Because whenever you get temperatures below about 25 degrees (at least here in California) the pipes start to freeze. This can be especially bad here in California simply because a Cement Slab Foundation is very common at least along the coasts of California where the ocean keeps temperatures usually above Freezing year around. Because if the pipes freeze in the cement you would have to jackhammer the cement to fix the leaks. Whereas in Pier block Construction where cement blocks usually are around the outside of the house at it's base you can at least climb under the house or building usually and fix these leaks.
I myself around 1990 or 1991 had to do this when the hot water pipe to our washing machine froze basically in the center of our pier block constructed house we were renting then on an acre of land in Mt. Shasta. The problem was the temperature was about somewhere between 5 degrees and 20 degrees and I couldn't wear enough clothes and still get under the house to fix it. So, I tied a rope to my leg so friends could drag me out of there if I passed out from the cold in coveralls under the house. Luckily, I didn't pass out from the cold and took a hammer and broke up the ice sculpture from the leak and then went to Ace hardware in Mt. Shasta and got the fittings I needed to fix the broken pipes from freezing.
when this happens there is no water at all in the house for bathing, cooking, flushing toilets etc. So, this is a very serious sanitation issue as well and needs to be dealt with immediately if possible.
However, in a cement slab foundation if your pipes freeze up in the cement the only answer is to either jackhammer the pipes loose to change them or to reroute entirely your plumbing temporarily above the foundation through the walls. which means usually a lot of plasterboard patching to do this type of more temporary solution to this onerous problem.
However, for different reasons we found routing our plumbing through walls a better solution than jack hammering out 20 to 30 feet of pipe. So, we created a permanent solution for our Santa Barbara house by going through the walls entirely from the water source to the kitchen and one of our bathrooms. So, this can be done either as a temporary fix or even a permanent fix by cutting off the water to the broken pipes in the cement slab and rerouting the pipes through the walls and ceiling of your house or building.
However, then you are going to have to do a lot of patching of plasterboard where you had to cut out big chunks in your walls. But, at least you will have water (hot and cold) throughout your house once again without jack hammering up countless feet of cement to replace broken pipes in the cement slab house (wherever you are located).
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WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO NOON CST SUNDAY * WHAT...Accumulations of 1/10 to 1/4 inch of ice likely across the warning area. Isolated amounts ...
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