Why Would a Hot Water Pipe Freeze but the Cold Water Pips Didn't?




Turn the cold water tap, nope there's water coming from that tap, ice water..... Go to the hall bathroom & hit the hot water tap on the tub, it's the first line off the hot water heater surly it will work... Nothing.... Cold water works tho, the sink, the same no hot water tap but the cold taps work... Go to the Master bath, nothing no hot or cold.... Hmmmmm
Thinking the pipes froze..... I hope....
Weirder yet is that if we turn on the hot taps in the other parts of the house, and then just the cold water tap in the Kitchen; water comes out the hot taps in other rooms but it's cold water, lol
Not so much a question as one of the many Humorous, not so funny happenings in my lovely & so comedic life in my 65 year old pier beam home. Thank fully this morning was much much warmer inside my home Tho I still have no hot water or water in the back (shady side) of the house....
I hope you all get a giggle I'm still laughing at the weirdness of it all & hoping I don't have to call a plumber...
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SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC on Jan 07, 2014
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SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC on Jan 08, 2014
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Lynne on Jan 08, 2014
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Change of Art on Jan 08, 2014
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Lisa McDaniel on Jan 08, 2014
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Annette C on Jan 08, 2014
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WilliamShreve on Jan 08, 2014
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Norman Ransom on Jan 08, 2014
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Elaine Simmons on Jan 09, 2014
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Susan Stodola on Jan 09, 2014
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Sharyn Diaz on Jan 09, 2014
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Susan Stodola on Jan 09, 2014
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Val on Jan 09, 2014
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Lisa McDaniel on Jan 09, 2014
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Val on Jan 09, 2014
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Val on Jan 09, 2014
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Michell Jarrett on Jan 09, 2014
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Val on Jan 10, 2014
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Cathy on Jan 11, 2014
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Annette C on Jan 12, 2014
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Annette C on Jan 12, 2014
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Rachel Rivard on Jan 12, 2014
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Val on Jan 12, 2014
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Grant Enterprises South on Jan 14, 2014
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Shirley Kalinosky on Sep 03, 2014
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Tammy Hixson on Jan 17, 2018
B I U. I am putting hot water down the pipes to see if it worksHelpful Reply -
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Erin on Mar 01, 2018
Hi all,I am actually searching for answers and came across this post. We live in Ireland, but have our water system set-up like it would be in the US. It’s great when its working, but nobody here knows what to do when it’s not!It‘s unusually cold here at the moment (below freezing) and we can’t keep the house warm. The tank is in the attic, which is even colder.Our water is working out of all faucets, but the hot water is extremely cold. Is there a chance once the temperatures warm back up that everything will be ok, or is there definitely an issue?Any advice?!(Annette- your house is lovely!)Thank you in advance!Helpful Reply -
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Rick on Jun 15, 2018
Having experienced this many times prompted a thought process that I believe definitively answers this "mystery" at least as pertaining to water pipes.Consider:- Hot water is less dense because dissolved air starts to release(listen to your shower before it warms, the tone lowers as warm water starts to flow - there's more free air in warm water, hence lowering tone.)- In as much as increased pressure in a diesel engine raises temperature to the point of combustion, (PV=nRT) in a closed system (closed pipe,) the reverse happens.- Fluids are essentially non-compressible but with more air in the hot water, as the temperature lowers, the air compresses and creates a vacuum that accelerates temperature decrease - essentially the reverse of the diesel effect.- This also explains why if you let the hot water drip slowly (relieving the vacuum,) it prevents the anomaly.Helpful Reply -
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