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Columnist stumped by frozen pipe problem It‘s official! We have endured the coldest January on record. Plumbers were the first to know because they have been working around the clock making house calls to fix frozen water pipes and drains. There was also a lot of activity in the basement department, as in flooded. When we had that brief thaw and the heavy rains, the water flowed around on the top of the frozen ground looking for an escape. Too often, it came up against a house and found relief at the foundation wall where the ground had thawed a few inchâ€" es from the wall. As it flowed down the wall, it often found new cracks that had been opened up by the action of frost. New cracks Since the frost had penetrated so deeply this January, there were new cracks opening up as the water froze in them and expanded. Even the mortar between the blocks of a block wall soaked up water and when it froze, it creâ€" ated cracks along the mortar lines. According to The Home Service Club, 1 1/2 percent of all their members place help calls during the cold snap. Temporary relief could be given by proâ€" viding pumps to remove the water, but permanent cures would have to wait for milder weather. The only effective repair would be to dig a trench beside the walls down to the footings and then paint on waterproofing. It might be necessary in some cases to install adequate tile drainage around the perimeter. This is the kind of job you think twice about before launching out on your own. A strong back and maniacal determination are minimum requireâ€" ments. Bad news The frozen water lines did not present the same kind of bad news because if they were accessible at all, the frozen lines responded to low heat from a heat gun or a hair dryer. Now that‘s a real DIY project. Pipes that were buried or incorrectly installed on an outside wall were more labor intensive, but usually not too trouâ€" blesome unless the freezing had split the pipe. Then, it would be necessary to replace a section of pipe. Not an ideal DIY project in most cases. Those who experienced that problem would be advised to move the pipes if possible. If not, try using insulation, depending on how much exposure to cold there was. If insulation doesn‘t provide enough protection, then low voltage wiring can be wrapped around the pipes and activated in extremely cold weather. More faith A friend of mine, who has more faith in my expertise than he should, called me in to help him thaw a frozen drain pipe from a kitchen sink. The drain pipe went down an outside wall. Drains are supâ€" posed to be free flowing even when they go down an outside wall. This one was the exception because the builder had installed the drain pipe so it ran across the entire width of the house (about 35 feet) between the floor and the finished basement ceiling underneath. The horizontal run should have sloped 1/4 inch for every foot of run according to the building code. This one not only ran close to level, but it also had a woodâ€" en block supporting the centre of the pipe which meant that the first half of the pipe was actually going uphill. So, there was always water at the end of the pipe under the sink. When we had that extended period of bitter cold, the water froze and plugged the pipe. The only recourse after disconnecting the Sâ€"Trap under the sink and pouring gallons of boiling water down the pipe to no avail was to cut a small hole in the finished ceiling of the basement and blow hot air against the portion of pipe that was frozen. I have asked all manner of tradesmen and store owners if there was anything else I could have done to free up the ice, other than waiting for spring, and I have come up with nothing. Looking for advice Is there anyone out there among the readers of this newspaper who could offer an alternative to breaking through a wall when drain pipes freeze? If there is, please call in to the office and leave a message. I‘ll reward you with a couple of those wonderful startling books that I rave about. You pick your own title. I did get one bit of advice from my friend Brian, the plumber, about kitchen drains plugging up. A garberator must be used with a lot of water to flush away the solids. Without a good flush, the solids will sit in the waste pipe and eventually cause an obstruction, especially when fats and oils come up against it. Please send suggestions to me in care of the newspaper, so I can pass them along to the rest of you in preparation for next January‘s new record breaker. Looking For A Home? ‘Look no further than the Oakville Beaver Real Estate News. Every Wednesday. a t x2 x2 Proud supporter of the Children‘s Miracle Network REALTY CORP. cos ouizâ€"tal s c â€" MARSHALL | Sales Rep. . HALL OF FAME | p66L ‘g4 ‘go4 ‘Aepsaupam ‘1enrog ‘ojny20 9UL 010153 |20H â€" LL * ol d ui dn id l in ce h h i ce t d o es ol t o e e e e e e e nc o o e e e o e o e e e d e e e ie e en en e ie e uied ce t