"Chris Lewis" wrote in message
...
According to Toller :
I winterized my cottage today. Part of that is pumping out the toilets
and
adding antifreeze.
But I got to wondering if it really matters; if the water freezes and
expands it has plenty of room to do so without breaking anything. Would
it
actually break?

Take a glass (glass, not plastic) of water and stick it in your
freezer. Odds are that it'll shatter.

As the ice freezes, it becomes more and more rigid (duh ;-), so
expansion into adjacent air space is highly restricted.

So even if there's plenty of air space where you think it might expand
into, it will still exert very high pressure against the walls.

A "U" of copper pipe, open at both ends and partially filled with water,
will split when it freezes. Or at least it did to me ;-)
--
Well, normal weather is a little different. It comes on much slower and
doesn't get as cold.
But still, I have always pumped out my toilets and added antifreeze; and
will continue to do so.

Two years ago I blew my pipes out with air, and opened 5 drains; as I have
for the past 10 years. Then I figured I would save myself a trip below the
cottage next spring and closed the drains. Got my first two burst pipes,
right next to the drains.