On 11/26/2013 8:09 AM, Snag wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 11/26/2013 8:08 AM, Snag wrote:

I do know that the dripping faucet keeps my water supply from
freezing when it gets below 32 . But then we live for now in a
camping trailer out in the woods ... with a little luck I'll get


I skirted this place with 1" foam building insulation . Helps a lot .
I also cover all the windows with clear plastic - though the biggest
problem is that the aluminum windows have no thermal break in the
frames , so they sweat no matter what if it's cold out . I have a
250w halogen light under there to help keep it above freezing so the
holding tanks don't freeze which also makes the floor a little warmer
.

Why not just install one of those small recirculating pumps (Watts is
the mfg) that keeps your hot water at the tap. Pretty ingenious the way
it works. Small valve at the point(s) farthest from the water heater
which causes the hot water being pumped to that faucet to backfeed into
the cold water side - creating a closed loop. Water on the cold side
(throughout the pipe run) stays tepid and when you turn on the hot
water, you have hot almost instantly.

I installed the system in my home because I thought it would be nice not
having to stand around waiting on my heated tile bathroom floor for the
hot water to reach me.

No problem here with pipes freezing due to the locations of the runs but
if I did, this would surely cure it and, likely, be cheaper and more
effective in the long run than wrapping the pipes with heat tape.

The pump system is $200 and installation is a breeze. If you can swap
out a faucet, you can install this.