Ask Me Help Desk - No water in shower

Hi and thanks in advance for your help. I have a strange problem. My house has three bathrooms plus the kitchen of course. In only one of these bathrooms the following just happened: There is no water in the shower at all. In the sink only the cold water stopped while the hot water was working fine. The toilet water is fine. I went downstairs to the basement and just randomly turned off and on all valves I see going into this bathroom (which was right above me in the first floor). The cold water in the sink suddenly came back but the shower water is still completely off. What do you think this is? Thanks again.
ps: We live in up state NY, I am suspecting a frozen pipe or two even though this has never happened before in our 8 years in the house. If you think this is the case, what should I do short of calling a plumber?

Yes, you have frozen pipes. You would do well to put extra heat in the bathroom if you can.

You should also leave the sink faucet, hot and cold, dripping or dribbling slightly to hopefully prevent refreezing.

Open vanity or cabinet doors to allow heat to get in.
Open shower door to allow heat in to that area. Presumably the shower valve is in an exterior wall.
If you get the water to flow in the shower, let it dribble also.

By letting the water run slowly, it cost you water, but it lets the colder water in the pipes out and warmer water in.

I agree about a frozen pipe but I would initially shut off the main in case the frozen pipe has split. The ice could plug the split and when it finally thaws out you have a mess. When you close the main open all faucets including the shower valve

Thank you very much. Last night I tried putting an extra heater in the bathroom but nothing happened. Tonight I will put the heater in the basement close to the pipes I am suspecting. I will close the water to at least that section of the house first. Once it works and with hopefully no cracks I will purchase and install some pipe insulation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkstroud

Yes, you have frozen pipes. You would do well to put extra heat in the bathroom if you can.

You should also leave the sink faucet, hot and cold, dripping or dribbling slightly to hopefully prevent refreezing.

Open vanity or cabinet doors to allow heat to get in.
Open shower door to allow heat in to that area. Presumably the shower valve is in an exterior wall.
If you get the water to flow in the shower, let it dribble also.

By letting the water run slowly, it cost you water, but it lets the colder water in the pipes out and warmer water in.

Thank you very much. Last night I tried putting an extra heater in the bathroom but nothing happened. Tonight I will put the heater in the basement close to the pipes I am suspecting. I will close the water to at least that section of the house first. Once it works and with hopefully no cracks I will purchase and install some pipe insulation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballengerb1

I agree about a frozen pipe but I would initially shut off the main in case the frozen pipe has split. The ice could plug the split and when it finally thaws out you have a mess. When you close the main open all faucets including the shower valve

Quote:

. I went downstairs to the basement and just randomly turned off and on all valves I see going into this bathroom (which was right above me in the first floor).

Describe how you think the pipe are run. Describe how you bath is laid out.

No respectful plumber would run pipe in an exterior wall unless there is just no other way. Pipes in and interior wall do not freeze as long as there is heat in the house.

If you see the pipes in the basement you can probably figure out how they are run. Of course by that I mean are they in an interior wall or and exterior wall. To a first floor bath they certainly should be in an interior wall.

Describe how this bath is laid out. By that I mean, what is on an exterior wall and what is on an interior wall. I am guessing that your sink and vanity are on and exterior wall and so is the shower valve for the shower.

Usual piping would be to go up from the basement to the bath at the sink with both hot and cold. From there the cold would branch to the toilet in one direction.
The hot and cold would branch in the other direction to the shower.

I guessing that you pipes go up in an exterior wall to the sink and then go through the exterior wall to the shower. Any pipe in an exterior wall is subject to freezing. The most likely place to freeze is in the wall behind the cabinet or vanity. That is because the cabinet prevents heat in the house from reaching the wall. Therefore, you will want to open cabinet doors and add extra heat during extreme weather conditions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hkstroud

Yes, you have frozen pipes. You would do well to put extra heat in the bathroom if you can.

You should also leave the sink faucet, hot and cold, dripping or dribbling slightly to hopefully prevent refreezing.

Open vanity or cabinet doors to allow heat to get in.
Open shower door to allow heat in to that area. Presumably the shower valve is in an exterior wall.
If you get the water to flow in the shower, let it dribble also.

By letting the water run slowly, it cost you water, but it lets the colder water in the pipes out and warmer water in.

Is this bathroom out over a garage?

Hello all
The pipes are not in an external wall, however they are close to it. I can see them clearly from the basement. As described above I tried heating them. It seemed to work. The shower is now back on and no pipes seem to have broken (Thank God). It also helped a lot that we woke up yesterday to a temperature of 40 degrees F while it was sub zero for a few days before. I purchased pipe insulators and I plan to install them over all pipes that are close to the external walls which aren't already insulated.
Thank you all very much for your responses. They were a great help.

I am willing to bet dollars to donuts that the pipes go up an internal wall to the level of the shower valve and then go across through an external wall to the shower valve. The valve for the shower is on an external wall isn't it?