Professional Plumber Required Can anyone defrost frozen mains supply in Cambridge area?

[Mithent]

We're going into our second day now of having what appears to be a frozen mains water supply in Cambridge (no water from any taps, excluding a slight dribble downstairs occasionally). The house next door does have water. We're set back from the road so must have a longer-than-average supply pipe, though I don't know if that's involved.

We've had the heating on all day (and on at 15C overnight), but haven't seen any improvement so far. The pipes seem to run through an exterior wall - the stopcock juts out of the wall with no visible pipework - so I don't know where they run, or indeed where the problem is. I don't think we have a water tank in the loft (shower is electric and mains-pressure fed), and we have a combi boiler which is working for central heating.

Given that the weather is set to remain freezing for days, I was wondering if there are any plumbers in the Cambridge area who might be able to take a look? Thanks!

 

[fuzzy]

you dont think you have a water tank? id check if you do or dont have one first, that is a common point for freezing
the mains are set very low in the ground to stop freezing, should be a prob there but may be where it comes in the house, is the shower working?

 

[Mithent]

Thanks for the reply! I've dug out the stepladder we have and poked my head as much as I can into the loft, and I don't see any pipes there, only a TV aerial. It's possible there's something lurking in the back I can't see as the ladder isn't quite tall enough, but I don't think we do have a tank - I would have thought we would have had more water in the morning otherwise, and there's no water anywhere in the house (the shower does not work - it buzzes and protests with a "low pressure" light).

The property was developed off a larger building in the 90s, and it seems that systems like this have been in use since then? I don't know if the other properties within this building have water - the residents seem to be out.

 

[Henno82]

if you have a combi boiler you will not have a tank in the loft, the best thing to dois try to shut off you mains and let it thaw out naturally or contact your water undertaker ( anglian water, thames water or whoever suppplies your water )who will be able to help you , also leave your taps open slightly so you know if it starts to thaw out you can see water.

 

[fuzzy]

yep, open taps and leave heating on, fingers crossed

 

[Henno82]

Fuzzy whats it like where you are? is it frozen over?

 

[Blake]

If you have a fan heater point it at the stop tap area for a few hours and see if that speeds up the thawing process.

 

[Mithent]

Went and bought a fan heater today - was out this evening so didn't get a chance to run it for long, but will try running it in that area for a while tomorrow to see if that clears it, thanks!

 

[Mithent]

I've run the fan heater at the stopcock area for a few hours with no improvement so far. However, there is one development: the tenant of one of the other two properties in this building has returned, and also has no water. This is making it more unlikely that the problem is within my property?