Unfreexing Pipes

[Administrator]

Ok I live in California, WE DONT DO 20 Degrees here

So I wake up start coffeee and no water :shock:

We are pretty cold here this mornign, cold enough to freeze the pipes

So this Dumb Komifornian goes on line googles
Unfreeze Frozen Pipes, I come to Bob Villa

OK NOW THIS GUY IS SMART

Here is what he says

When water supply pipes freeze, first restore home heat to the area. Start working on the supply side and leave a faucet open so you can tell when a flow starts. Pour boiling water over cloth wrapped around the pipe, or use a heat gun, heat lamp, or electrical heating tape. Avoid propane torches: their concentrated heat may cause pipes to burst.

I have no problem with this but here is where the noodle of mine kinda starts thinking Like Macho :roll:
Pour boiling water over cloth wrapped around the pipe,

Where in the heck am I going to get boiling water with Pipes Frozen :cheers:

[xr650rocketman]

Time has a habit of resolving many problems Art.......

As this is the "Off Topic" area.....

I just took a little time to read your Bio on the Director page......Once again the world gets smaller....My wife Linda and I were puppy raisers for Canine Companions in the mid 80's.

We had read about the program in Readers Digest.

I believe we had one of the first puppies in Westchester County NY......His name was Zip and he flew in from the Coast and just brightened up our lives a whole bunch. After he went to boot camp we found out he had Lyme disease which had a relatively unknown prognosis at the time and he had to be released from the program.

He lived for many years as a great friend, finally succuming to cancer.

When Steve Jr left for College we got another Lab, named Jake, he hasn't left my side since I got back from the last ride. Dogs are amazing!!!

Your pipes should have thawed out by now!!!!

Steve Smith

[Tatonka]

John - melt some snow (I can send you some if you need)...:lol:

Seriously, good luck with the pipes. If you can find the frozen area that is half the battle, if you have clear, non-flammable access I'd use the propane torch. Good luck, no fires or burst pipes please. :evil:


Steve - John Lorenz is our webmaster & administrator. Art Jurado is a board member who lives in Northern California also.

ps. Labs are great animals. Kelly, my current Black Lab is 11 years young and a close, constant companion. :wink:

[Administrator]

I already have them unplugged, a Little Butane goes a long way

However to finish the story, late saturday night I am cozy in my bed all tucked in and my wife walks in about 11:30 pm and says

Dear, I think we are flooding

I walk down stairs to the sound of a water fall behind the wall, to soon discover that my garage is flooding :shock: :crash:

Well Seems my water softner decided to do its normal back wash an started pumping all that back wash out the back wash piip which happens to be attached to the condesation pipe on the Air/furnace

Ooooo Kkkkk

Now all that water is spraying out the top of the pipe down into my furnace and all over the floor of the garage and the cold air cave :cheers:

Seems the pipe as it exists at the street froze solid with water that was trapped !=!

I grab the saw, cut the down pipe as it is exting my garage and all water starts flowing into the flower bed

I spend the next hour sweeping water out the garage, hoping the furnace did not short out because the water simply sprayed the electrics

Yes , I said yes Yes Yes just like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally :evil:

[xr650rocketman]

Steve - John Lorenz is our webmaster & administrator. Art Jurado is a board member who lives in Northern California also.:

Got it...thanks for getting me straight....

Steve

[Riding the Metro]

xr650rocketman,
No one can disagree with the foundation (Canine Companions for Independence) that does this wonderful work. They're motto. "Exception dogs for Exceptional people" is right on the money!
A few years ago we received our first dog for my son Tim. Lexus III is his name. He's retired and living large in WA. with his puppy raisers.

That was my first association with CCI and has continued to this day. A most rewarding endevour.

We currently have a successor dog "Metro", a Golden Retriever.



pssst....John, get ahold of yourself man, all you need is more power and some dylithium cyrstals to unfreeze you bloody pipes!
Ha ha...your right, we don't do cold here in Kali. Here on the "Moon" we were the hot spot for NorCal at 38 degress last night. Being on the Pacific Ocean waters edge our temps stay consistant year round. Never exceeds 80 and never drops below 35. Lucky I suppose- a perpetual fall like season.

[zilla]

Out here in Wyoming we bury our water pipes six feet deep.. That way they never freeze.. But if they do, then we get a welder and hook it up to the pipes and it thaws them out.. A blow dryer will get it done as well if you can get to the frozen parts of the pipes. If it continues cold and you need to stop this, try wrapping insulation around the pipes, if you can get to them..

[Riding the Metro]

Zilla, just got off of Skype with Tatonka. I don't know you guys do it, living in weather that you do. We're weather wussies here and would probably die living in WY or CO.

Tatonka was saying he's up to his eyeballs in ice and snow. ...buuurrr.

[char393]

This thread made me laugh. It's currently 33 degrees here and it's got me wondering how the native houstonians are going to do with the freezing weather and icy roads? Almost has me thinking I'll keep the kids home tomorrow just so we can stay off the roads. Not because I don't know how to drive on icy roads, but because the other drivers worry me. :roll:

[Administrator]

Char
Now that is fundy, knowing your last place of residence was with Polar bears :Powerslide:

[stickman776]

Whooohooo, it is going to warm up to a balmy 32 tomorrow and a toasty 42 on Saturday.

It was -14 this morning coming into work. :shock:

Kyle

[char393]

I know John. :lol:

I was actually looking forward to some ice, but woke up disappointed. At least the temps are still cool....currently 32. I'm loving it! :Powerslide: