I have a condo, in New Hampshire, that is vacant during the winter. I keep the heat at 55 degrees which is usually high enough to prevent freezing problems. This winter, the heating system failed and I was left with some minor issues,

One of the problems is with a shower faucet. When the water is turned on nothing will come out. If you put your ear to the wall, you can hear water escaping in the wall. If the shower is turned off the water in the wall stops. The faucet is of the newer variety with a cartridge.

I'm trying to determine where to begin with this. Any thoughts as to what the problem might be and whether it's something that someone with basic plumbing skills should attack. Many thanks in advance for any info. BJ

wrote:
I have a condo, in New Hampshire, that is vacant during the winter.
I keep the heat at 55 degrees which is usually high enough to prevent
freezing problems. This winter, the heating system failed and I was
left with some minor issues,

One of the problems is with a shower faucet. When the water is
turned on nothing will come out. If you put your ear to the wall,
you can hear water escaping in the wall. If the shower is turned off
the water in the wall stops. The faucet is of the newer variety with
a cartridge.

I'm trying to determine where to begin with this. Any thoughts as to
what the problem might be and whether it's something that someone
with basic plumbing skills should attack. Many thanks in advance for
any info. BJ

I'd guess this is a shower without a tub, so it would have had water standing in
the pipe up from the valve to the showerhead. That pipe probably split in the
freeze. My guess would be that cutting into the wall behind the valve/showerhead
from the next room would be the easiest way to repair the damage, so you dont
have to redo tile or whatever shower enclosure you have.

On 4/27/2014 8:25 PM, wrote:
I have a condo, in New Hampshire, that is vacant during the winter. I keep the heat at 55 degrees which is usually high enough to prevent freezing problems. This winter, the heating system failed and I was left with some minor issues,

One of the problems is with a shower faucet. When the water is turned on nothing will come out. If you put your ear to the wall, you can hear water escaping in the wall. If the shower is turned off the water in the wall stops. The faucet is of the newer variety with a cartridge.

I'm trying to determine where to begin with this. Any thoughts as to what the problem might be and whether it's something that someone with basic plumbing skills should attack. Many thanks in advance for any info. BJ


Can't see it from here, but I suspect you'd have
to rip out some drywall and get at it from the back.

One time I helped a friend with a house that had
no electric. He had turned off the toilet fill
valve. So when we drained the pipes, the fill
pipe stayed full of water. Froze, and cracked.
The jug of pink RV antifreeze stuff worked nicely
in the sink and toilet traps.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Mon, 28 Apr 2014 08:45:06 -0400, Stormin Mormon
wrote:

On 4/27/2014 8:25 PM, wrote:
I have a condo, in New Hampshire, that is vacant during the winter. I keep the heat at 55 degrees which is usually high enough to prevent freezing problems. This winter, the heating system failed and I was left with some minor issues,

One of the problems is with a shower faucet. When the water is turned on nothing will come out. If you put your ear to the wall, you can hear water escaping in the wall. If the shower is turned off the water in the wall stops. The faucet is of the newer variety with a cartridge.

I'm trying to determine where to begin with this. Any thoughts as to what the problem might be and whether it's something that someone with basic plumbing skills should attack. Many thanks in advance for any info. BJ


Can't see it from here, but I suspect you'd have
to rip out some drywall and get at it from the back.


....after the OP returns to New Hampshire from St. Petersburg, Fl.

Maybe he has a handy person there that can 'hear water escaping in the
wall' and that can do the repair?