Pipes in house have frozen - Advice plse

Risinfromthegutter

A.Penny.Saved wrote: »

What heating system do you have? Newer Combi boilers don't require tanks. Cold water is usually mains fed and does not go to a tank. I do seem to remember my parents older combi boiler having a small tank in the loft to feed the boiler but that was removed when the boiler was replaced with a newer model.

It did get quite cold her last night, my browser weather monitor showed -12 which I didn't believe but going outside early this morning with a digital temp monitor showed -10.7C.

I tried my show which is most at risk due to micro bore piping going down a southerly facing solid wall and thankfully it was okay.

So what heating system do you have? Is there a boiler? Does it heat hot water when you need it?

Where does water enter your premises? Where is the mains water tap?

A.penny.saved,

You sound more experienced in this than me, I think my mains water tap is the kitchen - the cold tap is running fine, as normal. No other tap is producing water and my toilet cistern is not refilling.

I have a combi boiler it seems to be working normally also.

What could it be?

Risinfromthegutter

ally18 wrote: »

Risinfromthegutter,

Yep, sounds like the same problem. I am not paying for a plumber just yet! Can't afford it.

ally

My sentiments exactly if I had to pay for a plumber christmas would need to be cancelled or postponed!

Risinfromthegutter

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

It could still be frozen pipes. Do you have a water tank and water pipes in your attic? If so, the insulation could be stopping the heat from the house getting into the attic (that's the intention after all!) but this could have caused your pipes to freeze up.

The central heating is probably on a closed loop system which would mean that as long as it is kept running, it won't freeze.

The water company is right - they are delivering water to the house through the mains, so the problem is inside the house, and therefore not their responsibility.

Watch out for burst pipes when the thaw starts, and as someone else has said, leave the taps slightly open so the water can drain off as it thaws which might help to minimise any damage if you do have a burst.

In the meantime, if you can get up into the loft with a blow air heater, or even a hair dryer, you might be able to thaw the pipes out. Once you are back to normal, you need to lag all the pipes to help stop this happening again.

NB - I'm not a plumber or even an expert - I'm just someone who has had this problem in the past

zzzLazyDaisy,

I don't have any pipes in my attic or a water tank, I used to but it was removed when my combi boiler was installed.

If it is frozen pipes how woiuld i minmise the risk of frozen pipes? Should I turn all my taps on slightly? What about the cold tap that is running as normal? Should i turn that on at all or leave it off? ...I'm scared!

ormus

the older systems had a storage tank in the loft. which fed all the cold taps (inc the cistern) apart from the kitchen sink, which is fed direct from the rising mains.
so the problem will be in the loft somewhere. either get some heat up there to thaw the pipes or wait till the temps improve.
and make sure all the pipes and the tanks are lagged properly.

do not insulate underneath the tank. heat from below is required to keep the tank from freezing up.

Risinfromthegutter

ormus wrote: »

the older systems had a tank in the loft. which fed all the cold taps (inc the cistern) apart from the kitchen sink, which is fed direct from the rising mains.
so the problem will be in the loft somewhere. either get some heat up there to thaw the pipes or wait till the temps improve.
and make sure all the pipes and the tanks are lagged properly.

do not insulate underneath the tank. heat from below is required to keep the tank from freezing up.

What if there is no tank in the loft? What could be problem then? My loft is a converted bedroom if that helps or otherwise?

silvercar

Risinfromthegutter wrote: »

What if there is no tank in the loft? What could be problem then? My loft is a converted bedroom if that helps or otherwise?

There must be pipes going somewhere. You need to see where the pipes are going, possibly very near an outside wall.

A classic sign of frozen pipes is that the only things working are the main kitchen cold tap and the heating.

ormus

you need to check the pipe routes. and see if any pipes are in areas prone to freezing.
i once found a kitchen tap frozen up. the dozy plumber had routed the pipe across an airbrick.

A.Penny.Saved

Risinfromthegutter wrote: »

A.penny.saved,

You sound more experienced in this than me,

Just speaking from my experiences which don't apply to everyone.
There are indirect cold water systems which ARE fed from cold water tanks in the loft. The kitchen is fed from the mains but the upstairs water is fed from the tank. So if that freezes there will be no water to the toilet or upstairs taps. I have never seen such a system myself because none of the places I have lived have used a system like that.

I think my mains water tap is the kitchen - the cold tap is running fine, as normal. No other tap is producing water and my toilet cistern is not refilling.

I have a combi boiler it seems to be working normally also.

What could it be?

See the large picture at the top for how indirect cold water systems work

So for ally18 it is most likely an indirect cold water system with a cold water tank in the loft which has frozen and preventing water from flowing to the upstairs and toilet.
[EDIT] reading your later info, it doesn't sound like indirect. The tank in the loft is for the CH like my parents had with their older CH boiler before it was replaced.

zzzLazyDaisy You will probably have a direct cold water system ie no water tank and mains pressure water upstairs and as already stated you need to find out where your pipes run after they leave the kitchen. A cold water pipe near a cold wall is most at risk and so are any that enter the loft. A pipe must of frozen inside your home, probably one away from normal household heat sources.

Risinfromthegutter

ormus wrote: »

you need to check the pipe routes. and see if any pipes are in areas prone to freezing.
i once found a kitchen tap frozen up. the dozy plumber had routed the pipe across an airbrick.

Thanks.

I won't be home until after dark tonight, is there anything my partner could do to prevent a burst pipe?

The only place I could imagine the pipe freezing is at the kitchen sink, my boiler etc is in the bathroom upstairs

lou06

Thanks for all the advice for this thread. I'm sure my situation is that it is freezing from the outside wall, any suggestions that I could do to help this, I've cleared the snow away from the wall? Do you get any insulation that can be placed against the wall as a temporary mesure?

Lou