Frozen Water Line....... VENT

[mh_doni49]

I paid a handyman to go under my MH and install a heat tape. I bought a heavy duty (12 gauge wire) extension cord, heat tape and pipe wrap insulation. This was a few weeks before the temp dropped -- it was still running around 45 degrees here at night.

I just found that my water line froze. So I went and checked the heat tape.

He connected the pipe tape to the extension cord but as best I can tell, he didn't connect the extension cord to an outlet. To the best of my knowledge there is only one outlet under there -- that is under my master bathroom. The MBR has a GFCI in it and when this trips, that underside outlet does not work. The GFCI has NOT tripped -- I've got a night light plugged in to it and it's still on.

I don't see the extension cord anywhere near this outlet. The extension cord is the type that when it has power, the end glows -- there's no glow. I also plugged a hair dryer into this extension cord and it wouldn't run. I then plugged it in INSIDE and it DID work.

GRRR!

[Greg]

I wish I could tell you that I'm surprised, but you have no idea how often things like that happen.

We run into it all the time at work with electric lifts not charging. When you ask them if BOTH ends of the cords are plugged in they ask "Do you think I'm stupid ?", then they often call back and say "I found the problem".

Greg

[mh_doni49]

Yeah I know what you mean. I deal with computers and used to do a lot of the PC troubleshooting in the office. I don't know how many times I'd get a complaint that "my pc won't turn on" only to find out that the PC WAS on, but they forgot to turn on their MONITOR.

[ponch37300]

I hate to put down all "handymen" because there are a lot of good ones out there. But it seems like for every one good one there are a half dozen "hacks" that just want to make a quick buck. Around here it seems like you can weed out a lot of the bad ones quick by asking if they have insurance. Most of the hacks aren't a real business, just slap a sticker on the side of the truck and do whatever to make a buck.

Did you plug the hair dryer into the outlet under the trailer that the extension cord is supposed to be plugged into? Is the outlet under the trailer a GFCI with the test/reset buttons on it? The heat tape itself most likely will have a GFCI on it.

Did you find out where the ends of the extension cord are? Can you get it to the outlet? If not the easiest thing might be to get another cord to plug the existing cord into and reach the outlet. Just be careful how long the total length of the extension cords are so you don't create any electrical problems. Just to get you up and running while it's cold out. This of coarse is assuming the heat tape itself is installed correctly.

Are you on well or city water? Last year the GFCI on our heat tape had tripped and I never checked it before it got cold out so our lines froze. I put some heat lamps under there and in an hour or so the water lines were unfroze but the bottom of the meter had blown out. They are plastic and designed to do that I guess so it doesn't cause damage to the meter itself. Just watch for leaks when you get the pipes unfroze.

Good luck.

[mh_doni49]

I talked to him after posting this. He plugged it into an outlet near the pipe -- but he didn't check to see if it was working. I told him that we know the one under my MBR works because he used it to plugin his work light when he and his friend put up my insulation.

That outlet is protected by the GFCI in my MBR. I've got a nightlight plugged into that GFCI so that I can tell if it trips. Anyway--he ran the extension cord back to that other outlet and now there's power.

I had hoped the pipe tape would allow the water to start to thaw. But it didn't. So I was out there with a hair dryer and decided to touch the heat tape just to be sure it really was providing heat. When I did, I found that it wasn't even touching the pipe.

As I got more into it, I found out that he left the foam insulation that was on the pipe and the heat tape was wrapped around the foam insulation. I removed it and started over (thankfully, the part that I would've had the most trouble with is running the extension cord as that would involve crawling under the MH and I wouldn't fit).

Shortly after the heat tape was actually connected directly to the pipe, the water started flowing (I had connected my garden hose and opened the valve). Now the tape is installed properly and the insulation is wrapped around it.

Believe me -- he's on my never again list.

[ponch37300]

Glad you got it all worked out. Even though you had to do the job yourself when you paid for him to do it! Unless you find a "handyman" that you have experience with or a reference from a trusted source it's a flip of the coin. These stories are all too common and really suck because there are some decent handymen out there. But seems like far more guys just looking to make a quick buck and cut whatever corners they can to collect the check.

I think I would at least call him back and ask for a full refund since he didn't provide any of the materials and he didn't do the job even remotely right. I'm guessing he's not licensed or insured so if he tells you to forget it you can try saying you are going to call the town building inspector and the states attorney general to investigate him. Might scare him into a refund, might not.