Trying to save a plumber bill and much aggravation, I stayed up until 6 am. All night I washed clothing, washed dishes in dishwasher, ran water hard in the sinks and backed it up to more than a trickle, and flushed the commode. I placed candles under the claw foot tub and put a lamp under the kitchen sink.
I slept until 11 am or noon. I awoke to disaster. The tub faucet was frozen with six-inch icicles hanging from the faucets and frozen water in the tub. The cold water in the bathroom sink was frozen solid. In the kitchen sink hot and cold were almost frozen. When I opened the faucet more, water sputtered and eventually broke loose to run free.
What a mess. Water, once again, was all over the kitchen floor, further under the table. I will never turn the water on in the sink to keep it from freezing. A cheap heater, battery heater, another lamp, or a pipe wrap in the basement will be used! Foam for pipes or pool tubes is on the list for next week. I don't know how I will afford it, but I don't trust the weather not to do this again this winter. The middle of February is when our bad weather ends. I don't believe it this year.
The water ran from the dishwasher under more boxes. This is one way to de clutter the kitchen. sigh...I do not want to ruin the finish on the 112-yr-old original floor, painted in 1977 to suit me.
The Wednesday night church dinner was cancelled due to weather. Fred and I ate at McD. Then, I went to Walmart. It is too cold in the house for me to spend 24 hours a day here. I just have to get a bit warm for a while.
Patsy Cline and Thelma were alive and seemed to be doing well. Their water was barely frozen. They rush to the warm water I pour on the ice in the morning. This morning, I pulled a 1" diameter circular piece of ice from the waterer. I took a finger and poked the ice out this afternoon. Once again, the girls were very thirsty. Tomorrow, the temperature will be above freezing. That means I can take the waterer apart. I have plans to put more insulation on the watering container and the heater.
Exbf usually works at 6 am, meaning he leaves at 4:30 to 4:45 am. He had Tuesday and Wednesday off. Today, he said work called him to tell him to be there at 9 am, three hours later tomorrow. He said the east-west route to work was clear. However, Interstate 65 is where the snow, ice, and children spending the night in school is occurring. After over 70 hours of freezing weather and the foot+ of snow, nothing will thaw quickly when it reaches 42 F tomorrow afternoon.
Patti said her son and children arrived home at 2 am after he picked them up from school. This is in Roswell, GA.
No editing because my fingers are too cold, and I need to get water-soaked paper from the kitchen floor.
Your turn
Does anyone have relatives or yourself with frozen pipes did not thaw as easily as mine? How are your animals in the horrid, cold weather?
I can't imagine taking that long to get home. I would have been praying the whole time. Hope you get your pipes wrapped the foam really does make a difference
ReplyDeletej,
DeleteThey must have been exhausted. This is the little push I need to finally wrap them. Other times of frigid weather, the temp would not go so far below freezing for so many night. Plus, I cannot figure out why water runs out of the dishwasher. The kitchen faucet has been left on before. I just hope I can afford the product I can find to insulate the pipes. I think I have one of those electric tapes to wrap pipes. I forgot about that. Maybe I got rid of it because in 35 years of owning it, I have never needed it.
Oh no no frozen water lines again! Where did the water on the floor come from? Was it from the water breaking free? or dis the trickle you left running overflow the sink? If you are planning on placing a hot light/lamp under the sinks or tub you probably should buy then NOW because as I understand it incandescent bulbs over 60w are being phased out. I have a few tucked away.
ReplyDeleteHere is a story. I normally have my coffee in bed and read for an hour or so each morning. For the last few months I have all but given up reading in bed. I figured it was my eyesight getting worse or my inability to find that perfect angle to see through my bifocals. Well come to find out neither of those were the actual problem. What was going on was that the lamp beside my bed was not bright enough. I changed the 3 way bulb and Miracle of miracles I can see again!
Janet,
DeleteI put a saucer with four tea light candles lit underneath the tub. I bought the last 27 60- and 40- watt, 130 volts in town for $0.69/bulb. I use about five bulbs each year. By using 130 volt, bulbs last longer.
That is funny that you only needed more light. With age that often happens. At least you can read now.
I just read farther through your blog and I now see the reason the water was on the floor ....I can't understand why the water would flow into the dishwasher .... but in a 112year old house I guess all sort of quirky things happen! LOL
ReplyDeleteJanet,
DeleteI don't understand either. This house has not had a dishwasher for all that time, only since 1977 and this is only the second one since then. It's a mystery to me. Believe me, there are quirky things here!
Before the advent of foam for wrapping pipes my father and his father used rags, old sheets or if possible old quilts or blankets - all were cut into strips and wrapped around the pipes. When we lived in New England in one of the old duplexes built for the mill workers we put Styrofoam sheets, cut from whatever we could find , between the outside wall and the pipes and then wrapped the pipes. Also put those large black garbage bags full of the autumn leaves around the outside of the house to help insulate. All seemed to help as our pipes never froze but the neighbor's did.
ReplyDeleteHoping for an early spring.
How are you feeling today? I worry about you being SO cold.
ReplyDelete