Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[bertiecbx550]

My mum and dads house is empty and i`ve gone there this morning and the pipes have frozen up and the heating failed...What do i do next? i cant afford a plumber so do i put a few small heaters around the house and try to warm it up that way or wait till the cold snaps over and hope and pray for the best??? God i wish i had listened to my dad more over the years....

[Plomien]

gently heat it up but make sure you stay there while you do incase of broken pipes.
if you use electric heaters it should be fine just don't do it too rapidly
http://www.homeserve.com/emergency/tips-burst-frozen-pipes

[TheBoy]

If leaving house empty, water off at stockcock, and drain the system down.

[waspy]

gently heat it up but make sure you stay there while you do incase of broken pipes.
if you use electric heaters it should be fine just don't do it too rapidly
http://www.homeserve.com/emergency/tips-burst-frozen-pipes

  Not a good idea.

Use a gas heater

[STMO999]

If leaving house empty, water off at stockcock, and drain the system down.

Stocks for c0cks? Old Chinese torture no doubt.

[Proz]

If leaving house empty, water off at stockcock, and drain the system down.

Stocks for c0cks? Old Chinese torture no doubt.

Sounds jolly painfull  :-?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Stop cock off and some small heating on.....and open the cold water tap on the kitchen sink

[Lazydocker]

Stop thingy off and some small heating on.....and open the cold water tap on the kitchen sink

Ahhh I reckon Mr DTM has fallen foul of the word filter

[Marks DTM Calib]

Stop thingy off and some small heating on.....and open the cold water tap on the kitchen sink

Ahhh I reckon Mr DTM has fallen foul of the word filter

Fixed 

[bertiecbx550]

Done what you guys said and also been told by a friend that the central heating wont kick in till the pipes defrost some sort of safety cut out??? i`m just praying that it dont go for a knacker all together....

[Marks DTM Calib]

I should add that an electrical heater will be fine, not much water can get in with the stop cock off and the cold tap open

[Marks DTM Calib]

Bertie, if I was you, I would leave the heating on 24hours with the stat set to around 6degC whilst the house is empty

[bertiecbx550]

If i can get it to come back on i`ve already made that decision mark....Fingers crossed eh?

[Marks DTM Calib]

If i can get it to come back on i`ve already made that decision mark....Fingers crossed eh?

Indeed, fingers crossed. 

[redelitev6]

  If the pipes have frozen then there's every chance of burst pipes when it eventually thaws out ,give all the visible pipework a good inspection ,especially in the loft if you have a cold water tank up there, and look for any bulging pipes or splits,as has been said-turn off the stop tap ,open the taps in the bathroom/kitchen/wc , then get  a hot air gun or hair dryer and GENTLY heat the pipework working from the taps to the stop tap,it may get things moving again ,any chance you can check the water feed into the house ?this may have frozen as no water flow through the pipework could have caused it to freeze at the most vulnerable point ,either way be prepared to run around the house with buckets / dishes to catch any water running through ceilings etc .