Had a similar scare last winter—pipes froze solid overnight. Luckily, caught it before anything burst. Totally agree on checking those GFCIs regularly; they're sneaky little things. One tip I'd add: label your breaker clearly for the heat tape circuit. Makes troubleshooting at 3 AM way less stressful...trust me on that one. Glad you're sorted now, nothing worse than dealing with plumbing chaos in the dark and cold.
"label your breaker clearly for the heat tape circuit. Makes troubleshooting at 3 AM way less stressful...trust me on that one."
Good tip on labeling breakers clearly—though I'd still double-check with a voltage tester. I've seen mislabeled panels before, and that's not a surprise you want at midnight in freezing temps...
Definitely agree on double-checking with a tester—I've run into mislabeled panels more times than I'd like to admit. Had a late-night call once where the homeowner swore up and down he'd cut power to the heat tape. Let's just say my voltage tester saved me from a pretty shocking surprise...literally. Labels help, but trust nothing at 2 AM.
Had a similar scare last winter around 1 AM... thought I'd shut off the water main completely, but turns out the valve was faulty and still letting water trickle through. Ended up with a mini indoor fountain before I caught it. Now I triple-check valves and breakers myself, even if they're labeled. Labels are great, but nothing beats physically verifying it—especially when you're half-asleep and stressed in the middle of the night.
Totally agree about physically verifying valves—labels can be misleading, especially if they're old or done by a previous homeowner. I've had my share of midnight plumbing adventures too. One thing I've learned the hard way is to periodically test shut-off valves during daylight hours, when you're calm and not under pressure. Valves that sit unused for years can seize up or fail without warning, and discovering that at 2 AM is never fun.
Also, it's worth investing in a decent water alarm or leak detector. They're relatively inexpensive and can save you from waking up to a flooded basement or kitchen. I was skeptical at first, but after one saved me from a slow leak behind the washing machine, I'm convinced they're worth it. Labels and triple-checking are great, but having an extra layer of protection never hurts...
