SOS emergency plumbing (frozen outside garden hose)
November 17, 2014 8:34 PM Subscribe
I delayed disconnecting my outdoor garden hose from the outside spigot before the freezer that hit us today. I went to disconnect it, and I have found that the connection is very hard (couldn't do it with gloves hand) to turn, and I guess there was some water in the hose, so it feels like solid ice inside of it for at least about a foot out. I don't know anything about any interior shutoff for the spigot or anything like that. Should I attempt to thaw the outside connection and disconnect the hose, or will that cause more potential damage? I was thinking warm water or a hair dryer and pliers. Thank you for any advice!
What does your faucet look like? How much pipe is exposed before the spigot connection?
If the faucet was already turned off before the freeze, disconnecting the hose should just require pliers (Channellocks will work well here - ask me how I know). You shouldn't need to worry about thawing it first. [IANAPlumber]
posted by Beti at 8:49 PM on November 17, 2014
If the faucet was already turned off before the freeze, disconnecting the hose should just require pliers (Channellocks will work well here - ask me how I know). You shouldn't need to worry about thawing it first. [IANAPlumber]
posted by Beti at 8:49 PM on November 17, 2014
A pliers should be sufficient to bust the hose fitting off the spigot. However, there's likely ice inside the frost-proof part of the spigot.
In a frost-proof spigot, the knob you turn, outside, is connected to a long bar that seats a valve on the inside (warm) of the wall. The water that is already past that valve is then free to spill to grade if there isn't a hose connected. Since the water was kept inside the spigot, it's likely frozen, at least part way.
I'd get the hose off the spigot, see what's in the spigot mouth (ice or water) and if it's ice, heat it up until it runs out. (make sure the valve is closed). Bonus points: add heat to where the spigot comes into the house, on the inside. That will make sure there's no ice at the actual valve seat.
posted by notsnot at 8:54 PM on November 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
In a frost-proof spigot, the knob you turn, outside, is connected to a long bar that seats a valve on the inside (warm) of the wall. The water that is already past that valve is then free to spill to grade if there isn't a hose connected. Since the water was kept inside the spigot, it's likely frozen, at least part way.
I'd get the hose off the spigot, see what's in the spigot mouth (ice or water) and if it's ice, heat it up until it runs out. (make sure the valve is closed). Bonus points: add heat to where the spigot comes into the house, on the inside. That will make sure there's no ice at the actual valve seat.
posted by notsnot at 8:54 PM on November 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok, i got the hose off fairly easily. There is ice inside the spigot mouth. I guess i will try to thaw that out? I don't think i have a hair dryer...is using warm water dumb/ bad idea? What about a non-electric hot compress (think: bag of rice heard up in a microwave)?
I don't know if i have a frost free spigot ( if it matters).
I have a radiator type space heater on the interior wall next to where the spigot comes is attached outside
posted by mean square error at 9:07 PM on November 17, 2014
I don't know if i have a frost free spigot ( if it matters).
I have a radiator type space heater on the interior wall next to where the spigot comes is attached outside
posted by mean square error at 9:07 PM on November 17, 2014
Response by poster: and when you say to make sure the valve is off, do you just mean that the faucet should be off?
posted by mean square error at 9:20 PM on November 17, 2014
posted by mean square error at 9:20 PM on November 17, 2014
Warm water's an OK idea.
The part of the spigot you're most likely to damage in all this are any soft parts, mainly rubber seals/gaskets inside. It could turn into a drip when the thaw comes, so keep an eye out. The frost-proof spigot is a slightly ridiculous-looking gadget when it's not installed, but it looks like a regular spigot when installed, except this: the faucet handle you turn is going to turn a rod that runs right down the axis of the pipe, rather than off at an angle. If your handle is angled, you probably don't have one. If it's coaxial to the pipe, you may have one.
Everything I know about them, I learned from Master Plumber Rich Trethewey.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:23 PM on November 17, 2014
The part of the spigot you're most likely to damage in all this are any soft parts, mainly rubber seals/gaskets inside. It could turn into a drip when the thaw comes, so keep an eye out. The frost-proof spigot is a slightly ridiculous-looking gadget when it's not installed, but it looks like a regular spigot when installed, except this: the faucet handle you turn is going to turn a rod that runs right down the axis of the pipe, rather than off at an angle. If your handle is angled, you probably don't have one. If it's coaxial to the pipe, you may have one.
Everything I know about them, I learned from Master Plumber Rich Trethewey.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:23 PM on November 17, 2014
Response by poster: Ok. Don't think I have a frost-free. I used warm water to thaw out the ice in the spigot (note: the spigot is installed flush against the siding).
I guess there is not much else to do but hope for the best.
Thank you all for your help.
posted by mean square error at 9:39 PM on November 17, 2014
I guess there is not much else to do but hope for the best.
Thank you all for your help.
posted by mean square error at 9:39 PM on November 17, 2014
If it's not a frost-free spigot then there should be a shutoff valve inside the house. Go into the basement and find where the pipe exits the wall to get to the spigot. There should be a valve somewhere nearby on that same pipe. Ideally you'll close the interior shutoff, which will prevent the flooding hazard, and then when the weather warms a bit you can open the outside spigot and let the water run out of the pipe that's between the interior shutoff and the spigot. If the outside spigot is higher than the interior shutoff valve then the shutoff valve should have a little knurled cap on the side that can be removed to allow the water to drain out there.
posted by jon1270 at 4:08 AM on November 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 4:08 AM on November 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Get one of these doo-hickies. You can get them at your local hardware store for $2.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:16 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:16 AM on November 18, 2014 [1 favorite]
Two years in a row (sigh) I had the pipe outside my house burst because I didn't shut off the water from the interious spot in the ceiling in my basement. In my defence, the second time this happened the water was 99% shut off; just not fully.
What I did this year, is after shutting off the inside valve, I left the outside valve open so that I could see if water was still making it outside at a dribble. Plus this way, there's no water (to freeze and burst) the pipe yet again. Definitely get the water shut off inside the house.
posted by nobeagle at 8:36 AM on November 18, 2014
What I did this year, is after shutting off the inside valve, I left the outside valve open so that I could see if water was still making it outside at a dribble. Plus this way, there's no water (to freeze and burst) the pipe yet again. Definitely get the water shut off inside the house.
posted by nobeagle at 8:36 AM on November 18, 2014
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posted by mean square error at 8:44 PM on November 17, 2014