Okay, it has been freezing cold here in KY for the last week. All the pipes leading to the kitchen sink, the bathroom, the tub are all fine. My problem is, is that the cold water pipe for the washer is frozen as well as the drain pipe and has been for 3 days. The hot water to the washer is working fine. The washer is against a wall on the back of the house and the pipes lead down into the foundation and we cannot get to them. Besides calling a plumber, which will be my last resort, what can I do?
2007-02-09 17:17:35 · 8 answers · asked by rodam r 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
If you continue to let it freeze it might break the water line. If you can reach part of it with a ceramic heater you probably can thaw it that way. The thing that causes pipes to freeze isn't just freezing weather.....It's the wind with the freezing weather. After they have thawed out see if you can put something there to keep the wind off, Have you ever had a wind chill so cold that it caused your car or truck not to start?
Use cardboard to block the crankcase from the wind it will start.....Field animals always stand with their backs to the wind to keep warm.
2007-02-09 17:39:16 · answer #1 · answered by LucySD 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm afraid this does not make sense, unless the hot and cold water pipes are really far apart and in different temperature areas. A hot water pipe conducts heat from the boiler/hot water heater, so is not likely to freeze. (Even if the pipe is plastic, the water will have more warmth than cold water.) It may be that you are confusing the two pipes, or they were cross-connected. How do you know the hot water pipe is frozen? Usually the pipe bursts, and that is the only way to know it is frozen. If water is coming out of the pipe the dishwasher is connected to (unhook it into a pail or other container to see), you should not have a problem.
2016-05-24 21:06:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do yourself a favor. Unfreezing them without taking care of the root problem does you no good. You will be plagued with this problem every winter. If you can not wrap heater tape around the exposed and coldest sections of the pipe then call the plumber. You will need those pipes rerouted and protected from exposure. Avoid future headaches. Do it now, do it right.
2007-02-09 21:22:09 · answer #3 · answered by V-Starion 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pull them away from the wall as far as you can to create a circulation for air. Then use a hair dryer to thaw the pipes, it may be slow but, it won't burn down the house like a blow torch like one suggested.
If you think it's cold down there, try 44 below zero without the wind chill like they have in Embarrass, Minnesota.
2007-02-10 00:12:45 · answer #4 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WELL YOU CAN GET SOME HEAT TAPE AND PUT IT AROUND ALL YOUR PIPES. IF YOU CAN GET TO THE STORE. I KNOW HOW THOSE HALLERS CAN BE I USE TO LIVE IN WHITESBURG KY. IF NOT THEN JUST TRY PULLING YOUR WASHER AWAY FROM THE WALL FOR A WHILE AND PUT A HEATER BY THE PIPE IT MIGHT TAKE ABOUT A DAY BUT IT SHOULD DEFROST JUST FINE. JUST BE CARFULL PIPES CAN FREEZE AND BUST.
2007-02-09 17:29:40 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
use a hair dryer on medium heat to thaw it...dont use any strong heat though...just medium..the lag your pipes using nylon stockings or suchlike
2007-02-09 17:23:01 · answer #6 · answered by free-spirit 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
blow torch and dry towel. felt the ice in the exposed pipe, use rag to extinguish flames.
2007-02-09 18:09:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
sophisticated step. search on google and yahoo. it might help!
2015-03-23 18:42:12 · answer #8 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋