Frozen Tap Snapped Last Night with Water Everywhere (1 Viewer)

[davidathomas42]

Thankfully I am talking about the outside tap on our house.

The missis called down from the bathroom last night saying the water pressure was low. On investigation I found the tap on the patio had compleatly sheared off due the cold weather freezing it.

Made me think about the Motorhome and why it's so important to take steps to protect the water system in the cold weather.
I have my fresh water half full. Pump off and all taps open. Also the Truma heater is set at 12deg to keep it warm around the internal pipes without overdoing the work required by the unit.

Off to B&Q later to get a new tap.

Happy Wintering.

 

[DavidG58]

which is why you will often water turned off at small sites in the UK and aires abroad

I would have thought the pipe would be more likely to split though, not the actual tap

When I was in Grantown 2 years ago -15C on a serviced pitch, no water from my tap, hardly surprising, checked with office to see if they were turned off, no, just run a kettle of hot water on it you should get lucky

I did and was but shows the pipework can survive the low temperatures, often just finds a weak point I reckon when they do burst

good luck with the repairs, I would be calling a plumber

 

[RogerThat]

Hope you were able to isolate the supply easily?

Also hope you're not on a water meter, that'd have cost me about £80 if it happened here

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[mitzimad]

one of my pet hates outside taps not fitted to allow isolation and drain down for winter

 

[Minxy]

one of my pet hates outside taps not fitted to allow isolation and drain down for winter

If you put the tap in yourself like we have you can put an isolation valve in the interior pipework so it can be turned off, if its already installed you can still sometimes get at the pipes to put a valve in.

We also put some insulation on our tap, large bore pipe lagging used in attics etc, but a good covering of bubble wrap would do the trick too.

 

[Minxy]

I have my fresh water half full. Pump off and all taps open. Also the Truma heater is set at 12deg to keep it warm around the internal pipes without overdoing the work required by the unit.

Personally I wouldn't leave any water in at all as the water in the pipes themselves could freeze and split as the Truma heat might not be enough/not reach into them sufficiently ... not worth the risk for the sake of putting in a bit of water when needed.

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[mitzimad]

I always drill out low and fit a drain off that way when you turn of the iso inside you can remove the water in the pipes turning off and leaving the water in the pipes is pointless i always give people two prices cheap or properly
most opt for cheap

 

[SuperMike]

Also hope you're not on a water meter, that'd have cost me about £80 if it happened here

No 2 son had a leak at his water meter. So, rang and told the Derby water people. They came and dug up a bit of his front garden, but could not reach it and went away. Apparently the crew that work outside your property is not the crew that work inside your property. Anyway, after a while loads of bollards and boards and stuff appeared outside his house. Action we thought, but no, a week or so later they all disappeared. By now there is a constant little stream in the gutter and along the pavement. Many phone calls took place. Eventually the bollards etc reappeared, and a week or so later a hole was dug. But apparently, the hole diggers are not the fixers. For several days you could look down the hole and watch the water trickling out, before the fixers arrived and sorted it out. But apparently, the fixers are not the hole fillers. But a few days later the hole fillers filled in the hole. But apparently, they are not the ones that put the Tarmac down they turned up about a week later. It was a month or so before the bollards etc disappeared.

Anyway, the result was a water usage bill for over £1700. But as we had told them it was leaking it was reduced to £11. Are you all still awake.

 

[johnpengers]

Actually Mr Supermike.....NO !!!!!!!!

Good to see you around Mike

John P

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[Larrynwin]

It's likely that modern plastic pipes are less prone to fracturing as more flexible than copper pipes.

Nice story @SuperMike Sooperdooperwinabagelmike , mustn't break Union lines if it isn't your job

 

[Minxy]

We had the same thing last year when we has a leak at the front of our property with 3 lots of 'gangs' doing the work with waits in between, not as long as Mike though! When the hole fillers came as we have block paving they had a go at putting it back, rather than leaving it for the 'finishers' - they actually did a very good job .. we can't tell it from how it looked originally!