More frozen waterpipes and an odd solution!

[oldfart]

Well now folks I'l be as brief as possible. (yeah..right) Anyways in my old 1970sw when the temps drop below 20deg. I open up the waterheater closet and point a fan in there to keep the pipes from freezing. Most of the time it works. This week it hit 7deg. and I lost cold water to the toilet, washing machine and kitchen sink, All other faucets work fine. Go figger? This has been an ongoing problem for about 20 years now. (sighhh..) Let me expound further. The problem pipes run ABOVE the floor and under the tub where they are completly inacessable. Not even from under the home. They travel back under the tub and then turn a 90deg. and run thru the wall to the toilet/washing machine and then go down into the floor to the kitchen. Yes..it's freezing right at that ++++ 90deg. bend which is next to the outside wall. Today I found an odd solution! I turned on the hot&cold water faucets in the kitchen sink. Remember I still have hot there..but no cold. Then I plugged the spigot with my finger. Purely aggravation..not a real idea. Anyways, the hot water backfed the cold water line thru the kitchen faucet and the toilet tank filled up with warm water! Hmmm? Shazzam! An epihany! I did this a coupl'a more times and the line thawed out! This is only a band-aid solution but helps in an emergency. This spring I'm gutting the bathroom and will correct this problem permantly! Thought this might help someone else out. YMHS..Audie..the Oldfart!

[Greg]

How about sliding foam insulation down the pipe?? if you use 1" you may have enough room inside to make the 90* bend.

[Furball]

Wow, OF! I was really awed by this solution.

[oldfart]

Well now folks there was another friend that sent me an answer to this problem and had me scratchin' my head. See, back when I remodeled the master-bedroom there was a grill right behind the head-board..right where this ++++ 90deg. fitting freezes. Of course when I layed the new drywall I covered up that hole. Yeah..go ahead and laugh...hindsight is always 20/20..eh? Now there's no way a fat old 52yr. old man is gonna wedge his'sef in/around/under that tub and water-heater to shove a piece of insulation 6ft. yonder to correct this problem. It just ain't gonn'a happen. Cain't git to it from underneath. Don't want to yank the tub out right now..though I'm seriously considerin' it! The other option (thank you M'am) is to cut a hole thru my bedroom drywall and let heat git in there and do what it did for many years. Arrrghhh! I'm sittin' here on the edge of the bed..drywall saw in hand and tears runnin' down my flabby cheeks...thinkin' about it. Lord...I worked so hard to fit that drywall and finish it up right-smart an proper..show me the way...or keep the temps above 20deg. till spring when I'll rip out that ++++ bathroom and run the pipes the way they should'a been run! Audie..the Oldfart...still ponderin'..

[SpongeBob]

OF, If you know exactly where the fitting is freezing can you make a teensie-weenie hole and insert the straw like nozzle from a can of expanding insulating foam? Make a hole below and above the fitting that way when the area is filled you will begin to see the foam exiting the second hole. I think these small holes would be an easy fix after installing the foam isulation. Just a thot.
-Bob

[Robert]

Just don't thaw it out too fast. Do it ever so slowly.



Take care and best wishes,
Robert