[mctrio]

I do not have any hot water only cold - how do I get my hot water lines unfrozen and at which point do I start at the hotwater heater?

[smoothy]

Your bigger problem is have the pipes split when they froze... if they did the ice is what's keeping them from flooding your house.

However its possible you've gotten extremely lucky and they didn't. The cold water lines never spit.

Thawing them is the easy part... get them above 32 F and the ice melts... once you get cold water flowing from the hot lines and you find you leaks then is the time to start the hot water heater.

[hkstroud]

You start at the water heater and follow the pipe to the first point of use, looking for somewhere that it is exposed to below freezing temperature. Note that if the cold water input line to the water heater is frozen you won't get any hot water out. Turn off the cold water input valve at the water heater to prevent flooding when pipes thaw if a hot water line has burst.

[ballengerb1]

Frozen cold water lines never split, never heard that before. Are you sure?

[smoothy]

I've seen it happen... rental house my parents owned years ago... tenant disappeared in winter... with the heat off, split both hot and cold water pipes... split toilet bowls and tanks as well... this was with copper pipes. Made one gawd aweful mess. I helped with the repairs and cleanup.

Now if its an issue with how long its exposed or how cold...I can't say.

[hkstroud]

What you talking about Bob?

[massplumber2008]

Hmmmm

Smoothy said,

The cold water lines never spit

I assume he meant to type SPLIT

Bob said,

Frozen cold water lines never split, never heard that before. Are you sure?

Smoothy then said a bunch of stuff, but most important was,

split both hot and cold water pipes

.

So, now I am totally confused like you are, Harold!!

I know this, copper doesn't differentiate when it comes to bursting...:)

[ballengerb1]

Yes, post #2 Smoothy said "The cold water lines never spit. " but later says both cold and hot split. They will all split (copper) if they get cold enough

[smoothy]

As a regular member I only get a 15 minute window to edit posts... and yes it was a typo, and there was no way I could edit it.

[hkstroud]

Think we all need a hot toddy, going to be cold again tonight.

[smoothy]

I plugged my car in on a timer... that way its up to temprature in about a mile instead of 5 miles... though it will start without the help. (Its a diesel)

[hkstroud]

I'm going to stay inside and build bird houses.