Well apparently the sub zero temperatures have blessed me with no hot water?

Question

Is there anything I can do except waiting for them to thaw? I mean not even a drip. But I do still have cold, which has had pressure problems due to lime build up in the lines. I live in a mobile home and I hate it. Right now what can I do to get some water running and for it to be hot? We can't live like this.

Answer 1

Well I don't know where the problem is, except that it seems to be a frozen pipe. I'm surprised that it is the hot water line that is frozen, but not the cold water. It must be that the cold water inlet to the water heater is more exposed to the cold weather than anything else in your plumbing system. If possible, wrap it with heat tape to thaw the pipe and keep it thawed. A heating pad would also work, or a heat lamp, portable heater, or a plain old light bulb. I wouldn't use a torch unless you've had experience.

You can keep your pipes open by letting a continuous trickle of warm water flow from one of the faucets in your mobile home.

Answer 2

Often the reason only one of the supply lines will freeze is because the pipe is pressed down against the insulation in the belly of the home so hard that it has compressed the insulation to a point that its "R" value has been lowered considerably. particularily in Mobile homes elbow fittings are avoided and the pipe is made to bend around a corner. Another very common occurance is in the outside access water heater compartment often people have packed insulation around the water heater. This not only keeps out the cold but also sheilds the unit from the heat inside the mobile home unit. it is best to only place insulation directly behind the access door and leave the rest of the compartment onobstructed. DO NOT install heat tapes within the belly cavity only install it around pipes directly exposed to exterrior of the cavity under the home. check to see that there are no open holes in the belly that allow cold air into the cavity. Carefuly cover them with a peice of insulation and then a peice of heavy plastic or tarp. Spray adhesives are available that do a terrific job to secure the patch in place. If you can locate where the pipe is pressing hard against the insulation often it is possible to support the pipe higher in the belly cavity by tying it to the waste pipe or useing small peices of ridgid insulation placed between the fiberglass belly insulation and the pipe. raising it away from the cold and further up into the belly cavity. you can close the registers and run the furnace many times the heated air that is forced out of gaps or joints in the ductwork will fill the cavity and the pipes will thaw.

just a couple notes on letting the water drip or run a little. If there is not sufficient flow the heat in such a small amount of water will disipate befor it can make it to the pipes underground and it will freeze in the sewer pipe under the home that leads to the underground line. This is much more dificult and time consuming to solve than a supply freeze. it is not uncommon in the midwest for some companys to charge five and six hundred dollars to unthaw a sewer line when the supply line and the heat tape could have been replaced by the same contractor for 250.00. If you let the hot water run damage to the T/P valve can occour because the steady trickle of cold water at the thermostat in the bottom of the tank keeps the unit on even though the top of the tank can be far above scalding. pipes are rated for 180 degrees and I have seen the water temp go so high that the pipe has had small holes blown in it from water that was too hot. I had a customer severly burned from overheated water created by this very practice. If the water is freezing there is something wrong get it properly repaired.

Answer 3

Much depends on where the water heater is located, and on how it is fired as well as how the plumbing attaches to it. Usually in a mobile home, the heater is in the living space and the power is electric. Find the heater and open the drain valve at the bottom a little bit and see what comes out: it will be hot water, cold water, or nothing. If nothing, the supply line may be frozen. If cold water, the power supply has been interrupted. If hot water, a pipe between the heater and the tap has frozen, which could arise if the pipe goes underneath the structure.

Answer 4

If you rent it then call the landlord and tell him to send someone down there to fix it. Once you find the frozen pipe hit with a torch or if you are under the house use a hair dryer. Keep the taps open running water helps to free up the ice. Insulate the pipes if you get a chance it is pretty cheap. And while you are at it install a heat cord. Just wrap it with the insulation and if for some reason the inulation fails just plug it in and give it a few minutes it will warm the pipes up to about 160 degrees. Come on it aint so bad think of the money you are saving.... ;P

Answer 5

A 75W light bulb gives off more heat than you would expect.
I have used one to thaw frozen gas lines on a car in an unheated garage. Put it about 6" to12" from where you suspect the pipe to be frozen and give it sometime (overnight?) open a faucet in the house until it unfreezes. Don't burn your house down the heat will stack up and rise ( remember easy bake ovens?), but it is probably safer than the torch.

Answer 6

Not Me! I hate them. I saw on Today where it is 7°, and 36° below Zero in the Adirondacks. Way to cold for me