Uh Oh....I think

Cool Texan · 01-05-2004, 04:59 PM

So our handyman last week used our hose in the back to clean up tools and such. I just noticed tonight that he didnt disconnect it...and it is frozen solid from the handle back to the spigot. Had to pour warm water on the end and use a wrench to loosen and ultimately remove the frozen hose from the spigot. The hose is solid ice all the way through...and the spigot had a bit of ice in the end of it. I cant turn the spigot on now (ice in the system i guess).

Question....is this bad news for the house pipes, the spigot, just the hose, or all of the above? Should I be worried about bursting pipes?? The inside of our home is very warm, if that matters.

:whazzup: :shocked:

01-05-2004, 05:16 PM

Gently heat the end of your hose bib (spigot) with a propane torch. Don't overheat it. When you can turn the handle run the water for a second then shut it off. Look for cracks.

Put the hose in a warm place to thaw and then drain it. I have to do this a few times a week in the winter when someone forgets to drain a hose when filling water troughs.

Cool Texan · 01-05-2004, 05:38 PM

Dont have a propane torch...but i will figure something out. Thanks Keta!

cheers with cups of hot chocolate (too cold for beer)

freespool · 01-05-2004, 05:55 PM

Hairdryer is slower but it will work.

ampersat · 01-05-2004, 06:03 PM

I've got a spigot out front that froze solid this morning. I figure I'll wait until it thaws out on its own. No sense in warming it to melt the ice only to have it freeze again (I'm not gonna stand there for the next 48 hourse with a hair dryer). Once the water has turned to ice, it's already expanded as much as it's going to expand. Either it broke the spigot or the pipe, or it didn't. I haven't checked the one in back yet.

A few years ago, I was in a rental house and the main pipe leading to the house froze in two places. When it thawed out it was fine, no leaks. You just have to take your chances with it.

Cool Texan · 01-05-2004, 06:50 PM

Update...I took my blow torch (read, fireplace lighter) and heated the end and got the ice out of the immediate opening....appears clear to the stopper. I turn the knob a quarter turn (as much as it wants to go), and nothing. Crap!

So now I should just leave it?? Would wrapping it up help at all??

Martin85 · 01-05-2004, 07:21 PM

Is this hose bib coming out the side of the house or is it out seperate in the yard away from the house. If its coming from the house it could be froze back in the pipe a foot easy, if its out in the yard aways it could be just past the hose bib or if its not buried deep then it could be the hole thing froze up.

ampersat has it right, if you dont need the fixture right now then dont mess with it. If its already broke the pipe and its frozen and you thaw it out then all you will do is have a leak to fix TONIGHT :shocked: most pipes that are galv. will make it through ok and so will the copper. PVC not so much. Most of the calls I responded to were frozen pipes and they were exposed PVC. All of the frozen meter calls we went on today were not frozen or had broken freeze plates, just frozen PVC under homes and unprotected areas.

Not much of a typer any other questions 503-253-5722

love2fish · 01-05-2004, 07:22 PM

Cool Texan,
You might try putting a small space heater near the wall where the pipe enters the house. Turn it on low to let it slowly thaw the pipe. I work out in Gresham, and we had frozen pipe calls all day today. Hopefully it will warm up tomorrow afternoon, and we will be over this. Maybe Martin85 will chime in on this one, he's the garu when it come to plumbing problems.

love2fish

Cool Texan · 01-05-2004, 07:43 PM

Thanks for the inputs all. We have them wrapped up now....for what its worth. We'll see what happens. The pipes are galvanized...so hopefully all that rust will hold them together.

Our basement is a finished basement...and gets heat, so its quite warm down here...so the innards should hopefully be ok.

More info as the story unfolds.

Tempered Steel · 01-05-2004, 08:12 PM

CT, I have had this happen many times out here in the desert where it gets well below zero every winter, and I can tell you there is only one way to be sure to fix it.

Wait until about 5 am on the coldest day of the week, go out to the spigot in your Texas Tighty Whiteys, and lick the end of the spigot until it thaws. [img]graemlins/berry.gif[/img] :shocked:

Kidding of course...

Cool Texan · 01-05-2004, 09:28 PM

Texas Tighty Whitey's? You cant wear those....they cut off circulation to your tumbleweeds. :grin:

Hoosier Daddy · 01-06-2004, 07:53 AM

You might look into those heating wraps. There is a small tape looking unit that you plug in and wrap around the pipe and it heats the pipe enough to keep it from freezing.

01-06-2004, 08:56 AM

CT,
If you have to replace the hose bib you might want to think about putting in a frost free sillcock. I have then on all of my outside water faucets and they never cause problems. We also have frost free hydrants.

[ 01-06-2004, 09:59 AM: Message edited by: Keta ]