as is common in the far north).

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It is here. Also in Louisiana. Heck they only cost a few bucks. The last time we had a freeze like this the plumbers were busy for WEEKS. My water line runs one inch below the surface and that is common. Most homes here lack an interior shut off. Gutters are also a luxury item. It is the Deep South.

Yeah, frost free spigots aren't as common in the far south, as MikeinNC (MikeinTX?) pointed out. Luckily, I'm far enough north in "The South" that they're required here, and they do work well.

Builders also like to run water pipes through the attic down in the deep south, which is a big no-no in freezing temperatures. But it's cheaper and easier than running them through the foundation, I guess. And they figure it's only a problem when you get one of those "once in a lifetime" deep freezes in the deep south. Or, as we've seen in the past few years, when the "once in a lifetime" deep freezes become an every year thing...

Got the frost free spigots outside, only problem was a couple years ago when a hose with water in it was left connected. Luckily easy enough to get to as it was on the exterior garage wall.

Made sure hoses have been off since.

As for this issue, water distribution is in garage, garage was 38+ as I have a space heater in there to keep some chill off.

No issue with hot on the really cold night two nights ago, so was kind of surprised for there to be an issue last night.

With cold line flowing, my guess is the line out of the heater slushed up somewhere. Since it effected all the faucets in the house, my guess is it was the exterior wall of the garage. Heater is on opposite end of garage from where the space heater is placed.

Put a second heater in the garage near the water heater this morning.

My fear is something bursting in a hard to get to spot causing a big money repair. We are slab construction and all plumbing goes through walls and attic. Central heat also goes through attic. My suspicion is the exterior wall is where the problem was.

Is pex more resistant to splitting than copper?


Crisis averted, should be warming back up into the 50’s in the next couple days. Moving forward I will keep one of the faucets drizzling on the hot side. I think if it is super low flow the tankless heater won’t actually kick on.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Is pex more resistant to splitting than copper?

Yes, but it can still freeze and split.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:
Is pex more resistant to splitting than copper?

Yes, but it can still freeze and split.

I have yet to see PEX split due to freezing temps.

When PEX first came out a sales rep came to my business to try and get us to us it in our houses. After the clamp on fitting disaster a few years previous I was very skeptical. The guy gave me a piece and told me to fill it with water and stick it in my freezer for a week…which I did and it was fine, no splitting. I have used it on about 50 homes since then without issue. Most of the time it’s the copper in the frost spoof spigot that will split if it has any water in it.

I believe you, especially since you have a lot more experience with it than I do.

But I have seen discussion out there of PEX splitting from freezing.

For example, https://www.flowguardgold.com/...f-freeze-proof-pipes has photos and discussion of examples. Granted, that's from someone trying to sell a competing type of CPVC pipe, so needs to be taken with a grain of salt on its own.

However, https://www.pexuniverse.com/pr...prevent-and-fix-them is a PEX seller, and they discuss on their site how PEX can still potentially freeze, as well as discussing the chlorine-related oxidation and resulting loss of elasticity and thus freeze expansion resistance touched upon by the first site. (With references.)

So undoubtedly a more freeze resistant option than copper, but it would appear that PEX is not totally immune to splitting from freezing, especially when subjected to repeated freeze cycles or water quality that would speed oxidation.

Rogue “ Do you have a nearby electrical outlet to run a space heater? I have a small space heater with an internal timer and thermostat that I use for my "toilet room" when temperatures dip drastically below freezing. I set it so it runs intermittently.”

The nearest outlet is outside in the bathroom proper. I’d have to run the heater and an extension cord…I tell Mrs Mike to leave the door open to let the warmth in, but she doesn’t sometimes.

Pex will retain its normal size after it freezes and expands. The crimp rings do not return to normal size and that is the source of pex leaks after freezing.

quote:

Originally posted by sunburn:
Pex will retain its normal size after it freezes and expands. The crimp rings do not return to normal size and that is the source of pex leaks after freezing.

Pex A will recover to normal over time
Pex B (most common DIY type) will not

Assuming you're referring to Pex B, since you mentioned crimp rings.
However, both can be crimped.

Most people who buy Pex A use the expansion method.
Pex B is not rated for expansion.