the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 HiWe currently rent out house and have had no hot or cold water today, im assuming the pipes are frozen, the pipes are in the garage which isnt insulated, the hot water pipe from the boiler is slightly warm and is covered in the black foam insulation stuff but still no water, all other cooper pipes are not covered, as you can tell im not very clued up on house plumbing. Should i go to Leroy Merlin and buy some of the black insulation stuff for the pipes?Any advice would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I'd turn the boiler off until you've found the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I agree with Bugsy but as a generalisation I think it would be fair to say that if you have no cold water then the problem is outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugsy Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Well, two in twentyfour minutes isn't bad.Why not make a cup of tea and wait for some more to arrive.Oop's, sorry, you haven't got any water have you................[:D][:D]only joking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Hahahahhahhaa very funny!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Should i phone a plumber or Saur? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TefkaC Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Hello wee, if your pipes are unlagged your best off getting insulation anyway, Bugs was right you really need to turn off the boiler until you get a flow. Can you get any heat into the garage to up the temp i.e. space heater? In the meantime don't go heating the pipes with blow lamp etc as this is the best way to burst the pipes!!!!!!! Open the 1st hot and cold tap in the system until you have a flow. Hope this helps..Charlie......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Find the stock cock (AKA valve or tap) just in case and put your available electric of gas heaters in the garage you may be lucky and the pipes thaw without spliting.Do not apply fierce heat to the pipes. There is no point insulating till after they have thawed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote user="the wee p"]Should i phone a plumber or Saur?[/quote]Very unlikely to be the mains feed which will be under ground. Much more likely to be the pipes in the garage so unlikely to be a SAUR problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngh Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 If you can manage until tomorrow. I would recommend, turn off the boiler then putting as much heat into the garage (where the boiler is) as possible. If you can, i would also turn off the cold water at the stop tap. If your lucky, the heated room might defrost the pipes overnight.In the morning turn on the cold water first see if its thows out.Without cold water your boiler want work so no cold will mean no hot. You might be frozen outside, in which case you will have to wait for a thow. Hopefully no burst pipes. Can't see what else a plumber would do.You do need to get all your copper or plastic pipes lagged, to stop it happening again. Unless your really unlucky it shouldn't be the pipes outside. As long as they were sunk to the correct depth when they were fitted.Good luckGet the room as warm as you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote user="the wee p"]Hahahahhahhaa very funny!![/quote]With your user name is it completely out of the question [:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 The problems been fixed!! Phoned a plumber who is to busy but told me to switch water off at mains open taps in house and swtich water on, nothing happened for a good 5-10mins then i took heater and hairdryer to the garage and attempted to heat the pipes and it all seems to have worked!! :)So im away to have a cup of much needed coffee!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 No chance of me heating the garage its bigger than any room in the house and is freezing!! Will look into either us or a plumber lagging? the pipes, no doubt this will happen again maybe this week if it stays so cold!Any tips on how to lag the pipes and where to get the materials? (my other half doesnt do DIY so its up to me ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Congratulations !The bigger Brico sheds all stock pre made pipe lagging in various sizes which simply slips over the pipe. It's quite cheap too. As easy a job as it gets, even hubby could do it [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Also they have bigger ready made 'T' for joints. It is also worth buying some cable ties as they sometimes open up on bends and if you cannot find special pices for joints cut the insulation to a V shape so the whole joints is covered then wrap in duct tape or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 Thanks folks, thats my job for tomorrow, if they dont freeze again tonight!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anton Redman Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I would try and keep a heat source in the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnOther Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote user="the wee p"]Should i phone a plumber or Saur?[/quote]Having re-read your original post, which I take to mean you're renting, shouldn't you be phoning your landlord ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 You were lucky this time but there's a possibility that pipes may split when the ice has nowhere to expand to so lagging is a very good idea. Please bear in mind also that hot water freezes quicker than cold so heating the garage dramatically is not needed if the garage is attached to the house it may be that by stopping draughts and insualting windows you may just keep the ambient temp high enough from the borrowed heat from the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I had to defrost and add more insulation to my supply pipe in the cellar today after it had frozen overnight, they were more than 80cm below ground level but the wind had been passing through the ventilation openings.More than 50% of the people at the tills in Bricodepot today had their arms full of pipe insulation like me!I would lag them with something temporary (loft insulation, blankets etc) before trying your luck in the bricosheds.I had been forced to stop the outside work on Sunday due to the prolonged freeze, I thought that I would be warmer working inside but it was -4 degrees in my main building this afternoon (thankfully I now live in a small heated dependance), Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chancer Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 [quote user="BIG MAC"]Please bear in mind also that hot water freezes quicker than cold so heating the garage dramatically is not needed if the garage is attached to the house it may be that by stopping draughts and insulting windows you may just keep the ambient temp high enough from the borrowed heat from the house.[/quote]I think that you have got that backwards BigMac, the rest of the advice is good, insulting the windows sounds like good fun [6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Its true J.R.Hot water looses its temprature quicker than cold, even the scientist's can't work out why.Google it later, got to go out now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Hot water -vs- cold...I was a plumber many years ago!Insulting windows?....go on tell me you haven't...Bliddy things are forever getting stuck, needing cleaned....and don't get me started on Bill Gates's hobby! I rest my case M'lud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the wee p Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 What is a Bricodepot? I can only think of my nearest Leroy Merlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Any DIY shed type place Mr Bricolage . Point Vert. Leroy Merlin. Point P. Bricomarche. If really stuck then some french sticks split lengthways............Joking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.