jJim McLaughlin wrote:
Toller wrote:
The cottage is in upstate NY.
The pipes are 1/2" copper. The cottage is built on piers, so the
plumbing is all exposed to the elements; but being in deep woods,
there is rarely much wind.

This time of year the highs are about 55 and the lows are 40, so the
cottage interior is usually about 47.

But last night there was a frost advisory, so there was a chance the
temperature would hit 32. Given the precision of the weather
forecast, that means there is a chance it would hit 30 for a few hours.

So my question is basically, if they forecast is for a low of 30, are
my exposed pipes likely to freeze?
If not, what overnight low temperature do I have to be concerned about?

I broke down and drained the pipes today, so it is not actually an
issue for this year; but I will go through the same thing next year.
A couple years ago I actually started to insulate the pipes and add
heat tape, but then it occured to me that if I had a leak, finding it
and fixing it would be 10 times as hard; so I abandoned the project.

With copper pipe, why would you assume that a leak is in the offing?
Copper is a very good piping material, better, IMHO tahn galvanizedor
any of the PVCs.


He is worried about freezing. Copper probably breaks just as easily if
not easier than other pipes when the water in them freeze. When the
unit is not going to be attended for months it is best to at least turn
off the water. If willing to take the risk of freezing he might forget
about the draining. Like my neighbors I have a lawn sprinkler system.
They all have their lines blown out each year. I turn off the water but
don't blow them out. Instead take the risk that the lines might freeze.
Never had a problem. But repair is not all that difficult anyway.