This morning when I woke up, there was no water running from our bathroom sink or shower/tub. Our sink is a two handle faucet and our shower is a one handle tub. The cold water will run from the sink, but when we turn the hot water faucet, nothing comes out. With the shower, nothing comes out at all. There is hot water in all of our bathrooms and sinks and they are running as normal. Any advice would help. Thanks!

Both fixtures are getting their supply of hot water from the same line. Thius will be difficult to diagnose since there usually aren't any shut offs along the supply lines, are there? Try removing the tub mixing valve cartridge to see if you have debris clogging the line.

Thanks for your response. I don't see any shut off valves.. would this be something that you don't recommend a non professional to do?

Even if you fail to find a fix the more detective work you do now the lower your plumbing bill will be if you call a plumber. Is this on the first floor and is there ready access to the supply pipes below?

This is the 3rd floor.. master bath

By the way, my brother said that he thinks the pipes may have frozen? Is this a possibility? The temperature last night was in the teens.. and we just tried and it still isn't working. Right now it's about high 30s.

Not sure only one area wood freeze yellow, and supply pipes are usually ran interior of the house.

You said this was on the third floor, and all other supply lines work every place else, right? The shower will not produce any water - hot or cold and the water from the sink - you can only get the cold to work. Right?

Do you have any water - even a stream coming out the shower at all?

Is there a reason your brother thought the pipes would freeze (need to ask).

Teens outside but what was your temp inside. When pipes freeze they usually leak like all heck when they thaw.

We are getting really cold temperatures here in seattle that we typically never have. That's the only reason why he would think that. The bathroom does face the exterior wall but the sink and tub do not. I keep the house fairly warm all day long. Maybe a pipe that's under the house? No idea. No water from the shower at all, and none from the hot knob from the sink but yes, every other water supply works.

Thanks for everyone's help so far

If you have a frozen water line inside your house because it was in the teens last night, you would have had frozen pipes before. You had a record setting low temp last night for December 7th but it was only 21 degrees. It will be colder tonight. You had temps of 19 and 14 in 2008, did the pipes freeze then?

Well I'm not even sure if it is frozen pipes. I'm trying to figure out what the best thing for me to do it. What might be the chances of a frozen pipe? We keep the temperature inside our home at 60 -70's always. If it isn't a frozen pipe, anything else I can do to see what else it may be?

Did your pipe freeze in 2008, in December? Reread my post #4 and try to answer.

Nope, I've never had issues with pipes before.

I am thinking we should not be thinking frozen pipes. How are you doing with those answers from post #4?

Sorry ballenger... this particular bathroom is on the 3rd floor. We do not have access to any supply pipes that I am aware of. I just searched the house and don't see any crawl space or anything.

Is the water pressure lower in the other parts of the house?

Also, please state what you have for a water heater system.

A plain water heater, or do have a boiler?

Nope, everything else is normal

Do you get water supply at the toilet?

You might find access panel in a closet behind the shower where the plumbing of the shower is - often, there is an access panel or smething similar. You should also have shut off valves under your sink.

For now, turn all on all fixtures lower then that bathroom - open. The go up and open both shower/sink. Listen and watch for any water.

If you cannot isolate the problem yourself, you need to call a plumber. Would like to help you if you can find anything.

Our master closet actually shares a wall with the shower and there isn't any access panel. The toilet does work.

SO probably just need to call a plumber?

You can call a plumber at anytime but we can keep helping you. Closet backs up to the shower, you can cut an inspcetion hole in the wall and make it into a door for future plumbing issues, done all the time.

Yellow, having no hot or cold in your shower is a bit perplexing, but you do have cold at the sink and toilet. No hot.

There could have have been some work (even a main in your neighborhood) and that may have created debris in your lines moving that debris up the lines and into your bathroom.

The shower has a valve with one handle to control the water supply to your shower. (you did not say you had a tub) There could be gunk in there as well. Check with your water utility and see if there was in fact work down like that in the area.

Did you notice anything about the water in that bathroom the previous day? Sputtering or weird water pressure - anything? You may not have, but that would help narrow the issue down if you did.

Nothing at the shower means that it could be gunk either in the shower line to the head. Must be a good amount of gunk. (sendiment) It could have traveled to your bathroom sink along your hot water supply and to your shower supply and your valve for you shower could have something clogging it too. You could start with this yourself, but I get the feeling you may be more comfortable with a plumber. Let us know.

Cyber, our shower is a shower/bath combo with one control handle. We are having a plumber come out together. We do have some construction going on in our neighborhood so it might be that.

Im thinking there might be some build up in the pipes or valves.. but the night before I took a shower and there was nothing different. If there is a mineral build up or debris in the pipes, is there a gradual decrease in pressure or anything? Because our hot water not working was very sudden... from completely normal to not working at all, overnight.

I will keep you guys posted after the plumber comes out.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to pull the shower/tub mixing valve apart. I think it would be a matter of removing the handle (typically held on with a single nut - you will need an allen wrench I think) and then remove the 2 screws holfing on the decorative plate. Then, probably a few more screws to remove the guts of the valve. If you do attempt this, make sure you turn the water main off in your house and remove the pressure in the pipes by opening a valve lowest in your house and highest in your house. The water will run out the lowest valve until the pipes are empty. Probably won't get 100% of the water out, but will get most.

If there is gunk in there, I suspect you will see it. If not, you could have some close the open faucets in your house (the ones you opened when draining the lines) and then VERY SLOWLY turn the water back on. Water should come out the housing you just disassembled. Just make sure to have a way to catch it, or have someone who can turn the water off very quickly to avoid any water damage.

Good luck!

So a plumber came out to try and diagnose the problem. He isn't completely sure what it is. He said there is an exposed pipe on our 2nd floor balcony which is directly below our master bathroom and says that he thinks that there may be a frozen pipe on the exterior wall. He estimated that it'll cost a about $500-$600 to open up the wall (which is on our staircase) and try to find the issue.

He also said that we have the option to wait out the cold weather and hope that there aren't any broken or cracked pipes. Im not sure what the chances are that a pipe needs to be replaced but we are on an extremely tight budget. Do you guys recommend that we have the plumber open up the walls and try and find it?

Dmrlook, do you think there would be gunk right at the valve if both the tub/shower and sink both don't have hot water? I don't mind doing any detective work but I would assume it's in a pipe that leads to both the sink and tub, if it is a build up.

Possibly. Since it is both hot and cold at the shower, but only hot at the sink that it is not working, I am postulating that something got into your hot water line and made it to the mixing valve in the tub/shower, and hot side of the sink. Hot and cold lines split very early on, so it seems to me that the obstruction would be very close to the valves. Depending on your sink, it might be easier to pull the cartridge on the hot side (again, make sure the water is off to avoid a fountain) and see of that it gunked up. If so, I'd bet money the mixing valve is as well. If you are comfortable pulling stuff apart, I'd try whichever is easier. Just make sure you can get it back together :-)

A frozen pipe seems very unlikely to me, especially since you have not had one in years past. Plus, the likelihood of the hot water pipe freezing before the cold water one is not high.

Let us know what you find!

I will do this today when I get home. So if I pull up the cartridge, if there's gunk, it should be right there? How do I access the mixing valve to clean that out?

Im thinking the plumber is on to something with the frozen pipe. If pipe is exposed to outside temps, and the temp outside is lower than 32 degrees, then it is quite likely that the pipe has frozen. IF there is any portion of this pipe that you can see, you should be able to use a heat gun to thaw the pipe. Sometimes it takes a long time to get it thawed, but saves cutting into wall. I know it sounds strange, but hot water will actually freeze quicker than cold water. Fact. If its not a frozen pipe problem, then the above advice is dead on. Good luck and please let us know how things work out.

Hot water freezing quicker is call the Mphemba effect Can hot water freeze faster than cold water? (http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/General/hot_water.html) Opposite of all logic but it is true. What is your outside temperature and why did he/you not apply heat to that exposed pipe? Many frozen pipes will not leak until they thaw.

Get the gunk out. Yes, the valve at the shower was addressed and at the sink. Then before you turn the water on let some of the water out of the valve below - just in case there is more gunk in the line. The valve at the shower will do that too.

Do what they mygirlsdad says about the hot pipe supply. Yes, she is right on about hot pipes freezing up.

Then, get that pipe (supply line) budgeted to be re-routed and installed properly - inside the house.

Yellow. It's good you can find the problem and do a little fixing on your end.

I apologize for being unclear. The pipe that the plumber thinks is frozen is actually no exposed. They think they've located the exterior wall where the frozen pipe might be. There isn't any noise and we definitely don't want to cut into the wall or anything. We will probably wait until the end of this week (it's suppose to warm up).. and see if things change.. if not, we will probably try looking for the gunk.

FYI, our bath/shower is periodically dripping water.. not constant but every once in a while.

Do what they mygirlsdad says about the hot pipe supply. Yes, she is right on about hot pipes freezing up.

I get this quite often. I didn't think my screen name through enough.lol. It actually means " My girls' dad." Should have said father of my girls.lol. Any way, I am indeed a he, not a she. But if I have it my way, someday my girls will be the prettiest plumbers around. Well on second thought, I wouldn't wish that career path upon them. Lee.

I will do this today when I get home. So if I pull up the cartridge, if there's gunk, it should be right there? How do I access the the mixing valve to clean that out?

Take a look at my post #24 for how to get at the mixing valve. At least that it how I get a mine. I can not guarantee it is the same, but I expect it will be close.

And thanks folks for correcting me on hot water freezing faster than cold. It defies logic, but I'll trust you on it :). However in light of the last post, it still seems likely to me that this is not a freezing issue.

And I just thought you were MGD, Miller draft

Sorry Lee. I was apprehensive, perhaps it is just wishful thinking. No, most girls would not put up with a job such as plumbing when they are young adults, but perhaps they will file little things away for a more "practible" age.

Please accept my apologies Lee.

Not hard to believe it's a freeze issue, but - I live in Minnesooota. Get's cold here, so I have seen a few. More "gunk" type stuff. Now, if you stick your tongue to the storm door, that will freeze.

It's a little early to see frozen pipes in most of the USA but its below zero out in the NW already and Chicago gets hit tomorrow (why do I live her, augh) With good building techniques I start to see frozen pipes when we hit 30 below, looking forward to winter not.

and I just thought you were MGD, Miller draft

That works. But I'm more of an old mill kind of guy. Maybe my name should have been " likes cheap beer". MGD is a little out of my price range.lol. Thanks ballengerb. But I'm betting you and the other pros here all thought I was a girly girl when I first appeared on the sight.lol. Damn that screen name.. ha.

Hey now, girly girls are okay.

Sorry Lee. I was apprehensive, perhaps it is just wishful thinking. No, most girls would not put up with a job such as plumbing when they are young adults, but perhaps they will file little things away for a more "practible" age.

Please accept my apologies Lee.

No apologies needed. Like I said I get it all the time. Take care.

No I spotted you right off. The joke around here is Red, White and Blue as well as Old Milwaukee both taste the same warm or cold. We'd always take them camping when we had no ice, LOL

Been twenty below here for the last four days. Oh the horror of early frozen pipes. I just wish Canada would keep their cold weather for themselves instead of sending it straight to Montana.

And cyber, I agree. I much prefer girly girls over manly girls.

What you had today I get tomorrow, I don't mean the beer

I feel for you man. It is once again that wonderful time of year. Dress warm and hope the coffee stays hot.