Freeze Break!

[KGT1200]

Here Ye Here YE all fellow BMWMOA members;

Check your crawlspaces during these cold periods -20s, maybe crack open the access panels a little bit, flush that toilet you haven’t flushed, check that utility sink to make sure she's running. Make sure all your insulation in the celing is in place!

Last night, we got ready to leave the house, and I could hear water running-REALLY running, and went into the back room to find water pouring out of the celing light, out of the edge of the ceiling in a back utility room, above a 1/4 bath on the second floor..

The break occurred deep in a second floor access panel in a spot you have to stand on your head to get to. Somehow a big piece of roof insulation had came loose, exposing about a 24"X 8' section of the sub roof to the crawlspace. When it got warm yesterday afternoon (+17 Fahrenheit is warm this time in Minnesota, HA) the ice broke loose, and the water came out. I figure it ran just 10 minutes? or so, or the damage would have been way, way worse!

It really has got me wondering if I hadn’t seen that before leaving, what a mess we would have came home to later that night. We were going out to dinner then to the gym, and would have been gone for 3 hours!.

One break soldered, and quite a few hours of clean up, fans blowing everywhere, this nightmare is contained. I never have had to solder upside down before, right next to a 2x6, kept setting the sucker on fire! Got it on the first try!

I consider myself a lucky guy!

[Rapid_Roy]

Here Ye Here YE all fellow BMWMOA members;

Check your crawlspaces during these cold periods -20s, maybe crack open the access panels a little bit, flush that toilet you haven’t flushed, check that utility sink to make sure she's running. Make sure all your insulation in the celing is in place!

Last night, we got ready to leave the house, and I could hear water running-REALLY running, and went into the back room to find water pouring out of the celing light, out of the edge of the ceiling in a back utility room, above a 1/4 bath on the second floor..

The break occurred deep in a second floor access panel in a spot you have to stand on your head to get to. Somehow a big piece of roof insulation had came loose, exposing about a 24"X 8' section of the sub roof to the crawlspace. When it got warm yesterday afternoon (+17 Fahrenheit is warm this time in Minnesota, HA) the ice broke loose, and the water came out. I figure it ran just 10 minutes? or so, or the damage would have been way, way worse!

It really has got me wondering if I hadn’t seen that before leaving, what a mess we would have came home to later that night. We were going out to dinner then to the gym, and would have been gone for 3 hours!.

One break sodered, and quite a few hours of clean up, fans blowing everywhere, this nightmare is contained. I never have had to soder upside down before, right next to a 2x6, kept setting the sucker on fire! Got it on the first try!

I consider myself a lucky guy!
Me too, just for meeting you Red. Excellent job on the soldering, it's not my strong point.

[Raceydog]

Just an FYI. I have a friend that had a pipe bust last year and had the darndest time soldering it. We took a break and went to Lowe's Home Improvement (I don't know if you have one up there or not) plumbing dept. They have a connector made of pvc or some kind of similar material that just slips on over both ends of the pipe(you would have to cut a small section out) no gluing or soldering. Never leaked a bit. Works on metal or plastic pipe. Wouldn't hurt to have a couple of them around for emergencies.

[nhbmw]

Here Ye Here YE all fellow BMWMOA members;

Check your crawlspaces during these cold periods -20s, maybe crack open the access panels a little bit, flush that toilet you haven’t flushed, check that utility sink to make sure she's running. Make sure all your insulation in the celing is in place!

Last night, we got ready to leave the house, and I could hear water running-REALLY running, and went into the back room to find water pouring out of the celing light, out of the edge of the ceiling in a back utility room, above a 1/4 bath on the second floor..

The break occurred deep in a second floor access panel in a spot you have to stand on your head to get to. Somehow a big piece of roof insulation had came loose, exposing about a 24"X 8' section of the sub roof to the crawlspace. When it got warm yesterday afternoon (+17 Fahrenheit is warm this time in Minnesota, HA) the ice broke loose, and the water came out. I figure it ran just 10 minutes? or so, or the damage would have been way, way worse!

It really has got me wondering if I hadn’t seen that before leaving, what a mess we would have came home to later that night. We were going out to dinner then to the gym, and would have been gone for 3 hours!.

One break soldered, and quite a few hours of clean up, fans blowing everywhere, this nightmare is contained. I never have had to solder upside down before, right next to a 2x6, kept setting the sucker on fire! Got it on the first try!

I consider myself a lucky guy!


Good job under tough conditions!

I grew up in a 1728 New England farmhouse. Later, I did many repairs for my mother. The house had a funky mix of black iron and copper plumbing, and not a dielectric union in the place, so the copper would slowly corrode and develop pinhole leaks. Each time I fixed a problem and its cause, I was soldering right against the original structure of the house. Cordwood seasoned for two years is ready for the stove, but this place had seasoned for 250 years! So my plumbing kit included several pieces of thin sheet metal for flame barriers, and an old Windex sprayer full of water, to soak things down first. The house is still standing, because of, or in spite of me!

[henzilla]

Sorry that happened...glad you found it early as mentioned.

We boneheaded Texans take that stuff for granted when it freezes and do not always take precautions...had one freeze and break on me several years back when it stayed in 20's for a few days...the carpet in laundry room was kind of wet from a freeze in a weakly insulated wall on the north side and the thaw the next day. Heard that water running noise very faintly behind the sheetrock. Copper lines sure split nicely

Laughing with you as I too started the wall studs on fire a few times:banghead

Saw one of those quick repair sleeves used recently...seemed to do the trick in a tight space:scratch