Frozen water pipes - what to do? (McKinney, Point: insurance, house)

[Ac82]

Ha after having lived in a place where -20 degrees weren't uncommon our pipes froze here! The McKinney water guy came out, it took him 10 minutes to access the main and he said there's water so it's frozen somewhere on our side. He pointed to 3 white PVC pipes covered in insulation and said that's the main line. It sticks out of the dirt for 3.5 feet before going into the garage, and then back out again in the dirt. I thought that was the sprinkler system?! At any rate, behind the hedge in the dirt there are 5 different white PVC tubes. I'm not sure which one is the frozen water pipe at all. I put up a heatlamp as the water guy said and put a paper box around it to trap the heat, but still no water. Should I call a plumber? How can they help? We're new to this house... I asked my neighbors but they don't know either where there water pipes are.

[jdallas]

check for outside hose connections as well. Builders down here don't usually use anti-freeze hardware and people often forget about them. If that's the culprit, do the same heat lamp setup or use a hair dryer.

By the way, your pvc pipe setup sounds unusual. can you post pictures?

[TheOverdog]

I think you should call someone else - there is no way you have 5 pvc above ground water lines going into your house unless your house is a crazy handyman special.

[Ac82]

I determined that must be the sprinkler system and city water guy knew nothing!
I found the main line, it is metal and in the garage. I placed a space heater there but I have a feeling the frozen part is somewhere under ground (10m from city valve to our house, then it must be under the concrete of the garage before it pops up at the end).
Is there a thing a plumber could do at all? The city guy didn't mention ice nor water at the valve, just that the city water is coming through. He hit the valve thing with his tool a gazillion times before it turned.

[TheOverdog]

How far underground? Your main line is underground and the frost line is only about 4-6 inches deep in TX, so it's probably frozen in a poorly insulated outside wall (possibly on the north side of your house) or in your attic.

[jdallas]

Nothing you can do about ice except melt it but a good plumber could possibly snif out the problem using a thermal camera like they use to detect leaks under slabs.
I'm skeptical about the theory of the main line being the source of the freeze. Those are installed well under the frost line and if it's frozen under your protected garage floor, a 2nd ice age is at hand. Are you sure you haven't located your main drain line instead? What's the diameter of the pipe?
Generally, pipes in your exterior walls are more vulnerable than anything under your garage floor. Check the kitchen sink lines or a line in the wall for a refrigerator if it's along an exterior wall.
I'm guessing you have a slab home and there's no crawlspace, right? That would make this exercise soooo much easier.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by Ac82

Ha after having lived in a place where -20 degrees weren't uncommon our pipes froze here! The McKinney water guy came out, it took him 10 minutes to access the main and he said there's water so it's frozen somewhere on our side. He pointed to 3 white PVC pipes covered in insulation and said that's the main line. It sticks out of the dirt for 3.5 feet before going into the garage, and then back out again in the dirt. I thought that was the sprinkler system?! At any rate, behind the hedge in the dirt there are 5 different white PVC tubes. I'm not sure which one is the frozen water pipe at all. I put up a heatlamp as the water guy said and put a paper box around it to trap the heat, but still no water. Should I call a plumber? How can they help? We're new to this house... I asked my neighbors but they don't know either where there water pipes are.

****The most important thing you can do right now is call a plumber.

If water a line(s) froze and broke in your attic, water lines and water heaters are normal around here, your house might flood when the lines thaw. There is no room for guesswork in this case.

I'm fairly certain the PVC lines the city guy pointed out have nothing to do with your inbound water service.

Have the plumber:
1. Assess your attic
2. Point out your inbound water line and water meter, sewer pipe, and irrigation system. You need to know where all that stuff is-.
3. Next time it gets cold run any cold water tap at a slow dribble and one tap from each hot water heater at a slow dribble. If the exposed lines are part of your irrigation system bury them or cover them well.

[jdallas]

oh, and open your faucets. expanding ice bursts pipes when it has nowhere to go. Give it some breathing room.

[Ac82]

Thanks guys! I called a plumber recommended by home home insurance guy and he said wait and see. Remember how the city water guy said no way it froze in the garage? Well first, that is where the main line, a metal line, comes up, and I decided to put a space heater there and within 45 minutes water came back. I'm now constantly checking for leaks in that wall - it is the garage wall toward the laundry room, and it's North. I think the garage is poorly insulated. The main pipes are insulated, but apparently not enough! We'll have to fix it somehow (adding more insulation to the pipes and the garage doors possibly).
I had all faucets open the whole time, and when it finally melted all the yucky dark water came out. Fingers crossed that the iced up area wasn't big enough to burst nor crack the pipes.
What an experience! And I thought our old state was cold haha.

[jdallas]

Glad you got it worked out. Someone sent me a message pointing out that thermal works best in detecting hot water line failure. This makes sense as I came from Florida where that was one of the main methods for determining leaks under slabs. No freeze issues there.