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by toogie ( edited 19 Jan 2018 ) 18 Jan 2018

UPDATE-Water is back on! Pipe is fixed.-Hi Cuties, everyone from Canada on south through the USA, has been talking about the cold weather. Being from the south, we are not used to snow and freezing temperatures, or rather temps this cold. I guess that's why we don't have the right clothing and I stay in.

A year before, when temps dropped just for a day or two, our bathtub drain froze, so the water wouldn't drain out. My husband had this idea to put just a little antifreeze in the line so in hopes this time, because we have had temps in the teens for quiet awhile, it wouldn't freeze and the line would drain. It worked.
But. Don't you just hate 'buts'.
I got up to shower this morning and the incoming fresh water line would barely have water coming out. I turned the cold faucet on and then the hot, same thing. We thought the incoming line was freezing up. Well, I waited and waited, thinking it may thaw. Finally this afternoon I braved the outside, after I bundled myself up good. I went out and looked under the house. Water spewing all over the ground under the bathroom. A busted water line!
As it is getting dark earlier and can't see about it in the dark, hubby turned all water off to the house. I did catch up enough water to keep our hands washed and other necessities until tomorrow. Our son came and wanted to fix it, but we insisted on waiting until tomorrow. Maybe the temperature will be a little better, daylight will help and the water that came out will be frozen or drained off. I sure hope so.
We still have snow on the ground, another thing being from the south we aren't used to and one of them would have had to go under the house. I know the ground is frozen and they will be too, laying on it. The house is on blocks/piers.
Well, just had to let you know. I am down wind from most everyone, so you shouldn't start smelling me and hopefully I can get my bath tomorrow-lol-
Have a good night Cuties and try to get warm, I am trying-Toogie
UPdate- Our son couldn't come until this afternoon about 3 o'clock. It took them less than an hour to fix the broken pipe. Yea! I can shower and wash my hair again! ...and wash dirty dishes.....lol

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by pcteddyb edited 19 Jan 2018

We don't get freezing in AZ that much either (in Phoenix) and when we get a hard freeze warning they tell people to turn on faucets just a little stream to help keep the pipes from freezing. In our old house we had a pipe that ran from the front to the back across the attic so we made sure to run that one in those situations - it would be really UGLY to have that one freeze and burst! Hope everything thaws and gets fixed soon.

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

It's fixed! Not as cold today and I may finally thaw out myself. We usually keep a line dripping but I was the last to bed and forgot.....

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by 02kar Moderator 19 Jan 2018

My heart goes out to you. Our heat pump died a week ago, but we have a mini split that managed to keep us warm during the day. It's now fixed thank goodness. I wish I could scoop you up and bring you home with me to thaw out. I do hope your brave men are able to fix the broken pipe(s) quickly.

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

Got 'er done! They just finished and boy am I glad it didn't take long.

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by cfidl 19 Jan 2018

I just check the weather map and you are still cold. Glad you have power and heat. Who needs a shower anyway. Lol! as for the homeless, those that are chronically homeless have a thick skin so to speak in that they can handle colder temperatures than those is us who have heated houses. As this weather is unusual, I am not so sure they are used to it. Boulder, Colorado which is more affluent had a death on the mall. The folks took the news very hard. Hopefully it will change the minds of legislatures who have made homelessness a crime.

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

So sad, such a shame.
It is not nearly as cold today, in the 40's. The just fixed the water line. Yippee!

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by kustomkuddle 19 Jan 2018

So hard for you folks that aren't used to this type of weather. Our cold water froze to the kitchen sink when we were sub zero temps. The hot water still worked though. We were lucky this year in that we found out our furnace was shot before the cold weather came. We also have a pellet stove that helps heat the house. But are used to having cold weather. I pray that all of you in the south stay warm and safe.

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

We're ok and especially now that we have running water again. Sorry about your furnace, but like you said ,good it happened before the winter weather.

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by sdrise 19 Jan 2018

Sorry to hear about your broken pipes. I hope you can get them up and running quickly.
We have been in the deep freeze in RI. for weeks with lots of snow and below zero at night. My friend lost her heat and they could not repair it for a week. They came and installed a new boiler and it took another week to get her heat back. She was without heat for almost 2 weeks. We loaned her electric heaters.. No hot water either...
Many schools homes and buildings have had broken pipes It has been an awful stretch.
Hope you can get back up and running quickly..

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

We're okay and it warmed up today, some. Maybe I will finally thaw, when the water get warm in the water heater, I'll get in the tub.

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by shirley124 19 Jan 2018

Sorry to hear of your water and cold problems. Having lived in the country I know what it is like to not have water as when the power went out we had no pump to pump the water. We did have 1 tank where we could get water so we could flush the toilet and heat in the camper for hot drinks. No showers though so we did as one old Aunty used to call APC (armpit & crutch wash) OK as long as you did not need to go out ha ha Hope all is well for you soon. We are in a heatwave here at the moment. Thinking of getting the fan out of the cupboard tonight. Hugs

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

We use to have a pool and the water came in handy to flush the toilets, when we were without during hurricanes. If we had one now, it too would be frozen.

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by crafter2243 Moderator 18 Jan 2018

This does not sound like a lot of fun. My part of California gets a freeze occasionally. In the summer I collect those toy pool sticks, put a slit in them and wrap them around the outside pipes. Works like a insulation.
I hope your faucet is no longer acting like a ice maker and they will get water to the house soon. Hugs to you even you do not smell to good, ha,ha.

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

ha ha- -all our pipes are underground except where they go up into the floor. Should be interesting tomorrow. If we could make it until Saturday (pew-we) it suppose to be thaw/warmer. I don't know if they will wait, but I'm not insisting. I can make out without water better than I can make out in the cold.

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by pennifold 18 Jan 2018

Wow, you poor lass. I do hope by now the water issue has been fixed. It's no fun having our amenities stopped. Keep warm, by the sounds of all the layers of clothes on you need a few warm days to thaw out. Love Chris

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

It make take a few days to thaw...me and the ground! Maybe tomorrow pipe will get fixed. I have camped out primitive before, so I can make it with the water I have stored up, until they get it back on. What I can't make out with is, this extreme cold... I think of homeless people and wonder how they survive.....

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by rescuer Moderator 18 Jan 2018

When it gets really cold here, we leave our bathroom cupboard doors open and leave the water on just a drip. When that doesn't work well enough, we use space heaters in the bathroom and kitchen. We don't have exposed pipes like yours though. We know it is cold here when slush comes out of the pipes after all we can do.
If they will be a while under the house, just use a camping sleeping pad to insulate them from the ground. I do hope all is well again soon for you.

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toogie by toogie 19 Jan 2018

Thank you, it could always be worse. I rather them wait until temps are better Saturday, but knowing them, they want to get it done. As soon as my son heard our pipe broke he was here. Good to know we can depend on his help but I don't want anyone out in the cold. I can't stand it IN in the cold.
We have done just what you do and this is the first time we have had a pipe burst. I wish I would have caught it sooner, so it wouldn't have been so much water wasted, and we could have shut it off. My bill will be sky high, I'm sure. Oh well.....

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by jrob Moderator 18 Jan 2018

I'm so sorry to hear. Being without water is a bear. Put a trash bag with a head hole cut out to keep your under house rescuer out of a puddle. It was 13° here yesterday morning but today it got all of the way up to 32°. Having a heat wave. Hopefully warmer weather is coming your way, too. As soon as I saw predictions of a colder than normal winter I ordered myself 2 pairs of fleece lined leggings and I put my pants on over them. Not too bad. Stay warm and come to Georgia, I've got water and showers and freshly washed towels.

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toogie by toogie 18 Jan 2018

Or I could bring my own, I do know how to pack!-lol
I hope for warmer weather. DH said suppose to be in the 60's Saturday We have had 15, say, where'd you find that degree sign on your keyboard? Anyway, too darn cold for me and I can't get too much further south-lol-

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by graceandham 18 Jan 2018

Bobby Burns said "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley." So sorry to hear of your cold weather plumbing problems. Hopefully tomorrow will be a warmer day for fixing things. About having proper clothes - I realized that I don't even have lined wool trousers any more. My warm pants would be my stretch denim jeans. I do have a couple of super warm wool sweaters, thanks to Talbot's being a Yankee company. Been loading up on veggie soup today; just wanted some comfort food/ soul food.

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toogie by toogie 18 Jan 2018

I find jeans to be cold but I have some fleece lined Nike pants I bought to go to Maine. Been wearing fleece in the house and whatever I can on my feet. I was texting my BF and told her I had all my clothes on, even my outside jacket, 2 pair of socks, my boots and wrapped in an electic blanket, but I was still cold. She text back, first her DH wanted to know if our heat was on. Second, she wanted to know if my blanket was plugged in the outlet. I text back YES & YES!!!

jrob by jrob 18 Jan 2018

Funny friend you have there!

toogie by toogie 18 Jan 2018

Yes, those are the ones I keep!-lol

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by asterixsew Moderator 18 Jan 2018

Toogie if I start to smell you there will be a mega, mega problem. Seriously I hope you solve the problem rapidly, well not you literally but one of your family

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toogie by toogie 18 Jan 2018

LoL- Yes I do agree! MEGA
They could fix it okay, if it just weren't for the weather. I don't want anyone getting pneumonia or the flu that's going around. People are dying with it and one lady we knew. She was just a year older than me.

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