On Sun, 9 Jan 2011 14:39:47 -0500, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:

?
"Metspitzer" wrote in message
.. .
Here in winter, most days it at least gets above freezing.
(Alabama/Georgia) The nights are supposed to be down in the low 20s
this week.
In my sister's house, the water heater is in a utility room
with no heat. The hot water pipe is in an outside wall so her hot
water freezes during these cold times. I have suggested she put a
100W bulb in the overhead light and leave it on to keep the pipes from
freezing. This has helped, but it still freezes if the temp stays
below freezing for more than a day.
She only needs enough heat in the small x small room to keep
the pipe from freezing. A 100W lamp is not enough and a room heater
is really too much. Can someone suggest something in between?


The cost of repairing the pipes is probably more that any method of
prevention.

I'd use a small space heater on low, with a timer. Maybe run a half hour
every few hours.

You can also wrap the pipe (if exposed) in pipe heating tape. It will keep
it above freezing at minimal cost. Next is to leave the faucet running at a
tiny trickle. If there is a door to the utility room that opens to a heated
space, leave it open when cold.

A timer is a very good idea. I was trying to think of something that
would only come on when the temp gets to 32. A timer seems like the
next best thing.

The WH is in her laundry room. It is part of the garage and no
insulation.

Seems as though there ought to be low temp thermostats, so
the room stays over 35f. Ask at your nearby hardware store,
see what they have.

More work, you could tap the far end of the hot line (far
bath room for example). Put in a small circulator pump. Take
hot from the far end of the system, and pump it into the
cold supply of the WH.

Less work than that, you can foam wrap the hot line. Leave a
hot faucet dripping at the farthest part of the house. That
will pull a bit of hot water into the pipe.

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


"Metspitzer" wrote in message
...

A timer is a very good idea. I was trying to think of
something that
would only come on when the temp gets to 32. A timer seems
like the
next best thing.

The WH is in her laundry room. It is part of the garage and
no
insulation.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Seems as though there ought to be low temp thermostats, so
the room stays over 35f. Ask at your nearby hardware store,
see what they have.



I know there are some that are designed to work at low temperatuers. I have
installed a few where I work in some small (about 6x6 feet buildings with
water pipes) . There were connected to some 240 volt heaters of around
1500 watts. I don't know what the brand is or where to get them as the
purchant department ordered them.
I don't know how low the common portable heaters will go. Probably not near
low enough to keep the power bill down. Howver one of those thermostats
could be put in series with the portable heater.

I still think the heat tape and some insulation would be the way to go if
possiable.
You can buy strips of it with a thermostat already on it that will plug into
a 120 volt outlet.
Then some insulation and you do not have to heat the whole aea at a big
waste of power.