A couple of years ago, at Christmas, I had the same folks visit
as this time. Some were staying at the cabin, and some at the house. Cabin
bunch called and said "Water is spewing up through the concrete
(floor)!" We turned off the water and carried buckets of water there from
home, and they used showers at the house. After they left, I called my favorite
carpenter/electrician/plumber. He said pipe had burst or (more likely) not been
soldiered when the builder poured the slab,
and after two years of our use it had worked loose. He tied into the waterline
under the kitchen cabinet where it enters house and re-routed through the attic
to the bathrooms. I asked him about the freezing danger. He said not to worry,
he had double insulated pipe and used a special plastic pipe that would
"give" and not burst. I was afraid this had frozen this year.
Fortunately this was not the case. There was only a short section of plastic pipe exposed to the air from where it came from the ground to where it went through the exterior wall. I had insulated all my outside faucets, but missed this little piece of pipe. It had frozen last night and burst today when the sun shined on it. It SHOULD be a quick Fix ( for most people, but will probably take me most of a day).
Fortunately this was not the case. There was only a short section of plastic pipe exposed to the air from where it came from the ground to where it went through the exterior wall. I had insulated all my outside faucets, but missed this little piece of pipe. It had frozen last night and burst today when the sun shined on it. It SHOULD be a quick Fix ( for most people, but will probably take me most of a day).
When I got home last night,
I found my hot water had frozen, but cold water was OK. Isn't it odd how a HOT
water line will freeze before a cold one? I have heard the scientific
explanation, but don't remember.) Anyway, the line thawed
today without bursting. We would have had a mess: my house is built on a conventional foundation, and is only a few inches from the ground in places.
today without bursting. We would have had a mess: my house is built on a conventional foundation, and is only a few inches from the ground in places.
I
just got nicked by one bullet and dodged the other! There is a God in Heaven,
and he smiled on me today!
Some of these same kinfolks
have been coming to visit at Christmas for years, and we ALWAYS have plumbing
problems when they come. After hey left, I told Paula that we must be living
right: we made it through Christmas/New Year's without a plumbing problem. I
spoke too soon
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