Frozen Pipes / No Heat / Water Everywhere at work!

[SplshMtn99]

I work in a small insurance agency located in an old house.

This morning we were greeted by frozen pipes, water gushing out of others, ice in the toilet....and no heat.

It was 48 degrees inside. It's now lunch time & we've got it up to a balmy 57 degrees using space heaters.

The plumbers have stopped the leaks...but are still trying to unfreeze other pipes to get heat.

ADVICE to all Northeasterns tonight: leave the water dripping in faucets and open your sink vanity doors to warm the pipes.

I'm SO COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are just 3 of us in work today due to the holiday. If the phones would stop ringing...we would go home.
(P.S. I'm at lunch holding onto my beef stew. )

 

[debster812]

Bummer, I would be reheating my soup and holding onto it a few times before I ate it.

DS's school/daycare had a burst pipe last night, and they are closed. (they have infants, and cannot occupy the building with no running water).

Big fun here in the Northeast!

 

[Krisu]

We had pipe to kitchen sink freeze over the weekend First time ever that has happened. Good advice about having a drip and keeping cabinet door open. Our pipes are in garage. Two things led to this. Garage door open about an inch and a broken window We've learned our lesson. Also a trip to Home Depot for materials to wrap them!

 

[Saffron]

I woke up to frozen pipes last Thursday morning! Thank goodness none of them burst or leaked! We had heat, the pipes just froze from being close to the outside walls.

Hope you get warm soon, or head home soon!

 

[CamColt]

Stupid question here....if your house thermostat is set at 59, will the pipes freeze? Im assuming no, it has to be below 32, but with all this talk about freezing pipes, Im getting nervous. Plus Splash, you metnioned it was 48 in your office and it happened. I guess these horror stories are getting me paranoid.

 

[nativetxn]

ACK!!! Hope they get it warmer for you soon. Lots of warm, comforting pd and {{{HUGS}}} for you, sweetie.

Katholyn

 

[Kteacher]

it's supposed to be way below zero when I leave for work tonight, and they've been keeping us really late to clean up. Hopefully with the cold weather they'll let us go early. Ugghhh-another week of indoor recess at school!!

 

[SplshMtn99]

The thermostat at work sets back to 62 degrees at night to save money. The plumber told us to unprogram that feature. It just cost us 3 x any savings to have him here.

So even at 62 degrees, with the pipes on the outside walls, the heat couldn't keep the building warm enough. There was ice in the toilet.

Tonight, we are leaving water dripping, vanity doors open, and heat permanent set at 72 degrees. It's an old building - new windows -- it will still be cold when we come in but we should be better off.

Also found out, other 3 buildings next door (same owner as us) also had frozen pipes -- no leaks.

Expensive weekend for owner.

Oh, we have heat now. But plumber still needs to replace 2 faucets that cracked.

 

[Kteacher]

stay warm!!!

 

[KaterBell]

Thanks for this post! As a new homeowner who hasn't expierienced bitter cold in the house, I find this advice PRICELESS.

I'll do all of the above tonight.

 

[Mskanga]

KaterBell;
If you have good insulation and leave the thermostat at 62 your pipes should not freeze , I live in the Poconos and it gets mighty cold here but never had a pipe freeze unless something happens with the heat first.

 

[SplshMtn99]

The key is it SHOULD NOT freeze..... but they are calling for 0 to 15 BELOW tonight.

This is no ordinary night.
Just look at the news tonight with all the reports from oil companies of frozen pipe calls.

Granted our burst pipe might have been extreme.... but local weathermen have given such advice in the past. Ex: leave water dripping ......