On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:10:09 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

On 1/9/2011 2:24 PM, wrote:
On Jan 9, 2:18 pm, 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?

I'd just keep a hot water faucet open so just a trickle is running.
Probably more effective and not much money. A 100W bulb in the
middle of a room
isn't going to do much. You'd have to have more like 500W, one of
the little heaters from Walmart or similar to heat the room enough.
Must not be insulation in that wall either or it would take more to
freeze it.

A thermostatically controlled heat tape on however much of the pipe you
can get to. For the part buried in the outside wall, next time it breaks
and you have to open up the wall anyway, reroute it, or at least
insulate the heck out of it.

My house in Louisiana has the WH in the garage storage shed. Shares a
wall with the house, and enough heat leaks through to keep it from
freezing. I wouldn't build things that way, but when the budget only
covers existing houses, what're ya gonna do?

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her plumbing. I live
one state away.

"Metspitzer" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:10:09 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

On 1/9/2011 2:24 PM, wrote:
On Jan 9, 2:18 pm, 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?

I'd just keep a hot water faucet open so just a trickle is running.
Probably more effective and not much money. A 100W bulb in the
middle of a room
isn't going to do much. You'd have to have more like 500W, one of
the little heaters from Walmart or similar to heat the room enough.
Must not be insulation in that wall either or it would take more to
freeze it.

A thermostatically controlled heat tape on however much of the pipe you
can get to. For the part buried in the outside wall, next time it breaks
and you have to open up the wall anyway, reroute it, or at least
insulate the heck out of it.

My house in Louisiana has the WH in the garage storage shed. Shares a
wall with the house, and enough heat leaks through to keep it from
freezing. I wouldn't build things that way, but when the budget only
covers existing houses, what're ya gonna do?

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her plumbing. I live
one state away.


A smart 12 year old could install heat tape.

On Sun, 9 Jan 2011 18:52:01 -0500, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Metspitzer" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:10:09 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

On 1/9/2011 2:24 PM, wrote:
On Jan 9, 2:18 pm, 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?

I'd just keep a hot water faucet open so just a trickle is running.
Probably more effective and not much money. A 100W bulb in the
middle of a room
isn't going to do much. You'd have to have more like 500W, one of
the little heaters from Walmart or similar to heat the room enough.
Must not be insulation in that wall either or it would take more to
freeze it.

A thermostatically controlled heat tape on however much of the pipe you
can get to. For the part buried in the outside wall, next time it breaks
and you have to open up the wall anyway, reroute it, or at least
insulate the heck out of it.

My house in Louisiana has the WH in the garage storage shed. Shares a
wall with the house, and enough heat leaks through to keep it from
freezing. I wouldn't build things that way, but when the budget only
covers existing houses, what're ya gonna do?

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her plumbing. I live
one state away.


A smart 12 year old could install heat tape.

Don't I wish I were still 12? How about a 52 year old liver
transplant patient with thrombocytopenia?

As you're not available to put in the heat tape.
Leaving a hot faucet dripping may be the work
around for now. check the local paper for
handy man? This can't be the only house with
a bad design like that.

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


"Metspitzer" wrote in message
...

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would
have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not
best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her
plumbing. I live
one state away.

"Metspitzer" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 9 Jan 2011 18:52:01 -0500, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

"Metspitzer" wrote in message
. ..
On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:10:09 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

On 1/9/2011 2:24 PM, wrote:
On Jan 9, 2:18 pm, 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?

I'd just keep a hot water faucet open so just a trickle is running.
Probably more effective and not much money. A 100W bulb in the
middle of a room
isn't going to do much. You'd have to have more like 500W, one of
the little heaters from Walmart or similar to heat the room enough.
Must not be insulation in that wall either or it would take more to
freeze it.

A thermostatically controlled heat tape on however much of the pipe you
can get to. For the part buried in the outside wall, next time it breaks
and you have to open up the wall anyway, reroute it, or at least
insulate the heck out of it.

My house in Louisiana has the WH in the garage storage shed. Shares a
wall with the house, and enough heat leaks through to keep it from
freezing. I wouldn't build things that way, but when the budget only
covers existing houses, what're ya gonna do?

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her plumbing. I live
one state away.


A smart 12 year old could install heat tape.

Don't I wish I were still 12? How about a 52 year old liver
transplant patient with thrombocytopenia?



So, find a smart 12 year old!

If one existed! Most 12s are hooked onto an
ipod at one end, a Gameboy at the other end,
and a couple cell phones stuck into each ear.

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


"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
message ...


Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would
have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not
best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her
plumbing. I live
one state away.


A smart 12 year old could install heat tape.

I wouldn't want to be 12 again. Have to ask Mom for a ride
any where? No way!

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


"Metspitzer" wrote in message
...

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would
have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not
best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her
plumbing. I live
one state away.


A smart 12 year old could install heat tape.

Don't I wish I were still 12? How about a 52 year old liver
transplant patient with thrombocytopenia?

Try the local Mormons. Most of their 12 year old
boys can install heat tape. At least, the ones in my
congregation can. I think. At 49 years old, I do
my own heat tape. Fortunately, I've not had a
liver transplant.

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


"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
message ...

A smart 12 year old could install heat tape.

Don't I wish I were still 12? How about a 52 year old
liver
transplant patient with thrombocytopenia?



So, find a smart 12 year old!

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
If one existed! Most 12s are hooked onto an
ipod at one end, a Gameboy at the other end,
and a couple cell phones stuck into each ear.


Only Mormons. The rest of us are OK.

Gee, so all those flocks, herds, and gaggles of 12s I see
at the mall. They are all Mormons? Neat! Glad you told me.

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


"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in
message ...
"Stormin Mormon" wrote
in message
...
If one existed! Most 12s are hooked onto an
ipod at one end, a Gameboy at the other end,
and a couple cell phones stuck into each ear.


Only Mormons. The rest of us are OK.

On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:40:32 -0500, Metspitzer
wrote Re How much heat to keep pipes from freezing:

Heat tape would be a good idea if it wasn't me that would have to
install it (I don't mind doing it, but my health is not best). She
has a brother in law in the same state that does her plumbing. I live
one state away.

Be aware however that it is not unusual for the thermostat on heat
tape to fail and not turn on the tape heat when it is needed. I just
got finished fixing two failed heat tapes down at the barn here in
northwest Alabama.

It's looking like the 2010-2011 winter will be the coldest we have had
in 30 years. We just got 8" of snow last night. That's the second
snow in the past month.
--
Work is the curse of the drinking class.