Hot Tub Pipes Froze ? Help

[sbelgrave]

hey guys,

we just came home from a trip and must have had a power outage. the hot tub water was freezing, mode was set to 'ICE' and i pulled off one of gaskets near the heater and the pipes are frozen solid. ;-( I drained the hot tub of the cold water and am juts funnelinghot water from the sink back into it in hopes that i can at least get rid of the ice in the pipes or at least let the hot water 'poke a hold in the iced pipes' so i can have it drain out a little and save whatever is left of the heater and pump (if any).

Am i doing the right thing ? Is there anything more i can/should do ? What would be my next steps ?

Thank you to all ahead of time for looking at this.

Scott

Hot Tub : I believe is fiberglass hot tub with pvc pipes running into a balboa heater unit (not sure about the pump). the hot tub has a small plastic drain tube (frozen) that i typically use to drain it in the summer. i've unscrewed the gaskets for now from the heater unit in hopes that i'll see water eventually leaking out the sides if i'm able to break down the ice with the hot water.

 

[needsajet]

Sorry to hear that, what a bummer to come home to. I'd probably throw a tarp over it and put a small heater underneath, wait a few days and then have a look for leaks and decide what to do next.

 

[YippeeSkippy]

Ok, my advice is totally unofficial but comes from my medical background- when people suffer frostbite the biggest damage is done when *others* try to rewarm the extremities quickly with hot water and a lot of touching.

All I want to say is that I think allowing it to thaw slowly and without a lot of direct heat- possibly has a lot less risk of potential to disrupt or damage equipment. Rewarm slowly to reduce the shock of changed physical properties of materials for example.

I like Needsajet idea of the tarp and small heater.. let the ice melt slowly

Maddie