Hi Marie! I think that crawlspace would pass the white glove test. Never seen one that nice. They make heat tape and foam insulation that goes right around the pipe. Probably either 1/2" or 3/4". That would even help quite a bit. At least it thawed out and the water started running again. Have never seen a shower pipe in the ceiling. Usually they are in the wall. Even turning the water on once in a while would help.
One of the first things that I would do for that crawl space is stick a Smart WiFi Temperature Humidity Monitor down there to monitor the conditions in the crawl space to alert you to any problems. you can get them for 20 to 30 bucks and monitor conditions on your phone.
Nicest crawl space I've seen. Like others say here to let offending shower drip a little to keep from freezing up. Might be an access panel to plumbing in bathroom.
I looked but cant find a panel, I was hoping for one. thanks, the crawl space was a disaster when I bought the house, not even a vapor barrier. but now its a nice crawl space
@@marieintheUP Looks like your house is a one story. I can't see a reason plumbing would come through attic. If you see the bathroom stuff from crawl space that's the origin. Something safe like a hair dryer (no flame) and heat up area where pipes lead to bath. Heat rises ! Use that to you advantage.
So glad to see you have water running in shower again. Nice to see everyone trying one way or another helping figure it out. Have a great night and stay warm.
Plumber here- get some heat in the crawl space - that will help. Also, get a thermometer down there and let me know what the temperature is and I can give you some more advice
awesome!! I will get the thermometer down there (someone said I can get a wifi one that will go to my phone, so im ordering one) but I can check the temp and let you know, and thank you!
If you have vents in your crawl space, close them for the winter. Heat tape or insulate pipes. Really about all you can do. Also consider monitoring the temp in the crawl space during the freezing months.
I noticed that as well, makes no sense to have a warm crawl space with open vents, i noticed not a lick of insulation in the floor joist area so i guess there are some heating vents open to the crawl area , strange given that she lives in such a cold climate and i think she has a heat pump cause if heard it running on one of the videos.
I'm guessing those water pipes are in the cold attic or on an exterior wall. Who knows how well the exterior wall are insulated, but the home looks newer so I'm sure it was done well. The crawl space looks wonderful. They did a great job, but I'm guessing it wasn't cheap. Foundation issues are the absolute worst!! 😢
I think its in the attic, I hope they insulated it well, Im not sure, Ive been having to do a lot of updates, I do like the crawl space, it was a mud pit before, the sump pump has made a huge difference too. hope you are having a great night
Craw space entry was pretty darn graceful, and you have the nicest craw space ever…I’ve seen many-super important space, and yet so often neglected. Frozen cold only to shower seems odd. Maybe in a corner of house.
Hey Marie, whoever did the encapsulation work in your crawlspace did an excellent job! I had our cottage crawl done twice (once because of a fire on the main floor). I'm no expert, but have experience with them. Great post!!
hi Keith, I am sorry here there was a fire once at your cottage, I hope everything/one was okay. I am glad you have a good crawl space too, I really like mine, before it was a mud pit and I hated being under there
on the cold days, run the water at a trickle, giving regard to your well capacity. in the summer, install heat tape. As a suggestion, install it for a low temperature 10-15 degrees colder than your lowest actual temperature. put it on a switch that you can easily reach from the outside. Hope this helps!
I would suggest wrapping the pipes with heating tape or at a minimum pipe insulation, also install a WiFi temperature sensor in the crawl space. BTW, your crawl space was done perfectly, well sealed.
I appreciate the positive comments on the crawl space, I was really happy with how it turned out! 🙂. I do think I need the wifi temp sensor and the pipe insulation, thank you!
I vote for trickle when extremely cold until it can be properly addressed. Make sure (I am sure you already know) where the main water valve is in case you need to quickly turn off the water supply in the event something springs a leak, Also know where the water pump switch or circuit breaker is in case you need to turn off the water pump motor.
yes excellent advice about knowing where the main water valve is and how to turn off the water pump at the circuit breaker, thankfully I do know where it all is and I think the advice on the trickle is smart and i am going that route now, thank you so much!
Let the shower drip during extreme temps, just enough that it drips,and try to get heat tape on pipes in attic to get you through til Spring when you can address everything. Just suggestions. Crawl looks immaculate. 😊
It's good to see that someone already mentioned to leave your shower faucets at a slow trickle during extremely cold weather. I would be surprised you if have any water lines in your attic. That would be against code where we live & not good at all. Once you figure out where the supply lines are get them wrapped with heat tape soon if they actually froze up.
Also i did not notice insulation behind your exterior wall rim joists in your crawl space - which is one of the nicest crawl spaces i have ever seen. Rim joist is located between a sill plate and bottomplate on top of your block walls in crawl space.
One area looked like spray foam but the bathroom area for sure has nothing but bare wood. The guys that worked on the crawl space should have installed.
Looks like you have forced hot air, in which case, if you don't already have any, you could add one or two registers in the crawlspace. Since it's insulated, the warm air should stay in there pretty well, and you really only need it to be 40 degrees or so. For upstairs, if you can open the access door to the attic (did she say attic?), hot air rises, so you could warm it a little up there. For both spaces, put a couple of thermometers in; in fact, maybe ones you could read from a phone or computer.
The oldest trick in the book now that the water is flowing again, turn the shower valve on so water just trickles out. You weren't specific which water line froze and crazy as this may sound, the hot water pipe usually freezes first because of the air expansion. Try the water trickle trick until you can get those pipes heat tape wrapped to prevent this in the future. I don't blame you for not wanting to go into that tighter section, with my claustrophobia I wouldn't want to be in the roomer side of your crawlspace. Looking forward to what you'll be doing with the roof. Thanks for bringing us along!
It is possible the rain shower water supply lines are run through a soffit. I think I would definitely resolve this issue before any additional insulation buries the problem .
If the pipes are above the ceiling, have them insulate the pipes when they do the insulation. I lived in a house without a basement, and the pipes above the ceiling froze and burst. Insulation and insulating the pipes solved the problem.
as others noted whoever you contracted to correct your crawl space did an excellent job (rare in today's world). the "pitch" on your roof is an issue, but could be costly to correct. As others suggested, during these harsh months, allow your faucet to "drip" to allow movement in your pipes, hence not freezing.
If there's frost on the pipes in the attic then I would put some heat tape on them until the insulation is in place. That's the cleanest crawl space I've ever seen! Glad I have a basement in my house.😊 You may want to put some insulated covers on your outside water faucets.
I drained them for winter and shut off the water to them, but I forgot to put the covers on, I have them in the garage and can do that now, thanks for the reminder.
@marieintheUP You did the right thing. I have a shutoff in my house and I shut it off and drain the outside faucets also. They're also supposed to be frost free faucets so there's less chance of freezing. Covers are still a good idea though.
Hello! Today's video is less snow and a lot of I need help with plumbing/frozen pipe questions. Thank you in advance if any of you are plumbers or having plumbing knowledge, appreciate you!
LOL, have to look out for those man eating chipmunks that could be down there. It looks to me like the supply line to your shower head is located in the space above your ceiling since it comes directly out of the shower ceiling. Unfortunately, you will have to get up there and fix the problem sooner than later. Pipe insulation or heat tape would help with that, if you have a power source. Great crawl space by the way. I wish mine was that way but alas, it isn't. Another great video and keep them coming.
I am afraid youre right and I do need to go up into the attic, I need to face that fear, I do love the crawl space, it was a mess before I fixed it up. thanks for the comment!
You may want to consider changing your copper pipes to PEX line which is less likely to break if frozen. I would keep the water running at a trickle for now.
@@marieintheUP I'm blessed to have a basement and had everything done in PEX and brought up to code last year. House was built in 1931 but was built solid.
You have had some really nice quality work done there in the crawlspace. Money well spent! I have a crawlspace too and I put the snap on insulation insulation sleeves on all of my pipes both hot and cold lines. The better type has peel and stick adhesive where its split down its length. I would look into putting heat tape and insulation on all the pipe in the attic for sure. You are correct your shower was probably frozen and just by openning the faucet a bit the pipe can thaw out better. It can also help relieve pressure that can sometimes cause a nasty split along the frozen pipe. As for your roof, it would be a solid investment to have your pitch increased if its in your budget. Peace of mind, not climbing up to shovel or roof rake, no more ice dams or waiting for water damage to happen. I don't mind spending money for stuff like that. A friend told me once that in construction water usually wins but you can outsmart it if you think like a drip😅. Thanks for sharing!
I agree with you, that crawlspace was a good investment. I found out that if I insulate and ventilate and insulate pipes that I won't have ice dams anymore so I am going to try that route, im excited! thank you for the advice and i am keeping the shower on a trickle right now
I'm glad the water started running again, I've had water pipes burst before in the winter, that is something you don't want to happen! Just trickle water out of the shower when you know it's going to get really cold until you can get the pipe insulated. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.
I wondered about that, its on an interior wall, but its right in the area where the leak is from the ice dam, so its an interesting location, Im wondering if they are connected somehow.
@ now that i see your shower head is an overhead rain style…. Yes id say your issue is that the supply line just froze in the ceiling joist space it runs in. Thats not a super standard shower location for Michigan. Maybe when it was installed the insulation wasn’t put back properly around the pipe. Once you get up there and see what’s up… if get a wifi sensor up there for next year. Maybe when the insulation job is done. 👍
Pipes were probably only slightly frozen and thawed out when the sun warmed up the outside during the day. Talk to a plumber about insulation or heat tape on the problem lines. Your crawl space is well insulated on the block walls, but they did not bring the insulation out far enough on the top of the walls. the sill plate is not insulated and it is exposed to the ice cold block wall cavities. The access door only has a thin piece of foam. The opening should be fitted with an additional piece of thick foam on the inside that can be removed after you open the outer door panel. The vents should be fitted with foam blocks for the winter when the vents are closed. Not sure if your shower head is in the ceiling exposed to the attic. if it is the ceiling joist should be fitted with a foam panel just above the pipe to trap heat from the ceiling, and then insulate above the foam to full R-value of the attic. If you wrap the pipes in foam, but do not add heat tape, they will freeze anyway. Boxing in the pipes with one side exposed to the warm inner wall or ceiling while insulating the cold side works best.
Thanks so much for the tips, I'll definitely have to talk to a plumber about the pipes and will discuss the insulation with the foundation people, appreciate it!
Attics are normally unheated spaces to prevent things like ice dams. Since you have plumbing up there I would think that it is wrapped in thermostatically controlled heat tape and insulated.(it may be just not working) as one of your other subs suggested, leaving that shower dripping at those ambient temperatures, is a great thing to do until you can have it checked by a professional plumber. You will find emergency plumbing contact information for your area on line or if you have it, a local phone book. Whatever an emergency service call will cost you, it will be insignificant in comparison to the cost and amount of damage a burst pipe in the ceiling can do. Nice job reasoning through the trouble shooting and having the gumption to go into the crawl space to check it out, it puts you in the top 5% of homeowners when it comes to trying to take on that kinda thing.
we don't have any plumbers here so there is no emergency line, but I know someone who knows a plumber who lives a hour or so away and i think I can get help there but going to run the water for now and we will see what tomorrow brings. im glad the shower is working again
Talk to a plumber about possibly wrapping the pipes in the attic with insulation. Also changing the pitch of your roof could get quite costly. I wish you all the best.
Nice video. Great crawl space. Plenty of advice! Don’t forget to consult your extended family! They have plenty of experience with this stuff, and you will listen to the advice and save it it for later when you can mull it over with the big picture viewpoint! Don’t spend big money when letting the shower trickle will prevent freezing in even the coldest temperature! Then next summer you can contract a best case solution with a plumber. Winter is a time of hibernation and rest. This is not a big deal. Budget your time and energy wisely! Keep up the fantastic work!
30 years of heating/air with some plumbing and electrical mixed in Shouldn't be any water lines in the attic only 2 inch vent stacks that go through the roof. But looking at your shower with the rain fall shower head that 1 water line is probably frozen in the attic, your gonna have to get some insulation over the pipe. As far as the pipe freezing and bursting, the pex type water lines are very tough and usually won't burst
Looks like your water piping is a mixture of copper and pex tubing. It also looked like the water piping is all fed upwards from your crawl space to first floor fixtures. It was surprising to see ceiling mounted shower head in your climate zone. PEX tubing is more durable and can flex and expand in high pressure freezing conditions where copper pipe will not. PEX will freeze and burst in extreme conditions. You should check in the attic to be sure the shower head piping is well insulated. Perhaps a little animal with big ears ate some of the pipe insulation or a joint of insulation opened up by itself. Glad to see you coping with the joys of home ownership. These joys never seem to have an end...........
oh they never end youre right lol I do like to try to figure things out though so its good for me to learn, I do have pex and copper, I think the shower is pex, the other bathroom is all pex so I think the same. I don't have any mice thankfully but in the garage I used to, fixed that issue this summer. im not too surprised that the shower head is mounted that way, I am learning that most things done to the house by the previous owner isn't correct for this climate (like the skylights).
Pipes in attic may be frozen. Too bad they didn't provide a 4ft crawl would make it much easier to work there. Perhaps call in a plumber. It looks like there is Pex and a mix of copper there.
So if you’re under there and you’re really not sure of where something is, like your shower. Have a family bang on the floor. This will help you pin point the different areas of the house in your crawl space.
Congratulations on more than 3,000 subscribers! I'm lucky, I don't have a crawl space, just a regular basement. That's weird that the plumbing for the shower would be above it. That part of the house must have been added on later.
thank you! I would like a basement, here it wouldn't be dry though, thats why alot of people here have crawl spaces, that and the cheaper cost of course. You are right, the part of the crawl space that I was in, thats the new part of the house, the back part is the old part.
You can avoid this every winter if when it gets really cold you leave a bathtub or sink on a slight trickle farthest from your water intake. Of course heat tape and precautions help. But when it gets this cold
I do know that, i guess I didn't realize that I would need to do that with my heat running, but it was sooo cold, I will do that tonight since its another cold one, thank you!
@marieintheUP cool. You will definitely sleep better at night. I just finished the video and heard you say that a company is coming out to do the work for you. Even after it's done keep this little piece of advice when it gets super cold
@@robertadkins5066 yes, I honestly am surprised that I didn't remember that, its rule 101 for not having frozen pipes. def sleep well in the cold, its my favorite!
You should not have any water based piping in your attic where you have cold winters lol.. I live in Mi too and your attic is vented to keep heat from building inside the attic. If you go up in my attic in the summer you will fry and if you go up there in the winter you will freeze lol. This reduces heat under the roof so you do not get too much melt from the underside causing ice dams. I had the people that put my metal roof on mount my metal roof on 1x4s I think they are or something so to create a gap between the water and ice barrier on the roof and the metal. Some roofers call this a cold roof.. Its something they only normally do in very cold parts of the world like where we live lol.. Gotta love Michigan lol.
Looks like you have ceiling mounted shower head, so that means the offending pipe likely runs above, then over, then down. So what's above your bathroom? Attic space? That's where it can freeze if it's not insulated properly. Another thought, we had a pipe running in an exterior wall, which was NOT good. Pipe burst, huge mess. You should investigate the area above your shower. Your crawlspace adventure was fun to watch. "The attack of the furnace!" 😂
hi! hehe the attack of the furnace is what the title of the video should be, thats awesome! yep attic space, I bet it was the pipe the roofing company said was all frosted over. looks like im going to have to go into the attic, and I hate the attic. help me lol
@marieintheUP I sure wish I lived up the road from ya. I'd hook you up and be in that attic space insulating, insulating, insulating! At the least, you can buy a roll of fiberglass insulation (good R value like 26) and cut lengths to lay over any exposed pipes. It might solve the problem. You definitely don't want the pipe to burst. If it bursts, cut off your well pump AS FAST AS YOU CAN! If you don't have a designated switch for the well pump, you can cut off your main breaker. I see an attic adventure video in your future. 😻
Hi Marie! Did the roofing company give you an idea of what the pipes may be in the attic? Tomorrow morning will just might indicate if a line was frozen or not. Like others said, leave a trickle going on. Any possibility of going into the attic to check for water leaks? Or perhaps, put down some old blankets to help insulate them temporarily? Hardware stores should have some DIY pipe insulation if you feel comfortable in going into the attic. It is fairly easy. If you need a break from the snow vids, how about you showing your take on making chili? I love chili, I love to cook. I'm always looking for new recipes and different ways. Thank you for sharing. Stay WARM and as always, please take the very best of care. Bye!
they were up there this morning and nothing was leaking, but there was frost on a pipe but they didn't know what the pipe was for...the attic is a disaster so I try to avoid climbing around in there. they are going to insulate my attic so I know that will be done in a few weeks. I do appreciate your advice, its good advice!
If you're only having a problem with 1 pipe and you say it has frost on it in the attic, that's the only area to concentrate on I'd think. I wouldn't waste my time and money on your crawl space as step one. If you had no water in other pipes, that would suggest a bigger problem, but I think you've identified it. You can insulate a pipe, you can even buy insulation that is heated with an electrical cord. All you'd need is an outlet to plug it in (and unplug in the summertime). My daughter had the same problem in her mini home (underneath) and that solved her problem. a secondary issue is why is it so cold in your attic. It should be warm so that's an area you could look at.
Should not be any water supply lines in the attic as they would freeze real fast, your shower should be coming up from the heated crawl space but I see its coming out of the ceiling which is very strange. Frost on the PVC attic pipes which should just be vents is fine since they have no water in them, that will go away once you insulate and vent the attic better.
All your angles are quite nice. lol Maybe one day if you can do it is to see about jacking your house up some to give you more crawl space to maybe a low basement. food for thought. your shower pipe maybe in the attic space and if so that could possible be frozen. Nova Scotia Canada
Have to agree with others, that's the nicest crawl space I've ever seen. Maybe you could have an interior access to the crawl space through a closet floor? IF there aren't any ducts, pipes or wiring, etc.
Marie, if you could wrap and insulate the pipe in your attic and see if that cures the problem. I'd hate to see you spend any more time/money if not necessary. By doing now, you wouldn't have to wait til next winter to see if the problem's solved. Best to you.
I'm in the LP and not as much snow as you. I use covers on my outdoor faucets to be on the safe side, turn off the shut-off valve's on the inside obviously but just like to keep them covered and they're cheap enough. You might want to get some. Stay frosty!
Better yet, install frost proof hose bibs so the water can remain on all year round. Well worth the money. Edit: Looking at the hose bib, it appears it already is a frost proof.
If that wall you are pointing to is an exterior wall and your shower valve is in that wall then that is probably your problem! I would not rely on a roofer for plumbing, heating or insulation advice. Good luck!
Unless that water line to the shower head runs up or down on an interior outside wall of the house; I doubt it was frozen. Most shower water feed pipes are run further interior to avoid colder outside exterior walls. In any case, -12 degrees tonight will give you your answer in the morning. Whenever it's that cold, make sure all vanity cabinets below a sink that is on a wall opposite the outside wall of house be kept open to allow the homes heat to get to the water lines. If those pipes aren't insulated; you may need to run a small portable space heater away from anything flammable but facing those pipes. They say opening the water with a small drip can help avoid a total freeze and burst situation of a water line. Most outside faucets have a water shut off valve in the basement or crawl space, so you can drain all the water out and keep shut off until temps are constantly above 35 degrees again, unless you have a frost freeze extended shut off faucet.
I think all pipes more then likely go downward. Get a blow dryer and put it along the shower wall for a while or a space heater into the shower stall. Maybe you need some extra wrap on the pipes but if its toasty under there. Feel the pipes under there with your bare hands to see if one is cold. Is the toilet working in that same bathroom also? I think your roof is fine so don't even discuss that for now unless you have a roof leak in the spring. These folks will cost you money especially if they see you looking all concerned and scared.
I would suggest that next time you snow blow you snow blow snow around your outside of your crawl space to act as insulation to keep the warmth inside,
If the sink in the bath is working fine it probably is in the wall or ceiling for the shower. I doubt they ran I full separate line for just the shower. Probably a T off the main bath line.
If pipes are frozen now, you’re really going to have problems when it gets cold -20 or more. Ask some neighbors to recommend a plumber. Frozen pipes can’t be found by visual inspection until they burst. And then you’ll have a real mess. Was your place lived in the winter before? Without attic insulation sounds like it was only used in summer. You may also have problems with frozen sewer if it wasn’t designed as a winter residence.
Two easy DIY options are pipe insulation or heat tape ? Im guessing you had just a slight freeze on your shower ? My guess is the piping runs up the wall and in the attic because you have a ceiling shower head. Leaving a trickle to keep water moving is an option where you are prone to freezing. Good luck
Frozen pipes are no fun! Sounds like one pipe though! Used to put a lightbulb by them, to give them just enough heat not to freeze! If the pipe is on an outside wall it can happen as well without proper insulation.
Oh no ..frozen pipe...the fact that you are having water when it gets warmer during the day...had the same issued...my builders forgot to spray foamed the hole they made for my outdoor water faucet that was in the same wall as my shower feed..at 5:00 am could not take a shower but around 11:00 could..i figured it out and did the modifs...if you got water when it got warmer it mean that outdoor temp is having a direct impact..i would look for pipes close to outdoor walls or similar......also by measuring your showers faucets to the shower drain...you can then match those measure in the crawl space, like mentioned (WHOLALA, in french would have been OULALA, i went with almost phonetic..) sexy and clean crawl space...and fine witch is witch...as for being funny...2 guys walk into a plumbing store, the first one said..how much do you charge to find a frozen pipe...then the plumber says.........sorry i got nothing...but i will sleep on it and for sure...will find something, even if i have to call a plumber and ask him how much for just an inspection...his response, although out of this world...that will make you laugh...Have an amazing and beautiful week-end...
You should not have water supply pipes in the attic. The pipe is probably just your plumbing vent pipe. Where is your hot water heater located? Make sure your attic is air sealed and not just more insulation is put in. Warm air in your attic is causing the ice dams
that is good to know then thank you, hot water heater is in the utility room inside the house, I will talk to them about sealing it, thank you for the tip!
You need to get those crawl space vents closed you are just letting cold air into a warm crawl space , are there heating vents open to the crawl space or how are you making the crawl space warm ? what type of heating system you have is it a all electric heat pump? or are you heating with natural gas.
Can you turn your shower water on a slow trickle on the really cold nights just to help prevent them from freezing up totally. I could be wrong with my thinking. I'm no plumber. Just until you get a better qualified person out to help with this mistory.
I think your advice is spot on, others are saying the same thing and since its going to be a very cold one tonight, the shower is on a trickle, thank you!!
Frozen pipes suck, I only had it happen to me once but my water lines are all in the basement. I did have a nearly 100 year old pipe bust on me right before I went to work, when I get home I have to bleach my basement floor 😢
It's probably a vent pipe on your roof! Does your toilet flush ok, can you smell sewage smell in your house? I'm in Minnesota and am a GC dealt with that many times. If you have a way DM me I can give you some suggestions! Ohhhh...you just said you have a well. Do you have water pressure at your other sources?
turn on the sink that is frozen supposed frozen then use a heating lamp place it close to it as it melts it will start to drip ok then eventually it will thaw out and run water then once you are done with that leave it half on on drip mode or close to off but let it run drip over night and make sure you have heat or an electrical wrap to cover the part of the pipe that is frozen no need to get a plumber unless it has burst open and frozen then you need to call a plumber
Why on earth would you move from sunny Arizona to gloomy Michigan? 😂 I moved to Florida from Michigan 15 years ago and will never move back because of the sunhine and warmth.
I agree! Very nice crawl space. Ya, your problem is in the shower ceiling. Not sure who the gufus was the did a ceiling mount shower head, but that is where your freezing is happening. I would be piling on a thick blanket of additional fiberglass insulation over the top of that whole area. Not a hard job if you have easy access to the attic. When the person who looked in your attic said that the pipes had frost on them, I hope he meant the sewer system vents stacks (which are 2" in diameter or larger) and not water lines which are smaller (1/2" to 3/4"). Also watch out for those contractors many will upsale you on crap you don't need or just charge extreme prices. Ughhh! They are the reason why I do my own work.
this is the first house I bought sight unseen and im learning a hard lesson of things were not done correctly. I have had to go and redo so much and it seems like now I get to tackle the odd ceiling shower head issue, thank you for this helpful information!!
I am not a plumber but water cannot drain down past the valve so there has to be standing water in the vertical pipe going up to the shower head and water can only drain the pipe going horizontally in the ceiling to the shower head. Hope that makes sense, ultimately you will need the ceiling pipe area properly insulated.
@@marieintheUP I can tell ur super independent I was thinking your father taught u well to maybe I live straight across huron in ontairo I live close to the kinda terrain in the up where ur at I enjoy your vids 😊 we got about the same snow as u our sled trails are opening now
@@jman197708 nope, I taught myself, my family can't take any credit for that. Im the one who does all the things in the family :) nice, Ontario is beautiful and Lake Huron is a beauty! thats great your sled trails are open now!!
That is the cleanest crawlspace I have ever seen.
For real
I came to say the same thing. Spotless….
I hope you never lose your positive attitude.
Hi Marie! I think that crawlspace would pass the white glove test. Never seen one that nice. They make heat tape and foam insulation that goes right around the pipe. Probably either 1/2" or 3/4". That would even help quite a bit. At least it thawed out and the water started running again. Have never seen a shower pipe in the ceiling. Usually they are in the wall. Even turning the water on once in a while would help.
One of the first things that I would do for that crawl space is stick a Smart WiFi Temperature Humidity Monitor down there to monitor the conditions in the crawl space to alert you to any problems. you can get them for 20 to 30 bucks and monitor conditions on your phone.
that is a great idea, I will do that, thank you!
Nicest crawl space I've seen. Like others say here to let offending shower drip a little to keep from freezing up. Might be an access panel to plumbing in bathroom.
I looked but cant find a panel, I was hoping for one. thanks, the crawl space was a disaster when I bought the house, not even a vapor barrier. but now its a nice crawl space
@@marieintheUP Looks like your house is a one story. I can't see a reason plumbing would come through attic. If you see the bathroom stuff from crawl space that's the origin. Something safe like a hair dryer (no flame) and heat up area where pipes lead to bath. Heat rises ! Use that to you advantage.
So glad to see you have water running in shower again. Nice to see everyone trying one way or another helping figure it out. Have a great night and stay warm.
If you have air vents in your block Fondation ,you need to close them for the winter time.
make sure you insulate your pipes. you can also "heat wrap" your pipes .
Plumber here- get some heat in the crawl space - that will help. Also, get a thermometer down there and let me know what the temperature is and I can give you some more advice
awesome!! I will get the thermometer down there (someone said I can get a wifi one that will go to my phone, so im ordering one) but I can check the temp and let you know, and thank you!
If you have vents in your crawl space, close them for the winter. Heat tape or insulate pipes. Really about all you can do. Also consider monitoring the temp in the crawl space during the freezing months.
I noticed that as well, makes no sense to have a warm crawl space with open vents, i noticed not a lick of insulation in the floor joist area so i guess there are some heating vents open to the crawl area , strange given that she lives in such a cold climate and i think she has a heat pump cause if heard it running on one of the videos.
If there are pipes where there is no insulation you can put heat tapes on those pipes till the insulation gets installed.
I'm guessing those water pipes are in the cold attic or on an exterior wall. Who knows how well the exterior wall are insulated, but the home looks newer so I'm sure it was done well.
The crawl space looks wonderful. They did a great job, but I'm guessing it wasn't cheap. Foundation issues are the absolute worst!! 😢
I think its in the attic, I hope they insulated it well, Im not sure, Ive been having to do a lot of updates, I do like the crawl space, it was a mud pit before, the sump pump has made a huge difference too. hope you are having a great night
@marieintheUP thanks you too.
I'd love to see the attic in a video. See how much or little insulation is up there.
Craw space entry was pretty darn graceful, and you have the nicest craw space ever…I’ve seen many-super important space, and yet so often neglected. Frozen cold only to shower seems odd. Maybe in a corner of house.
Hey Marie, whoever did the encapsulation work in your crawlspace did an excellent job! I had our cottage crawl done twice (once because of a fire on the main floor). I'm no expert, but have experience with them. Great post!!
hi Keith, I am sorry here there was a fire once at your cottage, I hope everything/one was okay. I am glad you have a good crawl space too, I really like mine, before it was a mud pit and I hated being under there
on the cold days, run the water at a trickle, giving regard to your well capacity. in the summer, install heat tape. As a suggestion, install it for a low temperature 10-15 degrees colder than your lowest actual temperature. put it on a switch that you can easily reach from the outside. Hope this helps!
its definitely helps, thank you!
I would suggest wrapping the pipes with heating tape or at a minimum pipe insulation, also install a WiFi temperature sensor in the crawl space. BTW, your crawl space was done perfectly, well sealed.
I appreciate the positive comments on the crawl space, I was really happy with how it turned out! 🙂. I do think I need the wifi temp sensor and the pipe insulation, thank you!
I vote for trickle when extremely cold until it can be properly addressed. Make sure (I am sure you already know) where the main water valve is in case you need to quickly turn off the water supply in the event something springs a leak, Also know where the water pump switch or circuit breaker is in case you need to turn off the water pump motor.
yes excellent advice about knowing where the main water valve is and how to turn off the water pump at the circuit breaker, thankfully I do know where it all is and I think the advice on the trickle is smart and i am going that route now, thank you so much!
Let the shower drip during extreme temps, just enough that it drips,and try to get heat tape on pipes in attic to get you through til Spring when you can address everything. Just suggestions. Crawl looks immaculate. 😊
great advice, shower is on a drip now and I will work on seeing if I can get to the pipes in the attic, thanks, I like the crawl space!
It's good to see that someone already mentioned to leave your shower faucets at a slow trickle during extremely cold weather. I would be surprised you if have any water lines in your attic. That would be against code where we live & not good at all. Once you figure out where the supply lines are get them wrapped with heat tape soon if they actually froze up.
Also i did not notice insulation behind your exterior wall rim joists in your crawl space - which is one of the nicest crawl spaces i have ever seen. Rim joist is located between a sill plate and bottomplate on top of your block walls in crawl space.
I will have to look closer and I can talk to the foundation company who did the work and request that they do it correctly, thanks!
One area looked like spray foam but the bathroom area for sure has nothing but bare wood. The guys that worked on the crawl space should have installed.
Looks like you have forced hot air, in which case, if you don't already have any, you could add one or two registers in the crawlspace. Since it's insulated, the warm air should stay in there pretty well, and you really only need it to be 40 degrees or so. For upstairs, if you can open the access door to the attic (did she say attic?), hot air rises, so you could warm it a little up there. For both spaces, put a couple of thermometers in; in fact, maybe ones you could read from a phone or computer.
The oldest trick in the book now that the water is flowing again, turn the shower valve on so water just trickles out. You weren't specific which water line froze and crazy as this may sound, the hot water pipe usually freezes first because of the air expansion. Try the water trickle trick until you can get those pipes heat tape wrapped to prevent this in the future. I don't blame you for not wanting to go into that tighter section, with my claustrophobia I wouldn't want to be in the roomer side of your crawlspace. Looking forward to what you'll be doing with the roof. Thanks for bringing us along!
It is possible the rain shower water supply lines are run through a soffit. I think I would definitely resolve this issue before any additional insulation buries the problem .
If the pipes are above the ceiling, have them insulate the pipes when they do the insulation. I lived in a house without a basement, and the pipes above the ceiling froze and burst. Insulation and insulating the pipes solved the problem.
as others noted whoever you contracted to correct your crawl space did an excellent job (rare in today's world). the "pitch" on your roof is an issue, but could be costly to correct. As others suggested, during these harsh months, allow your faucet to "drip" to allow movement in your pipes, hence not freezing.
If there's frost on the pipes in the attic then I would put some heat tape on them until the insulation is in place. That's the cleanest crawl space I've ever seen! Glad I have a basement in my house.😊 You may want to put some insulated covers on your outside water faucets.
I drained them for winter and shut off the water to them, but I forgot to put the covers on, I have them in the garage and can do that now, thanks for the reminder.
@marieintheUP You did the right thing. I have a shutoff in my house and I shut it off and drain the outside faucets also. They're also supposed to be frost free faucets so there's less chance of freezing. Covers are still a good idea though.
@@yooperventures2830 yes will make sure to put them on, hope its not too late, another thing to deal with in the spring if so lol
Hello! Today's video is less snow and a lot of I need help with plumbing/frozen pipe questions. Thank you in advance if any of you are plumbers or having plumbing knowledge, appreciate you!
I love your "can do" attitude and the desire to learn new things.
LOL, have to look out for those man eating chipmunks that could be down there. It looks to me like the supply line to your shower head is located in the space above your ceiling since it comes directly out of the shower ceiling. Unfortunately, you will have to get up there and fix the problem sooner than later. Pipe insulation or heat tape would help with that, if you have a power source. Great crawl space by the way. I wish mine was that way but alas, it isn't. Another great video and keep them coming.
I am afraid youre right and I do need to go up into the attic, I need to face that fear, I do love the crawl space, it was a mess before I fixed it up. thanks for the comment!
You may want to consider changing your copper pipes to PEX line which is less likely to break if frozen. I would keep the water running at a trickle for now.
my bathroom pipes are all pex for both bathrooms thankfully the copper pipes are for other things and some are old and no longer in use.
@@marieintheUP I'm blessed to have a basement and had everything done in PEX and brought up to code last year. House was built in 1931 but was built solid.
You have had some really nice quality work done there in the crawlspace. Money well spent! I have a crawlspace too and I put the snap on insulation insulation sleeves on all of my pipes both hot and cold lines. The better type has peel and stick adhesive where its split down its length. I would look into putting heat tape and insulation on all the pipe in the attic for sure. You are correct your shower was probably frozen and just by openning the faucet a bit the pipe can thaw out better. It can also help relieve pressure that can sometimes cause a nasty split along the frozen pipe. As for your roof, it would be a solid investment to have your pitch increased if its in your budget. Peace of mind, not climbing up to shovel or roof rake, no more ice dams or waiting for water damage to happen. I don't mind spending money for stuff like that. A friend told me once that in construction water usually wins but you can outsmart it if you think like a drip😅. Thanks for sharing!
I agree with you, that crawlspace was a good investment. I found out that if I insulate and ventilate and insulate pipes that I won't have ice dams anymore so I am going to try that route, im excited! thank you for the advice and i am keeping the shower on a trickle right now
I'm glad the water started running again, I've had water pipes burst before in the winter, that is something you don't want to happen! Just trickle water out of the shower when you know it's going to get really cold until you can get the pipe insulated. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.
You are right about the trickle, I am happy it unfroze and hopefully didn't burst, I am so grateful for all the advice!
If the valve for the shower on an exterior wall, it may be freezing in the wall; especially if there is insufficient insulation.
That was my first thought too. Plumbing should not be in exterior walls but it’s not illegal.
I wondered about that, its on an interior wall, but its right in the area where the leak is from the ice dam, so its an interesting location, Im wondering if they are connected somehow.
@ now that i see your shower head is an overhead rain style…. Yes id say your issue is that the supply line just froze in the ceiling joist space it runs in. Thats not a super standard shower location for Michigan. Maybe when it was installed the insulation wasn’t put back properly around the pipe. Once you get up there and see what’s up… if get a wifi sensor up there for next year. Maybe when the insulation job is done. 👍
@@MichiganTim agreed, good info and advice, thank you!
The shower is the fixture with the 2” PVC trap under the floor. I saw two different ones when you were there.
okay, I will go back and look and look at that, I have been trying to figure out which one is for the shower- thanks!!
Pipes were probably only slightly frozen and thawed out when the sun warmed up the outside during the day. Talk to a plumber about insulation or heat tape on the problem lines.
Your crawl space is well insulated on the block walls, but they did not bring the insulation out far enough on the top of the walls. the sill plate is not insulated and it is exposed to the ice cold block wall cavities. The access door only has a thin piece of foam. The opening should be fitted with an additional piece of thick foam on the inside that can be removed after you open the outer door panel.
The vents should be fitted with foam blocks for the winter when the vents are closed.
Not sure if your shower head is in the ceiling exposed to the attic. if it is the ceiling joist should be fitted with a foam panel just above the pipe to trap heat from the ceiling, and then insulate above the foam to full R-value of the attic. If you wrap the pipes in foam, but do not add heat tape, they will freeze anyway. Boxing in the pipes with one side exposed to the warm inner wall or ceiling while insulating the cold side works best.
Thanks so much for the tips, I'll definitely have to talk to a plumber about the pipes and will discuss the insulation with the foundation people, appreciate it!
Attics are normally unheated spaces to prevent things like ice dams. Since you have plumbing up there I would think that it is wrapped in thermostatically controlled heat tape and insulated.(it may be just not working) as one of your other subs suggested, leaving that shower dripping at those ambient temperatures, is a great thing to do until you can have it checked by a professional plumber. You will find emergency plumbing contact information for your area on line or if you have it, a local phone book. Whatever an emergency service call will cost you, it will be insignificant in comparison to the cost and amount of damage a burst pipe in the ceiling can do. Nice job reasoning through the trouble shooting and having the gumption to go into the crawl space to check it out, it puts you in the top 5% of homeowners when it comes to trying to take on that kinda thing.
we don't have any plumbers here so there is no emergency line, but I know someone who knows a plumber who lives a hour or so away and i think I can get help there but going to run the water for now and we will see what tomorrow brings. im glad the shower is working again
Talk to a plumber about possibly wrapping the pipes in the attic with insulation. Also changing the pitch of your roof could get quite costly. I wish you all the best.
yes, thats why im probably not going to go that route, I will def talk to someone about wrapping pipes in insulation, thank you for the advice!
@@marieintheUP You are very welcome.
Nice video. Great crawl space. Plenty of advice! Don’t forget to consult your extended family! They have plenty of experience with this stuff, and you will listen to the advice and save it it for later when you can mull it over with the big picture viewpoint! Don’t spend big money when letting the shower trickle will prevent freezing in even the coldest temperature! Then next summer you can contract a best case solution with a plumber. Winter is a time of hibernation and rest. This is not a big deal. Budget your time and energy wisely! Keep up the fantastic work!
30 years of heating/air with some plumbing and electrical mixed in Shouldn't be any water lines in the attic only 2 inch vent stacks that go through the roof. But looking at your shower with the rain fall shower head that 1 water line is probably frozen in the attic, your gonna have to get some insulation over the pipe. As far as the pipe freezing and bursting, the pex type water lines are very tough and usually won't burst
Looks like your water piping is a mixture of copper and pex tubing. It also looked like the water piping is all fed upwards from your crawl space to first floor fixtures. It was surprising to see ceiling mounted shower head in your climate zone. PEX tubing is more durable and can flex and expand in high pressure freezing conditions where copper pipe will not. PEX will freeze and burst in extreme conditions. You should check in the attic to be sure the shower head piping is well insulated. Perhaps a little animal with big ears ate some of the pipe insulation or a joint of insulation opened up by itself. Glad to see you coping with the joys of home ownership. These joys never seem to have an end...........
oh they never end youre right lol I do like to try to figure things out though so its good for me to learn, I do have pex and copper, I think the shower is pex, the other bathroom is all pex so I think the same. I don't have any mice thankfully but in the garage I used to, fixed that issue this summer. im not too surprised that the shower head is mounted that way, I am learning that most things done to the house by the previous owner isn't correct for this climate (like the skylights).
Pipes in attic may be frozen. Too bad they didn't provide a 4ft crawl would make it much easier to work there. Perhaps call in a plumber. It looks like there is Pex and a mix of copper there.
So if you’re under there and you’re really not sure of where something is, like your shower. Have a family bang on the floor. This will help you pin point the different areas of the house in your crawl space.
Congratulations on more than 3,000 subscribers! I'm lucky, I don't have a crawl space, just a regular basement. That's weird that the plumbing for the shower would be above it. That part of the house must have been added on later.
thank you! I would like a basement, here it wouldn't be dry though, thats why alot of people here have crawl spaces, that and the cheaper cost of course. You are right, the part of the crawl space that I was in, thats the new part of the house, the back part is the old part.
You leave it on a slight little string trickle. Think about it a flowing river usually won't freeze. I have to do it every winter
Im less freaked out about crawl spaces now. 😅 very neat Marie! Rent it out..❤😂
they told me when they did the crawl space that I now have a temp controlled storage space! but I like your idea better
You can avoid this every winter if when it gets really cold you leave a bathtub or sink on a slight trickle farthest from your water intake. Of course heat tape and precautions help. But when it gets this cold
I do know that, i guess I didn't realize that I would need to do that with my heat running, but it was sooo cold, I will do that tonight since its another cold one, thank you!
@marieintheUP cool. You will definitely sleep better at night. I just finished the video and heard you say that a company is coming out to do the work for you. Even after it's done keep this little piece of advice when it gets super cold
Both the trickle and the sauna lol
@@robertadkins5066 yes, I honestly am surprised that I didn't remember that, its rule 101 for not having frozen pipes. def sleep well in the cold, its my favorite!
❤
You are fearless!!
awe thanks! unless its in the very back of the crawl space, then I'm a chicken and have to give myself a pep talk lol
I was in new construction for decades and have worked literally in thousands of new homes. Waterlines and attics do not play well together.
You should not have any water based piping in your attic where you have cold winters lol.. I live in Mi too and your attic is vented to keep heat from building inside the attic. If you go up in my attic in the summer you will fry and if you go up there in the winter you will freeze lol. This reduces heat under the roof so you do not get too much melt from the underside causing ice dams. I had the people that put my metal roof on mount my metal roof on 1x4s I think they are or something so to create a gap between the water and ice barrier on the roof and the metal. Some roofers call this a cold roof.. Its something they only normally do in very cold parts of the world like where we live lol.. Gotta love Michigan lol.
I’m sorry that you don’t have a basement. It’s so much easier. Good luck!
3:34 I am sure there is a monster in the back corner. The hairy kind with long fingers...DON'T GO BACK THERE 😜
right, I mean it makes a lot of sense :) lol I have a lot of fear of that back area hehe
Upper if you have a fan in our bathroom turn them on they will help a little bite
Looks like you have ceiling mounted shower head, so that means the offending pipe likely runs above, then over, then down. So what's above your bathroom? Attic space? That's where it can freeze if it's not insulated properly. Another thought, we had a pipe running in an exterior wall, which was NOT good. Pipe burst, huge mess. You should investigate the area above your shower. Your crawlspace adventure was fun to watch. "The attack of the furnace!" 😂
hi! hehe the attack of the furnace is what the title of the video should be, thats awesome! yep attic space, I bet it was the pipe the roofing company said was all frosted over. looks like im going to have to go into the attic, and I hate the attic. help me lol
@marieintheUP I sure wish I lived up the road from ya. I'd hook you up and be in that attic space insulating, insulating, insulating! At the least, you can buy a roll of fiberglass insulation (good R value like 26) and cut lengths to lay over any exposed pipes. It might solve the problem. You definitely don't want the pipe to burst. If it bursts, cut off your well pump AS FAST AS YOU CAN! If you don't have a designated switch for the well pump, you can cut off your main breaker. I see an attic adventure video in your future. 😻
Hello marie, leave your shower drip till you can insulate those pipes in the attic. Stay warm.
Thank you, I will leave the shower on a trickle!
I wish I could come out to help you out with your different problems
Hi Marie! Did the roofing company give you an idea of what the pipes may be in the attic? Tomorrow morning will just might indicate if a line was frozen or not. Like others said, leave a trickle going on. Any possibility of going into the attic to check for water leaks? Or perhaps, put down some old blankets to help insulate them temporarily? Hardware stores should have some DIY pipe insulation if you feel comfortable in going into the attic. It is fairly easy. If you need a break from the snow vids, how about you showing your take on making chili? I love chili, I love to cook. I'm always looking for new recipes and different ways. Thank you for sharing. Stay WARM and as always, please take the very best of care. Bye!
they were up there this morning and nothing was leaking, but there was frost on a pipe but they didn't know what the pipe was for...the attic is a disaster so I try to avoid climbing around in there. they are going to insulate my attic so I know that will be done in a few weeks. I do appreciate your advice, its good advice!
If you're only having a problem with 1 pipe and you say it has frost on it in the attic, that's the only area to concentrate on I'd think. I wouldn't waste my time and money on your crawl space as step one. If you had no water in other pipes, that would suggest a bigger problem, but I think you've identified it. You can insulate a pipe, you can even buy insulation that is heated with an electrical cord. All you'd need is an outlet to plug it in (and unplug in the summertime). My daughter had the same problem in her mini home (underneath) and that solved her problem. a secondary issue is why is it so cold in your attic. It should be warm so that's an area you could look at.
A properly vented attic area is not warm in Michigan in the winter.
Should not be any water supply lines in the attic as they would freeze real fast, your shower should be coming up from the heated crawl space but I see its coming out of the ceiling which is very strange. Frost on the PVC attic pipes which should just be vents is fine since they have no water in them, that will go away once you insulate and vent the attic better.
that makes a lot more sense, thank you! yeah im not sure why the shower head is in the ceiling, lots of things are a mystery at this house
You might want to ad a heat trace wire to the pipes that may be freezing. Sometimes the shower mixing valve can limit the hot water.
All your angles are quite nice. lol Maybe one day if you can do it is to see about jacking your house up some to give you more crawl space to maybe a low basement. food for thought. your shower pipe maybe in the attic space and if so that could possible be frozen. Nova Scotia Canada
Awesome videos and story telling. Love the UP!
awe thank you!
Have to agree with others, that's the nicest crawl space I've ever seen. Maybe you could have an interior access to the crawl space through a closet floor? IF there aren't any ducts, pipes or wiring, etc.
thats a idea for sure!
Another awesome video
Thank you so much!
Marie, if you could wrap and insulate the pipe in your attic and see if that cures the problem. I'd hate to see you spend any more time/money if not necessary. By doing now, you wouldn't have to wait til next winter to see if the problem's solved. Best to you.
I think that's a great idea, I'll have to get up there and get to work on that this week, thank you
I'm in the LP and not as much snow as you. I use covers on my outdoor faucets to be on the safe side, turn off the shut-off valve's on the inside obviously but just like to keep them covered and they're cheap enough. You might want to get some. Stay frosty!
Better yet, install frost proof hose bibs so the water can remain on all year round. Well worth the money. Edit: Looking at the hose bib, it appears it already is a frost proof.
The big pipes are sewage.
If that wall you are pointing to is an exterior wall and your shower valve is in that wall then that is probably your problem! I would not rely on a roofer for plumbing, heating or insulation advice. Good luck!
Unless that water line to the shower head runs up or down on an interior outside wall of the house; I doubt it was frozen. Most shower water feed pipes are run further interior to avoid colder outside exterior walls. In any case, -12 degrees tonight will give you your answer in the morning. Whenever it's that cold, make sure all vanity cabinets below a sink that is on a wall opposite the outside wall of house be kept open to allow the homes heat to get to the water lines. If those pipes aren't insulated; you may need to run a small portable space heater away from anything flammable but facing those pipes. They say opening the water with a small drip can help avoid a total freeze and burst situation of a water line. Most outside faucets have a water shut off valve in the basement or crawl space, so you can drain all the water out and keep shut off until temps are constantly above 35 degrees again, unless you have a frost freeze extended shut off faucet.
Pipe insulators for sure.
I think all pipes more then likely go downward. Get a blow dryer and put it along the shower wall for a while or a space heater into the shower stall. Maybe you need some extra wrap on the pipes but if its toasty under there. Feel the pipes under there with your bare hands to see if one is cold. Is the toilet working in that same bathroom also? I think your roof is fine so don't even discuss that for now unless you have a roof leak in the spring. These folks will cost you money especially if they see you looking all concerned and scared.
I would suggest that next time you snow blow you snow blow snow around your outside of your crawl space to act as insulation to keep the warmth inside,
If the sink in the bath is working fine it probably is in the wall or ceiling for the shower. I doubt they ran I full separate line for just the shower. Probably a T off the main bath line.
good to know thank you, im not sure why it didn't work all day and then now its working. but sink in bathroom worked all day no issues
When it’s really cold leave the shower trickling just a little to keep the water moving til it gets insulated
@ probably wasn’t hard frozen so it warmed up enough in the wall or attic with the sun that it melted the slush
If pipes are frozen now, you’re really going to have problems when it gets cold -20 or more. Ask some neighbors to recommend a plumber. Frozen pipes can’t be found by visual inspection until they burst. And then you’ll have a real mess. Was your place lived in the winter before? Without attic insulation sounds like it was only used in summer. You may also have problems with frozen sewer if it wasn’t designed as a winter residence.
Two easy DIY options are pipe insulation or heat tape ? Im guessing you had just a slight freeze on your shower ? My guess is the piping runs up the wall and in the attic because you have a ceiling shower head. Leaving a trickle to keep water moving is an option where you are prone to freezing. Good luck
.. check the mouse traps ..!
Frozen pipes are no fun! Sounds like one pipe though! Used to put a lightbulb by them, to give them just enough heat not to freeze! If the pipe is on an outside wall it can happen as well without proper insulation.
🌹🌹🌹
If you have a pipe running upstairs by a door it may freeze the pipe through the little cracks.
Oh no ..frozen pipe...the fact that you are having water when it gets warmer during the day...had the same issued...my builders forgot to spray foamed the hole they made for my outdoor water faucet that was in the same wall as my shower feed..at 5:00 am could not take a shower but around 11:00 could..i figured it out and did the modifs...if you got water when it got warmer it mean that outdoor temp is having a direct impact..i would look for pipes close to outdoor walls or similar......also by measuring your showers faucets to the shower drain...you can then match those measure in the crawl space, like mentioned (WHOLALA, in french would have been OULALA, i went with almost phonetic..) sexy and clean crawl space...and fine witch is witch...as for being funny...2 guys walk into a plumbing store, the first one said..how much do you charge to find a frozen pipe...then the plumber says.........sorry i got nothing...but i will sleep on it and for sure...will find something, even if i have to call a plumber and ask him how much for just an inspection...his response, although out of this world...that will make you laugh...Have an amazing and beautiful week-end...
Thanks for the new video :)
hope you are having a good day!
@marieintheUP was a calm day. Taking it easy before work tomorrow night. 😕
@@Mr.Swede...69 you have to work on the weekend?
@marieintheUP yes. I just work weekends. Fridays 6pm - 8am and sundays 4pm - 6am monday morning. Then im off all week,👍🏻(2*14 hours)
Never seen a heated crawl space and i live in Canada and do foundations and concrete floors for a living.
Places in the upper midwest can get a lot colder than many places in Canada
You're going to have to get yourself a sauna. Welcome to the deep freeze. Sauna are awesome year round but evenings like this their a necessity.
I want a sauna, I would use it every day
You should not have water supply pipes in the attic. The pipe is probably just your plumbing vent pipe. Where is your hot water heater located?
Make sure your attic is air sealed and not just more insulation is put in. Warm air in your attic is causing the ice dams
that is good to know then thank you, hot water heater is in the utility room inside the house, I will talk to them about sealing it, thank you for the tip!
I would suggest that next time you snow blow that you snow blow
When exactly is the problem with the shower- no cold water, no hot water or a frozen drain line.?
You need to get those crawl space vents closed you are just letting cold air into a warm crawl space , are there heating vents open to the crawl space or how are you making the crawl space warm ? what type of heating system you have is it a all electric heat pump? or are you heating with natural gas.
Can you turn your shower water on a slow trickle on the really cold nights just to help prevent them from freezing up totally.
I could be wrong with my thinking. I'm no plumber.
Just until you get a better qualified person out to help with this mistory.
I think your advice is spot on, others are saying the same thing and since its going to be a very cold one tonight, the shower is on a trickle, thank you!!
Try converting all your thermostats from fahrenheit to Celsius maybe that will fix the problem😆
If your water is frozen you can use heat tapes
Where is the coat you wore going in the crawl space and your flashlight
Frozen pipes suck, I only had it happen to me once but my water lines are all in the basement. I did have a nearly 100 year old pipe bust on me right before I went to work, when I get home I have to bleach my basement floor 😢
If it was frozen and it's a copper pipe I would check and make sure it didn't burst.
I know the shower/bathroom pipes are pex thankfully
It's probably a vent pipe on your roof! Does your toilet flush ok, can you smell sewage smell in your house? I'm in Minnesota and am a GC dealt with that many times. If you have a way DM me I can give you some suggestions! Ohhhh...you just said you have a well. Do you have water pressure at your other sources?
turn on the sink that is frozen supposed frozen then use a heating lamp place it close to it as it melts it will start to drip ok then eventually it will thaw out and run water then once you are done with that leave it half on on drip mode or close to off but let it run drip over night and make sure you have heat or an electrical wrap to cover the part of the pipe that is frozen no need to get a plumber unless it has burst open and frozen then you need to call a plumber
put a heater up there
in the attic?
Why on earth would you move from sunny Arizona to gloomy Michigan? 😂 I moved to Florida from Michigan 15 years ago and will never move back because of the sunhine and warmth.
I agree! Very nice crawl space. Ya, your problem is in the shower ceiling. Not sure who the gufus was the did a ceiling mount shower head, but that is where your freezing is happening. I would be piling on a thick blanket of additional fiberglass insulation over the top of that whole area. Not a hard job if you have easy access to the attic. When the person who looked in your attic said that the pipes had frost on them, I hope he meant the sewer system vents stacks (which are 2" in diameter or larger) and not water lines which are smaller (1/2" to 3/4"). Also watch out for those contractors many will upsale you on crap you don't need or just charge extreme prices. Ughhh! They are the reason why I do my own work.
this is the first house I bought sight unseen and im learning a hard lesson of things were not done correctly. I have had to go and redo so much and it seems like now I get to tackle the odd ceiling shower head issue, thank you for this helpful information!!
Hello Marie, is your ceiling mount shower just a shower head or do you have a handheld sprayer as well?
hi, its a ceiling mount only
I am not a plumber but water cannot drain down past the valve so there has to be standing water in the vertical pipe going up to the shower head and water can only drain the pipe going horizontally in the ceiling to the shower head. Hope that makes sense, ultimately you will need the ceiling pipe area properly insulated.
My guess is you probably have a pipe in your attic if you have a shower head in your ceiling!!! People in the U P should know better!
Looks like a nice dry crawlspace. Is that shower pipe on an outside wall?
no inside wall, thanks I like the crawlspace!
I wondering how you've learned all these skills and your hair is sooooooooo nice
lots of years of home ownership and being very independent and thank you!
@@marieintheUP I can tell ur super independent I was thinking your father taught u well to maybe I live straight across huron in ontairo I live close to the kinda terrain in the up where ur at I enjoy your vids 😊 we got about the same snow as u our sled trails are opening now
@@jman197708 nope, I taught myself, my family can't take any credit for that. Im the one who does all the things in the family :) nice, Ontario is beautiful and Lake Huron is a beauty! thats great your sled trails are open now!!