Heating Solutions & Frozen Pipes Advice please!!

lou06

Morning
What to do now?

Last night DH managed to get the skirting off underneath the sink without lifting the flooring up and can see that pipes are iced over, which seems like the most obvious answer to why the pipes are frozen.

We were about to put the fan heater, however my Dad then said that he would'nt do this in case the pipe had burst and we still cannot locate the toby/water shut off.

Scottish water were happy to find this for us but due to the snow they couldn't locate it at the time and suggested contacting them again after the snow cleared (it may be possible that it is a shared shut off with the next 2 neighbours houses).

What would you recommend?
Contact a local plumber?
What to do if I thaw the pipes then water goes everywhere and I can't shut it off?

Thanks Louise

ally18

Morning Louise,

So sorry to hear you still have your problems, mine have sorted themselves now thank goodness but then I'm not in such a cold area as you are.

I really hope you manage to get sorted soon, keep posting so we know what is happening.

Best wishes
Ally

lou06

Oh that is good news, was it a difficult job? Thank you and I will post once it is done either way.

Here's to xmas and no frozen pipes next year, as we will be more prepared by this experience !

Risinfromthegutter

lou06 wrote: »

Oh that is good news, was it a difficult job? Thank you and I will post once it is done either way.

Here's to xmas and no frozen pipes next year, as we will be more prepared by this experience !

I'm still frozen too...hope it is rectified soon, let me know if you have any good tips for me if you do happen to rectify it!

x

lou06

Hi Risinfromthegutter

A friend of a friend's husband is a plumber but is working away from home, but managed to speak to him for advice. He recommended that I get a plumber sharpish to get it looked at.

Well I have been phoning around this morning for plumbers and have been told it will be at least a week until they can help. However waiting on a reply from a local plumber just up the road so fingers crossed he'll pity me and help out

mikey72

Have a circular pipe cutter and speedfit pushfit stop ends on standby.
If the worst does happen, turn on every tap in the house and flush the toilets. Cut the pipe upstream of the burst, and push on the stop end. You'll get wet. If the force of the water pressure is too strong, use a push fit stop tap, push it on open, then turn it off. But if you think that may be the case, make sure you have them on hand before you need them.

ormus

i always have an isolating/service valve in the toolbox for just such cases.

ema_o

Before we had our plumbing updated our only cut off was outside, just in case you have the same! Ours is by where the main water comes into our house, is like a mini version of a manhole cover, perhaps about 10cm square.
If you have one the cut off is quite far down the hole.

Hope you get it sorted and a plumber out soon!

ormus

summat like this one.
you will usually need a long key to open/close the valve.
ps.
you can make one out of wood for nowt.

ally18

Hi Louise,

I was very lucky and my pipes thawed out by themselves throughout the day. Still don't know where my problem was though so have to keep an eye on the weather temperatures in future.

Take care
x