Thanks for your advice. You saved me a lot of money I had no water at all for 3 days due to frozen pipes. I added the same heating cable that you mentioned and the next day I had water. You saved my life. Thanks again!
Good video, but you didn't mention the most basic and effective method to prevent pipes from freezing. Let the water trickle during the cold spells before they have a chance to freeze. I have a bathroom above an unheated garage that would freeze up in 0 to 15 degrees. I used to heat the garage with a propane heater(can be costly going through a 20 lb tank in eight hours.) I just learned about the trickle method and it got me through the last 3 days of arctic brutally cold weather.It's a very good technique!!!
Putting heat on the water main pipe saved our lives! Thanks so much. Did not find any of this information reading several other internet articles! Especially when to turn the water on and off! Way to go!
you all prolly dont give a damn but does anybody know a trick to log back into an instagram account? I was stupid forgot the password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me!
@Axton Lionel i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and im in the hacking process now. Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
It's also good to mention that a good start point is to trace and locate the pipes from the faucet that doesn't run first and start thawing there first. A infrared thermometer is also a good tool to quickly assess frozen pipe temperatures. Overall good video and very informative.
I woke up to frozen pipes this morning after forgetting to leave my faucet dripping last night and you're right, IT'S A NIGHTMARE. I used a combination of a space heater, hair dryer, and I dumped hot water (from a bottle) down one of the drains, eventually the pipes thawed after approximately 3 hours. I've had my faucet trickling ever since, never again lol.
Thank you for the video, My second floor (main bath) shower/tub drain is frozen due to it being -10 degrees F right now. Since I can't access the drain, would letting the hot water run slow help?
Quick Note* You should check your heat tape cable ever year to verify that it is still heating. You wouldn’t believe how many times we have seen failed heating tape that is 4-6 years old. Although the newest heat tape on the market is better because it is thermal activated (which reduces it’s usage to freezing temperatures and prolongs it’s lifespan) it would be a good idea to also get a “Thermal Cube” to plug the heat tape into as a additional safeguard👍🏻
One option that wasn't mention which is becoming the preferred method. Intermittent warm water circulation, not because it uses a fraction of the energy consumed by heat tape, but because it last longer, protects longer pipe runs, protects pipes in walls and doesn't have a history of causing fires like heat tape. Circulating warm water through both hot and cold water lines prevents the water inside the pipes from forming crystals which lead to frozen pipes. Water in motion is harder to freeze and add the fact that the water inside the pipes is being replaced with warmer water makes it twice as hard for pipes to freeze. Convection between water molecules spreads the heat throughout the branched pipes until temperature equilibrium is achieved. The installation requires connecting four hoses underneath the sink to the ATC3000. Once connected, the system utilizes an Intelli-circ controller and "water contacting" temperature probe to sense real-time water temperature. Based on a user selected temperature setpoint, the system energizes a circulating pump and solenoid valve causing water to be drawn from the water heater (protecting hot water pipe) while pushing the existing near freezing water in the pipe into the cold water line (protecting cold water pipe) where the water travels and enters the water heaters cold water inlet. Where the majority of people get lost in understanding where does the water go. The water that's being evacuated/purged from the lines is being pump or circulated back into the water heater. How is that possible? It's possible because All the cold water faucets in the home get their water from the same exact pipe that the water heater refills from. The cities water main enters the home, fills the water heater and then continues on to service all the cold water taps. How can the pump push water into the cold water line? Since both hot and cold water lines have the same water pressure, they cancel out each other. So, there's no pressure to overcome during the process. This process is more efficient because the thermal energy is applied to the water in the pipe. Resulting in an obviously higher percentage of energy being applied to preventing pipes from freezing. Compare this to heat tape where most of it's heat is lost to the surrounding air. And, with heat tapes "continuous" consumption of 7+ watts per foot of pipe compared to Intelli-Circ's 40 watts "intermittent" energy consumption to protect 250'+ of pipe.
Still working on defrosting them. The pipes in the basement feel cold, but not freezing. I see no frost on anything, nor under the sink. Could it be frozen in between the wall where I can't see? Don't know if that makes sense. I've been hitting it with a heat gun for about 20 minutes, and nothing. The kitchen is the only one that's not running. The rest of the house is fine. On Sunday we are going to have above freezing temps. Should I shut the water off to the kitchen and just let it thaw by itself, or do I need to keep the heat gun on the pipes for a longer period of time? THANK YOU so much, I cannot afford a plumber and have no insurance, so burst pipes would be a disaster
This is somewhat incorrect, if you know approximately where the ice blockage is located open the faucet and heat the frozen pipe starting from the open faucet end of the blockage because if the frozen section is not small enough to be loosened by the melting ice and the whole pipe getting warm the pressure that he says will push the clog might actually build up and split the pipe. Copper pipes will split because of the ice expansion and/or the pressure build-up behind the ice.
Oh boy, i just got home and no water. IT IS COLD OUTSIDE! turned heat up to try warming everything because it is too cold to go under that crawl space. I dont understand how to find the frozen pipe and are we to leave the main water valve on? What will make them (pipes burst)? Mine are vinyl or plastic......
Would it be okay to turn off the water main before any trouble starts, run the water out of the pipes, and turn water back on during the warmest part of the day? Expecting a full weak of freezing nights, is this a bad idea?
Good question, it's better to keep a steady stream of water running (even just a trickle). That way the pipes won't totally freeze. I'd recommend using that heat tape on the main water line pipe that feeds the rest of the house.
FYI...those sillcock exterior spigot valves are complete crap (at least the ones sold at the big box stores). I installed two different brands on my home and in less than two years, the interior copper extensions leading to the rear gate snapped off inside. They are very expensive yet weak overall and have air lock/knocking issues while working. I'd suggest a standard ball valve inset into the house and insulate the void/pipe prior to every winter season.....or also add interior ball valves near the outside wall and just shut off before each winter. Alot better confidence in either situation .
Thanks Scott for your feedback, I've had one issue with one but the rest are good. That said, I also like ball valves on the inside of the house and drain the outside spigot before winter.
That's the problem I have, bathroom sink and water that refills the toilet tank on the 2nd floor is frozen. But the shower is fine. I tried the space heater on low for a few hours and that didn't work. Going to try it on high in the morning.
I like how you say: " you need to put the thermostat for the heating cable on the coldest section of the pipe", yet there is a heating duct 6" from the pipe where you placed the thermostat! Wonder why it won't turn on..!?!?!
Keep in mind logtec1977 that heating cables can also be used as insurance against pipes freezing and that can mean when the electricity goes out...which means no furnace.
if pipes are froze its good in case it bursts. less water to deal with but need to thaw as quick as you can. might have to open a wall or floor to get at the frozen pipe use hair dyer or propane torch to heat the pipe. be careful of fire
is it safe to turn off the water main before the pipe freezes? doesnt it make more sense to turn the on back off once frozen to stop the pressure from trying to push a frozen clog through?
If you have a frozen pipe try to thaw it with either a heat gun or hair dryer. 15-20 minutes of heat will help. It's a pain to hold the heat on the pipe for that long but if you have copper pipes the heat will radiate outward and hopefully break up the ice.
Looks like i thought it would work but i still have zero water although i been running space heater under sink and running heat. I am not getting a drop! HELP!!!!
That stinks COOKING OPTIONS - are the pipes on an outside wall? And are do you know if they run from the room down to a basement or crawl space or under the house?
That stinks ***** - were you able to get it fixed? It's been so cold lately. Today's temp in Pittsburgh started at 0F then heated up to 9F by mid morning!!
You know what *****, you could use a SharkBite slip fitting and SharBite coupling fitting to fix the section of pipe. Then at least you'd have water. Is it a 1/2 inch copper pipe and can you reach it?
Jeff Patterson Not sure yet, the plummer will have to open a small section of the wall, but only a small section, I could hear where the water is coming from but I can't see it.
+Jeff Patterson The Hot Water Lobster Instant hot Water Valve uses thermal convection (generated within your water heater) to keep the water circulating through your hot and cold pipes (without wasting any water) providing instant hot water and great pipe freeze prevention..
@@elmalo2786 she's a woman what you expect? and if you look at her picture you could tell she's the type that's all about boys dating marriage and kids
Thanks for your advice. You saved me a lot of money I had no water at all for 3 days due to frozen pipes. I added the same heating cable that you mentioned and the next day I had water. You saved my life. Thanks again!
Good video, but you didn't mention the most basic and effective method to prevent pipes from freezing. Let the water trickle during the cold spells before they have a chance to freeze. I have a bathroom above an unheated garage that would freeze up in 0 to 15 degrees. I used to heat the garage with a propane heater(can be costly going through a 20 lb tank in eight hours.) I just learned about the trickle method and it got me through the last 3 days of arctic brutally cold weather.It's a very good technique!!!
Putting heat on the water main pipe saved our lives! Thanks so much. Did not find any of this information reading several other internet articles! Especially when to turn the water on and off! Way to go!
awesome!! Glad to hear it helped out 👍🏼
you all prolly dont give a damn but does anybody know a trick to log back into an instagram account?
I was stupid forgot the password. I appreciate any assistance you can give me!
@Lucas Bentley Instablaster =)
@Axton Lionel i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site on google and im in the hacking process now.
Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Axton Lionel it worked and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy!
Thank you so much you really help me out !
Very good Video wake up this morning my pipes were frozen I did the space heater and blow dryer method IT WORKED THANKS SO MUCH .
Awesome 😎 glad it was helpful, stay safe and warm 🔥
It's also good to mention that a good start point is to trace and locate the pipes from the faucet that doesn't run first and start thawing there first. A infrared thermometer is also a good tool to quickly assess frozen pipe temperatures. Overall good video and very informative.
Just woke up to frozen kitchen pipes! Thank you for this video...and all your other videos they are a big help
Great job thawing them Michelle, you deserve all the credit. Glad our video could help
I had to come back and give you a thumbs up because you saved me some dough. My little heater did the job. Thanks man
Thank you, the space heater under a cleared sink cabinets did the trick.
Awesome Colin, it was super cold today in the Northeast. Glad you fixed the problem.
I woke up to frozen pipes this morning after forgetting to leave my faucet dripping last night and you're right, IT'S A NIGHTMARE. I used a combination of a space heater, hair dryer, and I dumped hot water (from a bottle) down one of the drains, eventually the pipes thawed after approximately 3 hours. I've had my faucet trickling ever since, never again lol.
Thank you for the video, My second floor (main bath) shower/tub drain is frozen due to it being -10 degrees F right now. Since I can't access the drain, would letting the hot water run slow help?
It would help, the warm water should melt the water frozen in the trap
Quick Note* You should check your heat tape cable ever year to verify that it is still heating. You wouldn’t believe how many times we have seen failed heating tape that is 4-6 years old. Although the newest heat tape on the market is better because it is thermal activated (which reduces it’s usage to freezing temperatures and prolongs it’s lifespan) it would be a good idea to also get a “Thermal Cube” to plug the heat tape into as a additional safeguard👍🏻
In my bathroom, only the shower area drain is frozen. and which is inside the wall and i dont have access to it. what to do in such cases ?
How long does it take to unfreeze because mine aren’t unfreezing I been at for 3 hours
You still working on it or nah?
Good Job thamk you
One option that wasn't mention which is becoming the preferred method. Intermittent warm water circulation, not because it uses a fraction of the energy consumed by heat tape, but because it last longer, protects longer pipe runs, protects pipes in walls and doesn't have a history of causing fires like heat tape. Circulating warm water through both hot and cold water lines prevents the water inside the pipes from forming crystals which lead to frozen pipes. Water in motion is harder to freeze and add the fact that the water inside the pipes is being replaced with warmer water makes it twice as hard for pipes to freeze. Convection between water molecules spreads the heat throughout the branched pipes until temperature equilibrium is achieved.
The installation requires connecting four hoses underneath the sink to the ATC3000. Once connected, the system utilizes an Intelli-circ controller and "water contacting" temperature probe to sense real-time water temperature. Based on a user selected temperature setpoint, the system energizes a circulating pump and solenoid valve causing water to be drawn from the water heater (protecting hot water pipe) while pushing the existing near freezing water in the pipe into the cold water line (protecting cold water pipe) where the water travels and enters the water heaters cold water inlet.
Where the majority of people get lost in understanding where does the water go. The water that's being evacuated/purged from the lines is being pump or circulated back into the water heater. How is that possible? It's possible because All the cold water faucets in the home get their water from the same exact pipe that the water heater refills from. The cities water main enters the home, fills the water heater and then continues on to service all the cold water taps. How can the pump push water into the cold water line? Since both hot and cold water lines have the same water pressure, they cancel out each other. So, there's no pressure to overcome during the process.
This process is more efficient because the thermal energy is applied to the water in the pipe. Resulting in an obviously higher percentage of energy being applied to preventing pipes from freezing. Compare this to heat tape where most of it's heat is lost to the surrounding air. And, with heat tapes "continuous" consumption of 7+ watts per foot of pipe compared to Intelli-Circ's 40 watts "intermittent" energy consumption to protect 250'+ of pipe.
Your trick did work. Thank you!
Awesome, thanks Raj. Which tip did you use?
Still working on defrosting them. The pipes in the basement feel cold, but not freezing. I see no frost on anything, nor under the sink. Could it be frozen in between the wall where I can't see? Don't know if that makes sense. I've been hitting it with a heat gun for about 20 minutes, and nothing. The kitchen is the only one that's not running. The rest of the house is fine.
On Sunday we are going to have above freezing temps. Should I shut the water off to the kitchen and just let it thaw by itself, or do I need to keep the heat gun on the pipes for a longer period of time?
THANK YOU so much, I cannot afford a plumber and have no insurance, so burst pipes would be a disaster
Keep applying heat and keep the faucet open so that the frozen section can though. It might take awhile, be careful not to catch anything on fire
Ok thank you! Hope you all are staying warm 😊
Our water was freezing in the pump house, almost right at the main spigot. Pouring salt down the line solved our issue
This is somewhat incorrect, if you know approximately where the ice blockage is located open the faucet and heat the frozen pipe starting from the open faucet end of the blockage because if the frozen section is not small enough to be loosened by the melting ice and the whole pipe getting warm the pressure that he says will push the clog might actually build up and split the pipe. Copper pipes will split because of the ice expansion and/or the pressure build-up behind the ice.
Oh boy, i just got home and no water. IT IS COLD OUTSIDE! turned heat up to try warming everything because it is too cold to go under that crawl space. I dont understand how to find the frozen pipe and are we to leave the main water valve on? What will make them (pipes burst)? Mine are vinyl or plastic......
Would it be okay to turn off the water main before any trouble starts, run the water out of the pipes, and turn water back on during the warmest part of the day? Expecting a full weak of freezing nights, is this a bad idea?
Good question, it's better to keep a steady stream of water running (even just a trickle). That way the pipes won't totally freeze. I'd recommend using that heat tape on the main water line pipe that feeds the rest of the house.
My pipes are under my house when I looked thru the crawl space I can see that it’s frozen but I can’t get to it. What to do?
Same here. My pipes are not exposed at all. All in the walls
i have a crawl space to. plug up a kerosene heater untder there
good ideas!!
FYI...those sillcock exterior spigot valves are complete crap (at least the ones sold at the big box stores). I installed two different brands on my home and in less than two years, the interior copper extensions leading to the rear gate snapped off inside. They are very expensive yet weak overall and have air lock/knocking issues while working. I'd suggest a standard ball valve inset into the house and insulate the void/pipe prior to every winter season.....or also add interior ball valves near the outside wall and just shut off before each winter. Alot better confidence in either situation .
Thanks Scott for your feedback, I've had one issue with one but the rest are good. That said, I also like ball valves on the inside of the house and drain the outside spigot before winter.
Hard to do this when your pipes are in walls!
That's the problem I have, bathroom sink and water that refills the toilet tank on the 2nd floor is frozen. But the shower is fine. I tried the space heater on low for a few hours and that didn't work. Going to try it on high in the morning.
So what happens if it's frozen in the wall
find exposed pipe closest to the frozen section and heat it until it thaws
You can cut the sheetrock to expose the pipe. Make sure u don't cut the pipe.
I like how you say: " you need to put the thermostat for the heating cable on the coldest section of the pipe", yet there is a heating duct 6" from the pipe where you placed the thermostat! Wonder why it won't turn on..!?!?!
Keep in mind logtec1977 that heating cables can also be used as insurance against pipes freezing and that can mean when the electricity goes out...which means no furnace.
Bruh, if electricity goes out, no heating cables will work. So your still screwed lol.
Is just turning off the main valve good or bad ?
if pipes are froze its good in case it bursts. less water to deal with but need to thaw as quick as you can. might have to open a wall or floor to get at the frozen pipe use hair dyer or propane torch to heat the pipe. be careful of fire
only in case of frozen pipes other wise leave water on
frozen or burst
g d frozen
We tried the hair dryer didn't thaw out
Very informative video. Thank you. Side note: you are adorable!
Thanks Octavia, glad the video helped
is it safe to turn off the water main before the pipe freezes? doesnt it make more sense to turn the on back off once frozen to stop the pressure from trying to push a frozen clog through?
not sure I follow what you're trying to explain
Should I turn off the main water source?
Do you have a frozen pipe Seanpierpont?
Can you help with advice ?
If you have a frozen pipe try to thaw it with either a heat gun or hair dryer. 15-20 minutes of heat will help. It's a pain to hold the heat on the pipe for that long but if you have copper pipes the heat will radiate outward and hopefully break up the ice.
maybe you should mention they can burst at the beginning of the video
Thanks Clifford for the suggestion
I hate the cold
Looks like i thought it would work but i still have zero water although i been running space heater under sink and running heat. I am not getting a drop! HELP!!!!
That stinks COOKING OPTIONS - are the pipes on an outside wall? And are do you know if they run from the room down to a basement or crawl space or under the house?
under mobile home
K
I should have seen this video 3 days ago because a pipe broke in my house.
That stinks ***** - were you able to get it fixed? It's been so cold lately. Today's temp in Pittsburgh started at 0F then heated up to 9F by mid morning!!
Jeff Patterson Not yet, I just turned the water off and now have to wait for a plumber. I should have it fixed in 1 - 3 days.
You know what *****, you could use a SharkBite slip fitting and SharBite coupling fitting to fix the section of pipe. Then at least you'd have water. Is it a 1/2 inch copper pipe and can you reach it?
Jeff Patterson Not sure yet, the plummer will have to open a small section of the wall, but only a small section, I could hear where the water is coming from but I can't see it.
That's the worst. I'm sure the plumber will remove the old pipe and put in a new section. Keep me posted.
It's funny that he talks slow for all us morons
Olololol
It's much easier to just install a Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve.
hmm, never heard of it...how does it work?
+Jeff Patterson The Hot Water Lobster Instant hot Water Valve uses thermal convection (generated within your water heater) to keep the water circulating through your hot and cold pipes (without wasting any water) providing instant hot water and great pipe freeze prevention..
???
You're so cute lol
It's amazing what video can do 02Nawal - haha!
Jeff Patterson i know right!
02Nawal is that all you got out of the video?
@@elmalo2786 she's a woman what you expect? and if you look at her picture you could tell she's the type that's all about boys dating marriage and kids