Extreme cold and pipes question

I am but an amateur plumber.

we might should inquire of a scientist type for that...

Absolutely! There's obviously an Atlantic crossing terminology thing going on here, sorry.
Flashlight to find area(s) of unlagged pipe.....then hairdryer or fan heater etc to warm any suspect area, while spouse shouts and screams results and suggestions from bathroom below.

The mpemba affect.

We have a full basement.

ah - my husband is ok with a flashlight.

wow that is so odd. But now that I know it I will make sure we do this if needed. Tonight is going to be single digits so I will do the drip thingy.

You must have thought my husband really bad if I couldn't trust him with a flashlight.

Now what is an unlaggd pipe?

I do like the spouse shouting and screaming part - I think that fits my role nicely.

Lagging is insulation. Nowadays, this comes in the form of polyfoam tubes with a hole down the middle. You simply snap the tube round the pipe to keep it protected from the cold.
An unlagged pipe is bare, and prone to freezing up, bulging and splitting or pushing joints apart when the water expands during the freeze.
You will have to keep a close eye on the problem pipes when the thaw happens, as that is when the leaks, large or small, will become evident.
Hopefully yours has just blocked up a bit with ice and there's been no lasting damage, but it's best to play safe and check things carefully.

Better to discover a leak straight away than have one wake you up at 2am.

I like that dishwasher trick. Will have to remember that.

another thing you can do is remove the access panel to the pipes and keep the closet door open when it's super cold so that your furnace is providing some warming to that area. Your heating bill will be a little higher, but it may save you a burst pipe.

interesting. thanks.

Quite fascinating <said in best Mr. Spock voice>. I had no idea about this even existing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect

thanks - I know what you are describing with the insulation now - I've seen it. Good information - definately appreciate it.

As far as waking at 2am with a leak - experienced this before (as a result of an idiot upstairs neighbor when we lived in a condo) - don't want to experience that again.

with a basement, the majority of your pipes will probably be in between the floor joists.

depending on what the basement ceiling is made of, this can be good or bad for mapping or working on the pipes.

Do you have an outside water spout? Make sure the water to that tap is turned off. That would generally be the first pipe to burst. Don't worry so much about pipes in the basement bursting, are usually naturally insulated, or at least the big below the ground is. Pipes usually burst above ground level where there's little to no insulation. Call a contractor or an insulator.

Useful article on all this -

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/garden/if-winter-takes-aim-at-the-pipes.html?src=dayp&_r=0

Protect water pipes from extreme cold ... experiences a water loss, the City of Fond du Lac Water Utility will assist in determining the problem.

I called Fond du Lac Water Utility once, and it took them 5 days to get here, all the while bitching I wasn't even in their state.

Just try to find the cause of the problem and if you find that it is not repairable then call a plumber. It could be a problem caused by your water heater.

Extreme cold can be very harmful for the pipes and other equipment, this can be the cause of the problem you are facing. Call any plumber and get it checked, you will not be able to solve this problem alone.