Texas deep freeze carnage thread

[Guest Lobo]

33 minutes ago, Bill Lumbergh said:

Ok, we were almost in the 70s here today, so I can safely say any thawing that needed to happen should be done by now.

With that done, I've got a pretty strange situation going on with plumbing, curious if anyone here has any ideas.

I was able to run water the entire way through the freeze, hot and cold from all faucets.

Now that everything is done, every faucet in the house seems to have returned to normal...except two.

In the master bath, the tub and shower are right next to each other, along an exterior wall.

The shower has hot and cold water fine, the pressure just seems a bit low. The pressure everywhere else in the house seems normal.

The tub is more confusing. The cold comes on with great pressure and really cold. The hot comes on what seems like 50% pressure, and never gets hot. I've run it for an hour, it doesn't get hot. That's while the shower right next to it does get hot.

We have no signs of any leaking or damage anywhere, but something obviously seems off here. Any ideas? I'm planning to call a plumber if it stays like this, but guessing that since my situation isn't dire I won't be able to get one for weeks.

On the diagonal (I know there would be no math), but in terms of both height from the foundation and then also from the city line meeting your resident line...those two in the master bath---are they the farthest away (again on the diagonal) from the city line meeting your valve?  Again, the geometry is important, we have a few faucets and spigots that are far away in linear feet but almost level with the city line.  But it's actually the oldest daughter's bathroom which is closer in but ~14 feet up so it creates the actual farthest distance and that was our first sign of trouble the other night.  

[Bill Lumbergh 7168]

On the diagonal (I know there would be no math), but in terms of both height from the foundation and then also from the city line meeting your resident line...those two in the master bath---are they the farthest away (again on the diagonal) from the city line meeting your valve?  Again, the geometry is important, we have a few faucets and spigots that are far away in linear feet but almost level with the city line.  But it's actually the oldest daughter's bathroom which is closer in but ~14 feet up so it creates the actual farthest distance and that was our first sign of trouble the other night.  

From a foundation standpoint, both are quite close (first floor).

In terms of the city line meeting residence, to be honest I don't know. How would I figure this out?

Maybe this helps answer the question, but we have a second floor and all pressure and heat/cold water is fine on the second floor in all bathrooms. It seems like no matter, all bathrooms on the second floor should be further from what you're mentioning than a first floor master bath, but maybe I'm missing something.

What should we watch for, just in case our situation is similar to yours? I'm behind on the thread, so don't know your specifics.

Thanks for the help here.

[Shoxthemonkey 1976]

Check to be sure that the screens in the removable faucet outlets aren't blocked with scale or trash that was dislodged during all the commotion.  It might be as simple as that.

[TwiceHorn 31184]

56 minutes ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

Check to be sure that the screens in the removable faucet outlets aren't blocked with scale or trash that was dislodged during all the commotion.  It might be as simple as that.

 

Yes, debris screens and the valve cartridge in single-handle faucets can get "slow" and super-wonky (cold is hot, no flow on one or the other, etc.) on the single-handles from scale getting in them.  Valve cartridges are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace.  Look up your faucet online and you can probably find instructions and a cartridge to buy.

Edited February 22, 2021 by TwiceHorn

[Longhornstampede 3173]

On 2/20/2021 at 6:58 AM, Hpara759 said:

water tower in Pampa

 

[ROFL BOX 6647]

On 2/20/2021 at 6:24 PM, AUS-97HORN said:

Ive got a busted pipe somewhere in the ceiling, water turned off since Wed.  Plumber that i use all the time orignally said he could make it Fri, then sat.... today I called and they told me, maybe Mon, or Tues...   I get it, they are overwhelmed, but I get the feeling its gonna be another week before he is gonna make it. 

the water damage is really contained to the master bath,  so as long I can turn the water back on and wash some clothes and take a shower, I am fine..... but the pipe isnt in an easy spot to fix without some experience. 

Call or text if you want me to get out for a look.  We're going to be on Lamar just S of Barton Springs, that's probably gonna keep me busy until 1500, then after that I can come N to your house.  This may well be a plumbing thing we can get into.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

5 hours ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

Check to be sure that the screens in the removable faucet outlets aren't blocked with scale or trash that was dislodged during all the commotion.  It might be as simple as that.

I'm responding & then will read the rest of the posts... but how would this affect hot water after he runs up his bill for 1 hour?

[ROFL BOX 6647]

Well, shit.  Only 4 or 5 posts after.  Anyhow, running water for 1 hour should get him some hot water.  & Apparently that's the ONLY one in the house not getting hot... so there is something odd because the hot line & cold line are separate.

Is this faucet for the bathtub a single handle or is there a "Hot on L / Cold on R" design?  If a single handle, there is some possibility the blend whatever is out of whack? (NOT... NOT a plumber, simply trying to think logically)

[ROFL BOX 6647]

18 hours ago, deadshank said:

I’m not going to argue with you about this.  You’re seeing the location of your ice dam and not the cause. 

 

Don't argue with the man.  Especially when the Germans are bombing Pearl Harbor.

[ROFL BOX 6647]

& YES, DeadShank was partially incorrect when he said it isn't possibly a flashing thing.  Ice dams CAN force water to slip backwards & under flashing

 

If a metal roof, you can get condensation forming under the panels due to an ice dam & if at a pitch change location, that will cause some melting action.  I have 2 houses out here in Dripping Springs that have done the same thing... I suggested they use a paint stripping type heat gun to excessively melt the snow or ice from inside & totally remove the dam that causes a backup of water.  Worked on both occasions.

[Bill Lumbergh 7168]

Well, shit.  Only 4 or 5 posts after.  Anyhow, running water for 1 hour should get him some hot water.  & Apparently that's the ONLY one in the house not getting hot... so there is something odd because the hot line & cold line are separate.
Is this faucet for the bathtub a single handle or is there a "Hot on L / Cold on R" design?  If a single handle, there is some possibility the blend whatever is out of whack? (NOT... NOT a plumber, simply trying to think logically)

Yeah, the block would make sense for pressure, but I couldn't figure out how that would impact heat. Just tried it again this morning, shower and both sinks in the same bathroom have hot water, tub gets none.

To make things more confusing, it is a separate h/c handle faucet. Seems more likely that something could get messed up on a single handle, but this is a separate handle.

The cold handle produces much stronger pressure and very cold water.

The hot handle produces 50% pressure and water that maybe is not as cold, but definitely not even warm.

Single tankless heater for the entire house, so given I have hot water in every other place in the house, the heater is fine.

Will call a plumber today. Again, not hopeful anyone will come out soon, but it's also not an urgent need unless there's some damage happening somewhere that we can't see. I've walked every room of the house looking for damage, though, and saw nothing.

[deadshank 24651]

Well well well.  Turns out I lost our BFP.    Was drained and innskoolsated.  Claro que si.  
 

One more item to toil with.  

[CooterBrown 17874]

But I'm sure whatever disaster '21 has in store for me will involve something I'm incompetent at.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the coming sexnado.

[Shoxthemonkey 1976]

4 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

I'm responding & then will read the rest of the posts... but how would this affect hot water after he runs up his bill for 1 hour?

It won't affect temp necessarily but it can affect flow. That's what I was responding to. I'm guessing that @TwiceHorn is correct when he addressed the cartridge issue. I haven't had that problem so I can't say for sure.

[Hate 20102]

11 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

 

Personally, I’m looking forward to the coming sexnado.

 

I wonder just how many Snowvid 21 babies there will be in 9 months.

[TwiceHorn 31184]

30 minutes ago, Shoxthemonkey said:

It won't affect temp necessarily but it can affect flow. That's what I was responding to. I'm guessing that @TwiceHorn is correct when he addressed the cartridge issue. I haven't had that problem so I can't say for sure.

On showers, definitely, and maybe even tubs, there's a newish thing called a pressure-balancing valve that prevents scalding from hot/cold water pressure fluctuations.  I am only familiar with them in single-handle applications, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist in two-handle applications.  The valve mixes hot and cold before it even gets to the faucet so you don't have independent streams mixing right near the exit.

It's possible, though doesn't seem likely on a tub, that this is what's going on.

[Paco 1923]

Yeah, the block would make sense for pressure, but I couldn't figure out how that would impact heat. Just tried it again this morning, shower and both sinks in the same bathroom have hot water, tub gets none.

To make things more confusing, it is a separate h/c handle faucet. Seems more likely that something could get messed up on a single handle, but this is a separate handle.

The cold handle produces much stronger pressure and very cold water.

The hot handle produces 50% pressure and water that maybe is not as cold, but definitely not even warm.

Single tankless heater for the entire house, so given I have hot water in every other place in the house, the heater is fine.

Will call a plumber today. Again, not hopeful anyone will come out soon, but it's also not an urgent need unless there's some damage happening somewhere that we can't see. I've walked every room of the house looking for damage, though, and saw nothing.

Is it a big garden tub with a roman tub filler? If so, chances are you have a mixing valve (similar to what twicehorn is talking about) and it's fucked off. The residential ones are notoriously shitty. They are usually located under the tub behind a removable panel, or under one of the vanities. Should look something like this.

[Bill Lumbergh 7168]

Is it a big garden tub with a roman tub filler? If so, chances are you have a mixing valve (similar to what twicehorn is talking about) and it's fucked off. The residential ones are notoriously shitty. They are usually located under the tub behind a removable panel, or under one of the vanities. Should look something like this.

It is that kind of tub and faucet, and this makes sense. Is it just coincidence this happened around the freeze? Bizarre, if so.

I'm not going to try to open up the tub to see, so will just wait until a plumber can come. I assume there's no risk from this in terms of leaking/damage, it just won't provide hot water for now?

Thanks guys, I did a ton of searching online but the problem is specific enough that you find a lot of other, not applicable problems when trying to find answers for this. This is the only thing I've seen that makes any sense for the symptoms observed.

[burntorangebongos 10681]

Is back flow preventer for sprinkler system? Why isn't that in the ground? 

[sidis 9713]

6 minutes ago, burntorangebongos said:

Is back flow preventer for sprinkler system? Why isn't that in the ground? 

some backflow regulators are, some aren't.  in texas in particular, there are quite a few of them that utilize gravity and go above ground with the bell-assembly at the high point...typically located quite close to the main water supply valve out at the street.  in my previous house, i had one that was above ground.  after the 2/2011 freeze and the corresponding shitshow of shutting it down in the middle of a freezing night, i switched to a below-ground regulator.  the guy that bought my old house text me last week to say thanks.

[burntorangebongos 10681]

Mine is in the ground and I couldn't find it after it snowed so I didn't shut it off, but I shut off the main line so that shut water to the sprinklers system too. I think shutting off there saved me. Real inconvenient but well worth it.

[fattyflattie 4636]

On 2/18/2021 at 5:08 PM, TwiceHorn said:

Well, Kitec is a PEX product, although it is different from what is sold today.  One of its problems was that some of it was PEX-Aluminum-PEX and used brass/bronze connectors.  And that's worse than cats and dogs.

 

There was a more general problem with early PEX formulations used in the US.  Chlorine and fluoride deteritorated it.

Has all this been sorted?  I spoke to it in another thread but when I was going thru materials classes (Con Sci) PEX was generally deemed worthless crap.  I assume it's gotten better?  At the time we got to do some intern type work with some custom builders out the in Dominion.  I remember specifically an instance one of my peers was sort of laughed out the room when he asked if they were using it on one of the builds.  Builder made a remark about KB homes across the highway etc. 

[TwiceHorn 31184]

2 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Has all this been sorted?  I spoke to it in another thread but when I was going thru materials classes (Con Sci) PEX was generally deemed worthless crap.  I assume it's gotten better?  At the time we got to do some intern type work with some custom builders out the in Dominion.  I remember specifically an instance one of my peers was sort of laughed out the room when he asked if they were using it on one of the builds.  Builder made a remark about KB homes across the highway etc. 

It seems that it has.

[Captainant 27308]

39 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Has all this been sorted?  I spoke to it in another thread but when I was going thru materials classes (Con Sci) PEX was generally deemed worthless crap.  I assume it's gotten better?  At the time we got to do some intern type work with some custom builders out the in Dominion.  I remember specifically an instance one of my peers was sort of laughed out the room when he asked if they were using it on one of the builds.  Builder made a remark about KB homes across the highway etc. 

It's definitely improved - my Lennar-built home (and all the houses in the neighborhood) have 100% PEX plumbing and none of the houses had burst pipes or leaks during the freeze. It seems to be more or less the industry standard now, and it's definitely easier to work with and repair than copper pipes. The thing I really dig is that the fasteners for it are all mechanical and use the pipe material as a gasket itself - no sweating together pipes like with copper, or chemically joining them like with CPVC. This Austin-based homebuilder has some pretty good comparison videos on the material and stressing it w/ pressure and freezing liquid, etc

 

I'd go with PEX over other plumbing materials 10/10 times, but I know that there are some issues/concerns with rodents eating the pipes. But IMO you've got bigger problems if you have an active rodent infestation in your walls lol.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11796]

8 hours ago, Hate said:

I wonder just how many Snowvid 21 babies there will be in 9 months.

I dunno, but based on my personal experience, I wasn't about to take my long johns off in the 50 degree house, even under the covers.  Plus my wife was asleep and the lotion in the cabinet was really fucking cold.

[Guest Lobo]

Actually the 45 degree nights in the house by the fire would have made for good snuggling sex.  However, two problems in the way of us procreating (besides the IUD)...the kids were huddled in the room with us on their own pallet.  And neither of us had showered in days.  I don't mind some au natural sex but after a few days, even in our randiest states---conditions were not ideal...we  just opted for somebody taking the fire shift and somebody catching some shut-eye.  

I bet there's actually a lack of births 39 weeks from now and it can be solely attributed to the fucksticks in charge of regulating/not regulating ERCOT.  I vote we make their names the last popular boy names in 9 months time.  

[Captainant 27308]

1 minute ago, Lobo said:

Actually the 45 degree nights in the house by the fire would have made for good snuggling sex.  However, two problems in the way of us procreating (besides the IUD)...the kids were huddled in the room with us on their own pallet.  And neither of us had showered in days.  I don't mind some au natural sex but after a few days, even in our randiest states---conditions were not ideal...we  just opted for somebody taking the fire shift and somebody catching some shut-eye.  

I bet there's actually a lack of births 39 weeks from now and it can be solely attributed to the fucksticks in charge of regulating/not regulating ERCOT.  I vote we make their names the last popular boy names in 9 months time.  

There's actually a good bit of academic work to support that there's gonna be a COVID-instigated baby bust, I doubt the lights being out for a week would be a big enough signal to measure compared to the impact from COVID

[Guest Lobo]

Yeah, I totally believe we're already in the midst of a Covid baby bust that will fully reveal itself in a few months.  My contention was that there won't be a mini baby boom in Texas 39 weeks from now as some espoused.  For reasons like most people spent their nights tending fires, mending plumbing, rotating faucets, queueing up early for food and water at the store, charging batteries in the car, etc.  It's not like those New England or Midwest blizzards that cause baby booms because those people and their states are prepared for it.  I think 80% of Texas couples were too freaked out this past week to try to procreate.  We "cuddled" a few times but once we got into the real dicey stuff from Wed-Sat, it was just survival mode---obviously results may vary.  

noCR, but as usual Dan Patrick proves to be the best form of birth control out there.  Either his voice, his incompetent regulation of ERCOT on the Senate side, and the fact that he has the testosterone count of a 9-year old Dutch girl...he's just a boner killer all the way around.  I think we see fewer babies in most of Texas in 39 weeks, not more.  

Edited February 22, 2021 by Lobo

[NeverMarryAStripper 21780]

I'm beginning to think that fewer new Texans is a good thing

[Judge Roybeanbag 11796]

47 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Actually the 45 degree nights in the house by the fire would have made for good snuggling sex.  However, two problems in the way of us procreating (besides the IUD)...the kids were huddled in the room with us on their own pallet.  And neither of us had showered in days.  I don't mind some au natural sex but after a few days, even in our randiest states---conditions were not ideal...we  just opted for somebody taking the fire shift and somebody catching some shut-eye.  

I bet there's actually a lack of births 39 weeks from now and it can be solely attributed to the fucksticks in charge of regulating/not regulating ERCOT.  I vote we make their names the last popular boy names in 9 months time.  

I tried to look up famous eskimo names, and there weren't any, except maybe Nanook.  So we're pretty much at a loss for baby names for this incident, unless we include:

Josebib

Homedepotflushbucket

Jim Spencer

Pipa Longstocking

That's all I got.

[Guest Lobo]

16 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

 

Homedepotflushbucket

 

I know a lot of guys kept warm with Homedepotfleshpocket.  not judging.  You gotta do what you gotta do in the blizzard.

[PantsTent 2002]

I dunno, but based on my personal experience, I wasn't about to take my long johns off in the 50 degree house, even under the covers.  Plus my wife was asleep and the lotion in the cabinet was really fucking cold.

and you both fuckin stank from no water and no showers. From experience...

[South Austin 52037]

14 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

I'm beginning to think that fewer new Texans is a good thing

*lesser

[deadshank 24651]

16 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

Has all this been sorted?  I spoke to it in another thread but when I was going thru materials classes (Con Sci) PEX was generally deemed worthless crap.  I assume it's gotten better?  At the time we got to do some intern type work with some custom builders out the in Dominion.  I remember specifically an instance one of my peers was sort of laughed out the room when he asked if they were using it on one of the builds.  Builder made a remark about KB homes across the highway etc. 

We’ve gone from drinking water out of puddles to water drawn from wells to plumbing with lead to copper to galvanized to PVC and CPVC to PEX

At every step along the way the new product has been criticized by the salesman of the old product. 

PEX is a good product.  I would put it in my house given the opportunity.  

[Murfdogg21 4412]

On 2/22/2021 at 7:24 AM, Hate said:

I wonder just how many Snowvid 21 babies there will be in 9 months.

Some couples took to romance during these stressful nights? That was not my experience. 

[Anastasis 23375]

15 hours ago, Lobo said:

Dan Patrick proves to be the best form of birth control out there...he's just a boner killer all the way around.

What is wrong with your brain man? Lol. 

[Bookman 4609]

17 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

What is wrong with your brain man? Lol. 

Brain man?

[Guest Lobo]

33 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

What is wrong with your brain man? Lol. 

Just saying every time wife and I wanted to get down during the freeze, we'd turn on the news to see about updates before heading to the bedroom. And there  He was, looking like a Lane Bryant model in their business suit collection, and he just killed the mood every time.  

Edited February 23, 2021 by Lobo

[fattyflattie 4636]

52 minutes ago, deadshank said:

PEX is a good product.  I would put it in my house given the opportunity.  

That’s all I needed to know. I would have very much liked to have one of those isolation manifolds. 

[South Austin 52037]

59 minutes ago, Murfdogg21 said:

Some couples took to romance during these stressful nights? That was not my experience. 

I got laid Monday and Tuesday night, but that was before we lost power.

[BradInATX 9208]

Fuck, man. I pulled into the house after dropping my kid off and saw a bunch of water coming out of my little fenced in area off the garage that has one A/C unit and my trash bins and a water spigot. Immediately started freaking out only to open it up and realize that was just the drain that comes out of my utility room working as intended. Didn't need that heart attack this morning but I'm awake now at least.

Edited February 23, 2021 by BradInATX

[Hagbard Celine 10734]

search is not returning results in current threads looking for

flir AND leaks

where are the posts about FLIR for leak detection

[Hagbard Celine 10734]

32 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I got laid Monday and Tuesday night, but that was before we lost power.

so that's how it is in your family

[Eastwood 4394]

Fuck, man. I pulled into the house after dropping my kid off and saw a bunch of water coming out of my little fenced in area off the garage that has one A/C unit and my trash bins and a water spigot. Immediately started freaking out only to open it up and realize that was just the drain that comes out of my utility room working as intended. Didn't need that heart attack this morning but I'm awake now at least.

I walked into the garage to leave for the day yesterday and my eyes caught a glint of what looked like pooled water in the garage. My heart jumped into my throat and I slammed the garage door button. It was a ziploc bag that was catching light from a vent in the garage door. I won't be comfortable in my own home for a long while, it seems.

[BabaYaga 15202]

39 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I got laid Monday and Tuesday night, but that was before we lost power.

This doesn't count....

 

[drt 637]

18 minutes ago, Hagbard Celine said:

search is not returning results in current threads looking for

flir AND leaks

where are the posts about FLIR for leak detection

Pretty sure it was in this thread somewhere.  Basically someone said buy https://www.amazon.com/FLIR-One-Thermal-Imager-For/dp/B0728C7KND and use it to look for unexpected temp differentials to identify leaks.

[luke duke 6379]

I got laid Monday and Tuesday night, but that was before we lost power.

We’re you unable to blow her back up when the power went out?

[Hagbard Celine 10734]

are we talking insurance up in here or do we need an insurance claims thread

[ZB'Tejas 593]

Anyone that had a plumber out already to replace an exterior tankless hot water heater. Got a quote from a guy for $1300 for the labor portion. Does that sound reasonable?

[Shaggybevo 353]

Restaurants have covid staffing levels right now, and pre-covid or better level of customers.

Expect long waits.