This semi-old house

[BobA 1,235]

4 hours ago, Handyman said:

You can run a hot shower essentially infinitely but you might not be able to shower and run a washing machine or dishwasher at the same time.

You can find ways around this though. For instance I bath in the washer at laundry time. I tried showering in the dishwasher but kept getting stuck with forks. 

[Handyman 5,682]

You can find ways around this though. For instance I bath in the washer at laundry time. I tried showering in the dishwasher but kept getting stuck with forks. 

That’s genius. I thought I was doing well saving water by peeing in the shower. I’m stealing your plan.

[capt14k 2,052]

Now to correct some of the wrong answers.

 

You never ever ever ever use a Furnco fitting inside of a house. Quick story. An old lady hired a clown jack of all trades contractor to remodel her bath. She had copper drain lines. New tub didn't line up. It rarely does. Clown contractor and his little Home Depot pocket torch couldn't heat pipe to solder. He used a Furnco. Her granddaughter was constantly sick for the next six months. They called us. I walked in the house and immediately smelt sewer gas. That is why you never use a Furnco inside of a house. The correct double banded coupling is allowed, but in the case of the story told we soldered the pipe.

 

Single Navien Tankless water heaters usually do not need the gas line increased. They can also be piggybacked. Size needed depends on fixtures.

 

You can legally drain washer into slop sink. For the water just tee off the hot and cold lines.

 

 

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[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Just got back to the house after being away for a day, go to run some water from the kitchen faucet and got just a dribble that soon stopped.

Uh oh... Frozen pipe?

Yep.  Didn't take long to find it - main water supply line, looks like it broke the solder joint on a coupling.  I'll take that over a split pipe somewhere else.

Got a heat gun out and thawed it enough that I could turn the supply valve off.

Any reason why I shouldn't just replace that soldered coupling with a sharkbite coupling?

Not sure what to do to get water flowing again - I'm guessing that line is frozen down below the concrete...

 

 

[Zeke 5,504]

5 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

Just got back to the house after being away for a day, go to run some water from the kitchen faucet and got just a dribble that soon stopped.

Uh oh... Frozen pipe?

Yep.  Didn't take long to find it - main water supply line, looks like it broke the solder joint on a coupling.  I'll take that over a split pipe somewhere else.

Got a heat gun out and thawed it enough that I could turn the supply valve off.

Any reason why I shouldn't just replace that soldered coupling with a sharkbite coupling?

Not sure what to do to get water flowing again - I'm guessing that line is frozen down below the concrete...

 

 

Re solder coupling? Heat pipe at same time...

[capt14k 2,052]

You can try and snake it to break it up. Pour different solutions down it. Use a blow bag. Best solution use Electric (preferably proper hot box). If below slab it shouldn't be frozen too deep.

 

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[T Bill 649]

If the pipe broke there, then it was froze there.  Is that possible?  Otherwise the whole area should be flooded.  Just clean up and resolder.  You would be surprised how little ice it takes to stop water flow. Put heat to slab to defrost.

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Decided to replace the soldered coupling with a sharkbite coupling - will make for a handy drain point if I want to drain the plumbing in the future.

Heated up the section of pipe going into the slab with a propane torch until all the water in it boiled out.  Still no flow from water supply.  Turned off the valve and called it a night.  I’ll try again tonight with a heat gun directed at concrete around the pipe.  

[Zeke 5,504]

3 hours ago, DirtyDigz said:

Decided to replace the soldered coupling with a sharkbite coupling - will make for a handy drain point if I want to drain the plumbing in the future.

Heated up the section of pipe going into the slab with a propane torch until all the water in it boiled out.  Still no flow from water supply.  Turned off the valve and called it a night.  I’ll try again tonight with a heat gun directed at concrete around the pipe.  

Well or city water?

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

19 minutes ago, Zeke said:

Well or city water?

City

[Zeke 5,504]

Just now, DirtyDigz said:

City

Idk. Might look into @Krdshrk heat tape. I know it’s getting warmer. But you froze in slab or underground. That’s a lot of thermal mass

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Heat tape works for the contact surface that it's touching... but it sounds like it froze from the pipe coming in... Dunno if you have a space heater or something that you can direct at the area where the pipe comes in

[Zeke 5,504]

6 minutes ago, Krdshrk said:

Heat tape works for the contact surface that it's touching... but it sounds like it froze from the pipe coming in... Dunno if you have a space heater or something that you can direct at the area where the pipe comes in

Metal conducts heat. 

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Going to set up some clamps to hold a heat gun pointed at the spot where the pipe exits the concrete and let it run overnight, but yeah, expecting this might take a couple of days.  Thankfully ambient temps will help for the rest of the week

[Handyman 5,682]

Going to set up some clamps to hold a heat gun pointed at the spot where the pipe exits the concrete and let it run overnight, but yeah, expecting this might take a couple of days.  Thankfully ambient temps will help for the rest of the week

What kind of heat gun? Some of those are not good to leave unattended. You might want to let the fire department know so they can be on standby.


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[Zeke 5,504]

13 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

Going to set up some clamps to hold a heat gun pointed at the spot where the pipe exits the concrete and let it run overnight, but yeah, expecting this might take a couple of days.  Thankfully ambient temps will help for the rest of the week

Ambient is working from top down. Your down a min of 36”. Just watch your heat gun umk. Only need pipe to be 33 for agua 

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

9 minutes ago, Handyman said:

 

What kind of heat gun?

 

An ultra-reliable, safe and quality built harbor freight heat gun.   Not a good idea, huh?

[Zeke 5,504]

4 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

An ultra-reliable, safe and quality built harbor freight heat gun.   Not a good idea, huh?

You’ll be fine.. jus pay attention to it.

[Krdshrk 3,877]

21 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

An ultra-reliable, safe and quality built harbor freight heat gun.   Not a good idea, huh?

Not unattended, nope.  that sucker kicks out a lot of heat.

[Handyman 5,682]

2 hours ago, Krdshrk said:

Not unattended, nope.  that sucker kicks out a lot of heat.

I bet some of those sonofabatching things throw enough heat to melt solder. 

Do you have a heating pad? Wrap the pipe and crank it up to 11.

[Zeke 5,504]

43 minutes ago, Handyman said:

I bet some of those sonofabatching things throw enough heat to melt solder. 

Do you have a heating pad? Wrap the pipe and crank it up to 11.

@DirtyDigz don’t melt solder, and keep away from valves. If it glows red, not good 

[Handyman 5,682]

44 minutes ago, Zeke said:

@DirtyDigz don’t melt solder, and keep away from valves. If it glows red, not good 

10-4 on the valves. You'll zap the gasket.

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Manually applying heat gun to concrete at base of pipe right now

Valve is barely warm, but concrete almost too hot to touch

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Getting hot in this little utility room  - I think I just invented the Joisey sauna.

[Zeke 5,504]

4 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

Getting hot in this little utility room  - I think I just invented the Joisey sauna.

Lol!

keep a valve open close by. Enjoy your evening...

[Handyman 5,682]

12 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

Manually applying heat gun to concrete at base of pipe right now

Valve is barely warm, but concrete almost too hot to touch

I'm not a concrete guy, but I'm not sure concrete loves being super heater either. Go slow.

[Zeke 5,504]

3 minutes ago, Handyman said:

I'm not a concrete guy, but I'm not sure concrete loves being super heater either. Go slow.

He’ Know if it pops... it’s jus a heat gun from CHINA... 

[DirtyDigz 1,811]

Tried the heat gun for about an hour, no joy.  Dunno what else to do - can I snake through the shutoff valve?

[T Bill 649]

Snake will do no good.  Afraid your feed is frozen from being too shallow and the long deep freeze. Keep heat in the space (portable heater) and hope for the best.  If this is the case, the ground will have to defrost.  Keeping heat on the slab will help.  Probably first time since who knows when.  When it does open keep eye out for water where it does not belong around entry point.  Any underground leaks can be devastating. 

[capt14k 2,052]

Sometimes you can get lucky and bust up just enough with snake to get water flowing. With the correct head on the correct snake you can basically drill through it.


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