Freezing!

[kyratshooter]

I have heat tape on them now!

[hunter63]

I have heat tape on them now!

They are wonderful.....

[kyratshooter]

In the past the heat tape worked down to -10=-15 but for some reason this year the bathtub drain is giving problems right at zero.

Since the bath tub is down line from the kitchen sink I am assuming that line is frozen and if the kitchen sink backs up it is always an unsanitary hassle. I have stopped using the kitchen sink until I am sure things are running again.

It is just one of the things you deal with in an old house. Each year I threaten to tear out the entire drain line when summer comes, but so far I have not gotten off my lazy summertime butt and doe the job properly.

There's spiders and snakes under there!

[hunter63]

Just don look around......
Focus on what you are doing and ignore anything else......

Or as my helper said...while laying down visqueen under the cabin...
."There are things moving under here!"


"Don't look at 'em...and as long as you need to crawl out anyway...spread out the plastic on your way..."

"

[JohnLeePettimore]

Have you thought about or tried wrapping with a heat tape?

I feel for you kyrat. You situation is way worse than mine. Mine is just irritating.

Our multi-story house is on a slab, so we have no supply or drain line freezing issues. Only one supply line in a wall with direct exterior exposure: the kitchen sink. When it gets into the teens, we just leave the cabinet doors open so there is more access to room heat, just in case. We've never had a problem.

Our gas heater condensation lines are another story. There weren't any lines installed in the slab (I didn't know about the need, and apparently the slab guys didn't think about it either). When the HVAC guy was installing them (10-12 feet along the middle of the ceiling of the uninsulated garage, 12 feet to the wall, 10 feet down the wall then out) I said, "Won't those freeze in winter?" He said they wouldn't because the water was warm. This is the only house I've built, so I assumed the contractor knew what he was doing (Hey! Stop that laughing!), and I didn't argue with him. I've since learned that "Arkansas is not known for it's craftsmanship." I've also since learned that he should've just run the condensation into the our regular drain lines.

I've messed around with them several times, and have a working solution now, but it's kind of hokey. I re-routed them to make the lines as short as possible: combined them into one (we have two units), still in the garage ceiling but it goes directly to the side (wrapped in heat tape and insulated), out the soffet, and down an exterior pipe. Even the heat tape didn't solve the problem. It will still freeze, just as you described, kyrat, layer by layer. In the winter I disconnect the 3/4" PVC exterior pipe, and put up a 4" drain line, angled away from the house (you have to walk under it) so ice doesn't build up on the deck. When it's freezing, I whack it a few times before I go to bed to dislodge the accumulated ice so it won't build up and clog (it will). I feel like redneck every time I look at it.

I know how to permanently solve the problem, but haven't done it because it's a bit of work, and I have a solution that works now. I need to pull up the laminate flooring in an upstairs closet, cut into the sublfoor, and connect the lines to the shower drain, which is right there (and what should've been done in the first place). It's pretty straightforward, but enough of a hassle that I can't bring myself to do it. Plus, I have other things that need more attention anyway.

All that being said, I hope you get the lines cleared. Be careful if you go out. Take a space heater or something, and be careful with i, too.

[kyratshooter]

I got under there and found the heat tape had come unplugged.

I chased the line with a heat gun for a while until I realized there was only a 4 foot section that was frozen and the tape should clear it without me staying under the house at 12 degrees.

That and I tripped the circuit feeding the power. I realized I had three heaters, two lights and a heat gun on a 20 amp line. I had to come out and unplug the non-essentials. That was when I decided to let the heat tape do its work. If it does not clear in a few hours I will go back under there. The line is close to the crawl space door and not a big deal except for the prolonged lying on ones back and heating a pipe while slowly freezing the body.

If I have to go back under there I will have some kind of holder for the heat gun so I can aim it at the most logical spot and let it run without having to hold it. Stick my hands in my pockets and keep them warm and lay there and wonder what the people with good sense are doing.

I think that when the temps get back up into the 40s I am going to get under there and solve this problem. It is a simple matter of not having enough drop on the 20 foot line. Might even be a dip in there causing the problem.

[hunter63]

The only thing I can think of that is worst....is thawing out a sewer line....know what is coming with it starts to thaw...and trying to time it so a rapid scuttling retreat allow you to get away....and not "catch you".

I'm glad I retired....

[JohnLeePettimore]

Might even be a dip in there causing the problem.

The HVAC contractor was the "dip" that caused my problem.

Stay warm.

[Graf]

-11 not counting windchill

[madmax]

38 and drizzle. I know it's not freezing to a lot of you but it's cold to us down here.

[hunter63]

The HVAC contractor was the "dip" that caused my problem.

Stay warm.

Didn't see where you talked about a condensate pump?.....
Has a reservoir when filled "pumps" the water out....like 12 0z at a time.

Line may freese....but you can pump "up" to get to a drain if you need to...
Used a lot of these....

https://www.grainger.com/product/2P350?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!509 16694077!!!g!82166659677!&ef_id=WH6TrgAAAWK-jp9Y:20180103152641:s&kwid=productads-adid^50916694077-device^c-plaid^82166659677-sku^2P350-adType^PLA

There are a lot of hacks out there.....
got a call from a bank...had been "dinged" by the Health Department for having a condensate drain run out a ceiling....to a water fountain'.....plastic tubing just laying in the drain part....so was right by your face while getting a drink....

Had to go up into the ceiling and found a 8" PVC roof drain about 6ft away......ran it to there.

Up to 14 degrees and windy......gonna put my shorts on........NOT

[JohnLeePettimore]

Didn't see where you talked about a condensate pump?.....
Has a reservoir when filled "pumps" the water out....like 12 0z at a time.

Line may freese....but you can pump "up" to get to a drain if you need to...
Used a lot of these....

I thought I was getting too detailed as it was.

There is a condensate pump for our first-floor unit. It's the one that really should've had a drain through the slab. It messed up once, but I caught it before it soaked too much of the laminate underlayment/padding.

The second-floor unit just drains by gravity. Both lines were run next to each other.

[kyratshooter]

Hallelujah!

43 at noon and everything is thawed. Water is flowing both in and out!

I have been out and about and it feels like 70 degrees out there.

I was going to install more heat tape but there is none to be had anywhere, at any price. I just hope that what I have will work and prevent another freeze up now that it is plugged in.

[Phaedrus]

Yeah, it's 44 today, feels like 74!

[hayshaker]

i don'd miss running water to the cattle
when the waterer froze up in 50below weather.

[Rick]

The furnace decided today was the day for rest. Had to have my HVAC guy swing by. Had a low voltage fuse give up the ghost. I knew that blank thermostat was bad juju. All better now. At least it wasn't -10. That propane fireplace came in mighty handy. I kept thinking man, I've got a case of Kyrat itis. I'm getting cold. Then I realized it was only 62 in the house. That's when I checked the thermostat and found it blank. Nothing good can come of that I'll tell ya.

[crashdive123]

Yeah, it's 44 today, feels like 74!

It was 74 today - 80 by Friday. Of course, I'll be camping in the mountains where it should be in the 20's and below.

[hunter63]

The furnace decided today was the day for rest. Had to have my HVAC guy swing by. Had a low voltage fuse give up the ghost. I knew that blank thermostat was bad juju. All better now. At least it wasn't -10. That propane fireplace came in mighty handy. I kept thinking man, I've got a case of Kyrat itis. I'm getting cold. Then I realized it was only 62 in the house. That's when I checked the thermostat and found it blank. Nothing good can come of that I'll tell ya.

You would be surprised on how many "programmable T-stats" just need batteries....used to carry them....
Change them out after seeing the "battery" symbol...restart and program...then give them a bill for $130 bucks.

[kyratshooter]

It was 74 today - 80 by Friday. Of course, I'll be camping in the mountains where it should be in the 20's and below.

There is another system on the way through Crash, if you are up in the mountains it might get bad.


BTW, my guy at the local hardware store called and told me he had some heat tape in. I got another 12' section and spent the afternoon under the sack rearranging the part that was already there and adding the new. I also cut some pipe and straightened some dips. I used mostly rubber connectors since it still is not warm enough for PVC cement to set properly.

Tell you what, a saws-all with a fine tooth blade is a handy device when you are cutting pipe in a crawlspace. Zips through PVC like it was not there and works even when you are laying flat on your back with only a foot of clearance.

We still have plenty of cold weather ahead so I am glad to get this done, and to have a day warm enough that I do not feel I am in danger from frostbite while doing it.

[crashdive123]

There is another system on the way through Crash, if you are up in the mountains it might get bad.

It looks like Thursday and Friday could be "challenging". Should be interesting.....and hopefully fun.