My pipes are frozen

Water expands as it
freezes, which puts
tremendous pressure
on metal or
plastic pipes. No
matter how strong a
pipe is expanding
water can cause
them to break.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that
are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hoses,
swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines,
and water supply lines in unheated interior areas.
Also, pipes that run against exterior walls that
have little or no insulation are subject to freezing.
An eighth-inch (three millimeter) crack in a pipe
can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day. Both
plastic (PVC) and copper pipes can burst.
You can prevent your pipes from freezing
by draining water from sprinkler lines and
swimming pools. Remove, drain, and store hoses
outdoors. Close the inside valves supplying outdoor
hoses bibs. Open these outside hose bibs
and allow water to drain, keep the bibs open to
allow any remaining water to expand without
causing the pipe to break. Check around the
home for other areas where water supply lines
are located and in unheated areas. Look in the
basement crawl space, the attic, the garage, and
under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both the
hot and cold water pipes in these areas should
be insulated.
During cold weather keep your garage
doors closed if there are water supply lines in the
garage. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet
doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the
plumbing. When the weather is very cold outside,
let the cold water drip from the faucet served by
exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe,
even at a trickle, helps to
prevent pipes from freezing.
If you will be going away
during cold weather, leave
the heat in your home set to
a temperature no lower
than 55°F. Consider relocating
exposed pipes to
provide increased protection from freezing. Add
insulation to attics, basements, and crawl
spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures
in these areas.
The damage caused by frozen and broken
water pipes is second only to hurricane damage.
Repair costs typically range in tens of thousands
of dollars. Most freeze damage occurs
within a few hours of a house being filled with
water from burst pipes. The damage can include
ruined drywall, mold and mildew in the walls,
warped wood, ruined carpet, and destroyed valuables.
If you do have a pipe burst you should
immediately shut off the water at the main valve.
If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on
top of the hot water heater
should be closed. Call a
plumber. Keep an emergency
number nearby for quick access

Thawing frozen pipes

If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle
of water comes out, it is safe to say that you
should suspect a frozen pipe. Locate the
suspected frozen area of the water pipe.
Likely places include pipes running against
exterior walls or where your water service
enters your home through the foundation.
• Keep the faucet open. As you treat the
frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to
melt, water will begin to flow through the
frozen area. Running water through the
pipe will help to melt more ice in the pipe.
• Apply heat to the section of pipe using an
electric heating pad wrapped around the
pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space
heater, or wrapping the pipes with towels
soaked in hot water. Never use a blowtorch,
kerosene or propane
heater, charcoal stove, or
other open flame device.
• Apply heat until full water
pressure is restored. If you
are unable to locate the frozen area or if the
frozen area is not accessible, call a licensed
plumber.
• Check all other faucets in your home to find
out if you have additional frozen pipes. If
one pipe freezes, others may too.

Mud Jacking

There was a time when the only remedy for sinking sidewalks or uneven foundations was to tear out the old pavement slab and pour a new one, and spend a great deal of time and money in the process. Today, a less intensive alternative known as mudjacking (also called concrete leveling, pressure grouting or slabjacking) pumps A sunken concrete sidewalk in desperate need of repairslurry beneath a sunken concrete slab in order to raise it back into place.
Concrete sinks because its underlying support, for various reasons, gives way. The original concrete may have been installed on dirt that hadn’t been compacted sufficiently, for instance, or soil erosion may be responsible. And some soil simply settles naturally over many years. Regardless of the cause, sunken concrete can lead to many structural defects, including failed retaining walls, foundation settling, uneven junctions of concrete, sunken sidewalks, uneven concrete pads, cracked foundations, and bowed basement walls. If left uncorrected, these defects can lead to unwanted water runoff and major structural problems. And, aside from the shabby appearance and decreased functionality of an uneven sidewalk, steps or walkway, sunken concrete can create major trip hazards for which the building owner is liable. If a building owner notices any of these conditions, they should consult with their InterNACHI inspector during their next scheduled inspection. Process First, small holes are drilled into the concrete, through which is pumped a slurry that may be composed of various materials, such as sand, cement, soil, limestone, bentonite clay, water or expanding polymers. The particular mixture is based on the type of application and the mudjacker’s preference. The slurry then fills any gaps and forces the concrete to rise back into place before the drilled holes are plugged up with cement, leaving the only visible evidence of the repair. Over the next day, the slurry solidifies and stabilizes the subsoil, making further sinking unlikely. While this is not a complicated procedure, it should be performed only by a trained professional, as amateur workmanship may cause even more extensive damage. Drain pipes, sewers and utilities must be located and avoided, and the area must be evaluated as to whether it can survive the mudjacking process. Some advantages of mudjacking over re-pouring cement include:The only evidence left of mudjacking is the patched hole through which the slurry was pumped. Photo produced by InterNACHI member Mike Morgan. * efficiency. Mudjacking requires less equipment and fewer workers. Adjacent plants and landscaping are also disturbed less, as are neighbors, tenants and passersby by the loud noise, dust and cumbersome equipment; * price. Mudjacking typically costs roughly half as much as concrete replacement because there is little need for new cement or the removal of old concrete. The overall cost is based on the area of concrete that must be lifted, which may be as little as $5 per foot. Thus, for a 5x4-foot job, it might cost just $60, although the mudjacker may charge more if the area is in a hard-to-reach location; * speed. Mudjacking takes hours, while certain concrete pours may take days; and * environmentally friendly. Mudjacking makes use of perfectly good concrete, which would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Limitations of Mudjacking Mudjacking may be an ineffective waste of resources in the following situations: * The concrete surface is spalling or otherwise damaged. The mudjacking process might further damage the surface, which will still be defective even after it’s raised back into place. * The concrete has risen, caused by expansive soil. The only solution for this defect is to re-pour the cement. * The cause of the settling is not addressed. If the soil has settled due to some external factor, the problem must be fixed or the soil will sink again in the future. For instance, a gutter downspout that drains onto a concrete edge must be corrected in order to avoid the need for future repair. * The underlying soil is swampy. * There is a sinkhole beneath the concrete. In summary, mudjacking is an inexpensive, fast and clean way to level a sunken concrete slab.