Tx weather event, frozen pipes

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

The last frozen pipe topic I found was from 2014. I didn't know if I could bring it back up. So here's a new one.

It's all gone as I feared here in central TX. I mentioned before that we're not prepared for such snow and ice events, nor are our homes. It proved true.

I did everything to prepare, as did my friends and neighbors, but those who I have been able to contact, since there are cell service issues, too, also have pipes frozen.

Of course this leaves us all worrying about what to expect when they finally thaw out. I'm hoping a frozen pipe doesn't mean you are destined to have a broken pipe, but I'm worried.

I have 4-6" of snow, with drifts against my back fence almost 2-3' tall. No activity in my hood, with everyone locked in the snow. It's gorgeous, but I'd rather never see it again. Not here, not like this.

One positive is that I have maintained power, while so many areas of TX, and my city, too, have been without, since early when the deep freeze and snow hit. They are miserable, with some, no doubt, in danger.

On a lighter note, I let my dog out for his morning potty and he was befuddled by the snow. He's a big boy, at 98 lbs, but was having trouble walking in it. He didn't know what to do. He thought he wasn't supposed to potty in the snow, looking for his grass. It took a lot of coaxing before he finally relented.

A long and unpleasant night. I hope everyone here who has had to deal with these weather events are safe and secure. It's not over yet.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

Can you turn the water off at the cutoff outside? At least as the pipes unfreeze you won't have as much water damage in the house.

Curious how you know your pipes are frozen? Can you see the breaks in them? I thought most people didn't discover they had frozen pipes until they thawed and the resulting flooding.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@BlueFinch. I hope you get lucky. I owned an old old NY house which had a pipe that frozen whenever temp fell below 20 and the wind blew from the west. Fortunately it never burst, but I did always “buy” more heat on those days and drip the bathroom water, both at the suggestion of the contractor I called the first winter I was in that house. He said that would be cheaper than any fix he could devise.

I have seen the mess a frozen pipe can do, so my fingers are crossed for you and your neighbors.

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

I'm sorry you are having these issues. I live in Ohio so I'm no stranger to snow and we get our fair share of ice but it's not often that we have an inch plus of just ice. Snow and freezing yes. A few years back we went for days with below zero temps and I know many people ended up with frozen pipes if they were on an outside wall.

We are supposed to get anywhere from 10-12" of snow later today and throughout the night. I have a dog and she isn't a big fan of snow. We got a big snowstorm in Christmas day and the snow had blown up against my patio door. I ended up having to push her out the door to get her to do her business. If there is any type of snow on the deck, even if it's only an inch, she thinks that's where she can go to the bathroom.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
Can you turn the water off at the cutoff outside? At least as the pipes unfreeze you won't have as much water damage in the house.

Curious how you know your pipes are frozen? Can you see the breaks in them? I thought most people didn't discover they had frozen pipes until they thawed and the resulting flooding.

@Icegoddess You turn the faucet on and nothing comes out.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@Icegoddess wrote:
Can you turn the water off at the cutoff outside? At least as the pipes unfreeze you won't have as much water damage in the house.

Curious how you know your pipes are frozen? Can you see the breaks in them? I thought most people didn't discover they had frozen pipes until they thawed and the resulting flooding.

@Icegoddess. You know they're frozen when you turn the water on and nothing comes out. Frozen pipes don't always burst; you discover that when they thaw. Since houses in Texas have pipes in the ceiling, this can cause immeasurable damage.

There are not enough workers to repair all the damaged homes so after these incidents, the state is besieged with outside carpet baggers and scammers who supposedly decend on the state to repair pipes and damaged dry wall but take people's money and run. The attorney general has his hands full. Texans should be very careful in hiring repairers.

There is usually a water shut off somewhere in the house. Mine is under a bathroom sink. Shutting it off at the meter requires a special tool. It's wise to shut it off.

@BlueFinch. What part of Texas are you in?

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

@Icegoddess Yes, I will be able to turn the water off, if when it begins thawing, I detect a leak. Luckily, I'm grounded at home, so I can keep an eye on it.

For me, it's only in my kitchen, where the sink and plumbing faces an outside wall. No water will come out of that faucet, not even a drip. My BR's, and everything else, are running as usual. Some of my friends/neighbors have several pipes affected.

Everything looks okay, under my sink, but of course I can only see the plumbing coming out of the wall. We'll have a hard freeze again tonight, so it's gonna be challenging.

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

@Kachina624 I'm West, just on the outskirts of San Antonio, in a little non-incorporated city.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

Just a friendly reminder. If your pipes are already frozen, make sure your water taps are not left open.

Back in the 70's our pipes froze. We had double sinks in the bathroom and both faucets were left open. When the water pipes thawed, the water rushed out of them into the sink and down the drain. Unfortunally, the sewer drains were still frozen outside and the water could not go through.

The sewer pipes backed up. I came home to sewer water that backed up into the bathtub and over flowed onto my floors in the bathroom and bedrooms. To say this as nicely as possible...everything that was flushed into my toilet saturated my floors.

The stink was awful and many things were ruined...I had to replace my carpets and lots of things in my bedroom closet had to be pitched out..

I would suggest to buy heat tapes and wrap the pipes so they don't freeze. They are a good investment.