Sink not draining & no cold water from tap

[Always Learning]

Hi

This is just a general question for my next door neighbor who lives on her own and is in her 70s

The cold tap in her kitchen does not work and any water poured down the sink or from the hot tap does not drain away.

Also she can't use her washing machine

She rang a plumber who said it is a frozen tap - the advice was to use a hairdryer as well as turning heating on full. The plumber said try those before calling him out as a cost would be incurred on call out.

Upstairs everything works fine - shower - bath - boiler etc.

I have a few questions as the lady is a little worried.
1. If the problem is a frozen pipe stopping the water to the kitchen sink, why would it also be an issue for any water to drain away. (or could the lot be frozen?)

2. As the boiler toilet and shower/bath & upstairs basin work fine is she ok to keep using these appliances?

3. If she just leaves this will it sort itself out when the temperature eventually rises over the next week (hopefully)

Any help/advice is really appreciated - I know nothing about plumbing - we live next door and everything is fine here.

 

[gigz]

My mates got the same problem, he has an air brick just under the sink and the winds blowing cold air onto the pipes (under floor and not accessible) if she has the same, put a temporary cover over the air brick and remove it when the weather gets better, it might help.

 

[Always Learning]

Ok thanks

I will go have a look in her back garden and see if I can find any air bricks.

cheers

 

[Burnerman]

If the lady is prone to leaving her tap dripping, its dead easy for ice to form in the outside drain pipe - a couple of kettles of hot water should help that one.
It does seem that the supply to the cold tap is frozen too - but if she leaves the taps open and gets as much heat into the house as she can, she should be ok. Cupboard doors need to be open too.
Its good of you to keep an eye on her
John

 

[TonyW2]

The kitchen tap is usually fed direct from the mains whilst the upstairs taps etc, are supplied from the cold tank.
Where is the stop cock?
If this is also under the kitchen sink, the supply upto the cold tank may be frozen as well as the branch to the kitchen cold tap. Check that water is flowing uo to the cold water tank, otherwise she may just be emptying the tank.
Heating around the under sink area will help.

Keep an eye out for a burst or joint leak near the kitchen tap when the pipe does unfreeze.

Good luck.

 

[Always Learning]

Thanks a lot for the replies, there was no air brick on the wall around or under the sink.

Unfortunately I am at work now (12 hr shifts) so I can't get round there to check anything else.

I will give my wife a ring later when I get chance of using an outside line.

Sorry but I have no idea where the stop cock is, If the situation does not get any better for the lady I will take some time to check everything over.

I know her boiler is upstairs but we have only been living next door several months so I feel a little awkward going in the house.

One thing I would like to ask is the differences between the copper and flexi pipes - in regards to burst or joint leaks, is this more a problem with copper pipe or does the flexi pipes suffer also?

Thanks again for the advice, it is very nice to know people can be helpful in situations like this.

Edit
Just got home and the old lady next door said everything is fine, The temperature is a lot better here although it's still snowing and cold.

Thanks again.