"Lesson learned: drains can freeze too, not just supply lines."
Yep, drains freezing is one of those sneaky issues people rarely think about. Had a similar call last winter—tenant thought it was a blocked pipe because the sink wouldn't drain. Turned out the drain line had frozen solid right where it exited the wall. Took me a good hour with a heat gun and some patience to get it flowing again. Funny thing is, they had insulated everything else meticulously...except that one short stretch of drain pipe outside the wall. Murphy's Law strikes again, I guess. Now whenever I'm prepping for winter, I double-check those overlooked spots—especially drains running near exterior walls or crawl spaces. Better safe than sorry at 2 AM...
Had a similar head-scratcher last winter. Thought I'd covered everything, but tenants called complaining the bathtub wouldn't drain properly. Turned out the trap had frozen solid—never even crossed my mind that could happen. Now I always check traps and low spots too...lesson learned the hard way.
"Turned out the trap had frozen solid—never even crossed my mind that could happen."
Yeah, frozen traps catch a lot of people off guard. Did you check if insulation around that area was sufficient? Sometimes just a bit more insulation or heat tape can save you headaches down the road... Glad you figured it out though.
Insulation and heat tape can help, but honestly, sometimes they're just band-aids. If your trap froze solid, it might be worth checking if there's a draft or air leak nearby. Even a tiny gap around a vent or window can let in enough cold air to freeze pipes, no matter how much insulation you pile on.
Had a similar issue last winter—thought I'd insulated everything perfectly, but turns out there was a small gap around the dryer vent letting cold air blow directly onto the pipe. Sealed that up with some expanding foam and haven't had an issue since. So yeah, insulation helps, but sealing drafts is just as important. Might wanna double-check for any sneaky air leaks before next cold snap hits...
Good call on checking for drafts—those sneaky little gaps can really mess things up. Had a similar issue once, spent hours insulating pipes only to find a tiny crack near the basement window. Felt pretty silly afterward, but hey, live and learn, right?
