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joisjewelry · Mar 14, 2011, 09:49 PM

Ello, I live in MN and in December my pipes broke in my apartment. When I was first contacted by the manager of the apartment building I was told that there was a bad ring. I was then later told that my pipe froze and burst, and then later told that it was because I had furniture along the wall. I have never turned my heat below 60 and the rooms have never been cold. I have been reading different articles across the internet and trying to figure out how what they are saying could happen. The building is from around the 60s. The room that it happened has always been a little cooler but never 32 degrees. This is a corner unit and there are baseboards along the 2 exterior walls. My questions are
1. Would it need to be below freezing for the pipes to burst? If so about how long would it need to be that temp for the pipes to freeze and burst?
2. Would furniture along the wall cause pipes to burst? Obviously there are 4 walls, 2 have heaters along them, the other is a closet and the door so that leaves 1 wall to put furniture along otherwise.
3. What is a ring?
4. Would the pipes freeze with hot water going through them? The place where it broke hot water was emptying into the room.

caibuadday · Mar 16, 2011, 12:36 PM

#2 which pipe bust, heating or portable water? The location your funiture won't cause the heating pipe to bust, but it may cause the portable water pipe to bust.
# 3 RING?!
#4 if water was flowing it should not frezz

Did you shut off(close valve) the heat, stop the water flow. Who do you control the heat,with a thermostat or a switch(ON/OFF) or combination of these two function?
The heating pipe will frezz if there was no flow or not enough flow. It cause by close valve(manually), pump stop, too much air in the system-- not enough water, too much sediment .

Putting the funiture by the heating pipe donot cause it to frezzz, but protect it from frezzzzzzz and will cause the rest of your space to frezzz

ballengerb1 · Mar 16, 2011, 12:40 PM

You need to be a bit more clear regarding which pipes burst. Big dif between base board heat pipes and domestic water.

joisjewelry · Mar 16, 2011, 07:56 PM

It is base board heater pipes all along the walls it is run by thermostat. It is usually around 80 in here even with the thermostat set to 60. It has never been turned off. There are turn off handles but I did not even know those were there until after it happened.

ballengerb1 · Mar 17, 2011, 08:46 AM

I can not picture how a functioning baseboard heater in MN could freeze this time of the year. However, why it came apart isn't really anything you need to handle, or is the manager trying to say its your fault and on your dime?

joisjewelry · Mar 17, 2011, 01:38 PM

Yea I see I didn't put it in my posting just for the title.

joisjewelry · Mar 17, 2011, 01:39 PM

They are trying to say that it is my fault and that I have to pay for it. I don't know anyone in their right mind that would intentionally break their pipes so that they can pay a huge bill.

ballengerb1 · Mar 17, 2011, 02:19 PM

It is just their attempt to save a few bucks. Tell them to fix it immediately or you will consider reproting the apartment to the health department as unliveable due to lack of heat. There is likely not one word in your lease that says you are responsible for any heating repair, ask them to show you their documents that give them this power/ability. BTW, if it was a frozen pipe the apartment would be an ice cube by now.