Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
|
Home Repair (alt.home.repair) For all homeowners and DIYers with many experienced tradesmen. Solve your toughest home fix-it problems. |
Reply |
|
LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
How much heat to keep pipes from freezing
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:03:06 -0500, Frank
wrote: On 1/9/2011 2:18 PM, Metspitzer wrote: 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? Pipes on an outside wall are even a bad idea in a heated room. I had a similar situation where pipes in a heated room ran overhead an unheated room, a small storage area, and I also put a light bulb there to no avail and pipes froze and broke. Only good solution is to use heating tapes on pipe but access is not always good. In my case, I had pipes rerun through heated space. I am not exactly sure of the story of how it happened but the entire house is on a poured slab so nothing in the floor. It would have also been a good idea to have the WH inside somewhere out of the way. I could not believe it the first time she told me her hot water froze. |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
How much heat to keep pipes from freezing
On 1/9/2011 6:21 PM, Metspitzer wrote:
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:03:06 -0500, Frank wrote: On 1/9/2011 2:18 PM, Metspitzer wrote: 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? Pipes on an outside wall are even a bad idea in a heated room. I had a similar situation where pipes in a heated room ran overhead an unheated room, a small storage area, and I also put a light bulb there to no avail and pipes froze and broke. Only good solution is to use heating tapes on pipe but access is not always good. In my case, I had pipes rerun through heated space. I am not exactly sure of the story of how it happened but the entire house is on a poured slab so nothing in the floor. It would have also been a good idea to have the WH inside somewhere out of the way. I could not believe it the first time she told me her hot water froze. Actually more likely. "Pure" water has to super freeze and won't crystalize until the mid 20's. The water heater adds a nuclei for the water to freeze around. I'd insulate the pipes and let the hot water drip inside somewhere. Consider insulating the room. The water heater will add some heat, probably more than that 100W bulb. 300 BTUs in an uninsulated room won't be much. And consider the heat tape others have mentioned. Jeff |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
How much heat to keep pipes from freezing
In the spring, hire a plumber to move the WH? Insulate the
room? I think a combination of foam wrap and heat tape may be your medium term answer. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Metspitzer" wrote in message ... I am not exactly sure of the story of how it happened but the entire house is on a poured slab so nothing in the floor. It would have also been a good idea to have the WH inside somewhere out of the way. I could not believe it the first time she told me her hot water froze. |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
How much heat to keep pipes from freezing
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:21:49 -0500, Metspitzer wrote:
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:03:06 -0500, Frank wrote: On 1/9/2011 2:18 PM, Metspitzer wrote: 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? Pipes on an outside wall are even a bad idea in a heated room. I had a similar situation where pipes in a heated room ran overhead an unheated room, a small storage area, and I also put a light bulb there to no avail and pipes froze and broke. Only good solution is to use heating tapes on pipe but access is not always good. In my case, I had pipes rerun through heated space. I am not exactly sure of the story of how it happened but the entire house is on a poured slab so nothing in the floor. It would have also been a good idea to have the WH inside somewhere out of the way. Inside takes valuable space. My WH is in the attic over the garage, where a "bonus room" (FROG) would be. There aren't enough cold days to make it worthwhile to devote expensive floor space for the WH. Your sister's freezes, which is certainly a bad design, but it's generally a good bet to use "cheaper" space. I could not believe it the first time she told me her hot water froze. Hell, that was common in the NE. Idiots would route water (usually the hydronic heat lines) in the cantilevered area of a "raised ranch". |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
How much heat to keep pipes from freezing | Home Repair | |||
protecting pipes from freezing with electric heat | Home Repair |