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
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
Getting mighty cold in central Texas. Last couple days was 80+ degrees.
Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? Bob-tx |
#2
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 1, 3:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote:
Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees.. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32.. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. *Any ideas? Bob-tx Heat is transfering from the inside out. Warm always moves towards cold. |
#3
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 1, 2:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote:
Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees.. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32.. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. *Any ideas? Bob-tx Assuming that it is warmer indoors than out, heat is conducted through the pipe and the water toward the outside. |
#4
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 1, 3:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote:
Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees.. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32.. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. *Any ideas? Bob-tx Every other week I hear somebody tryin to wet me But I be out of town, gettin water where the hose lay I'm gangzta with the hose bib So don't be messin with my nozzle ....Oh sorry, you didn't mean that type of rapping, did you? |
#5
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 1, 3:07*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Feb 1, 3:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote: Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. *Any ideas? Bob-tx Every other week I hear somebody tryin to wet me But I be out of town, gettin water where the hose lay I'm gangzta with the hose bib So don't be messin with my nozzle ...Oh sorry, you didn't mean that type of rapping, did you? == Probably do as much good as wrapping it with a rag...although that will help retain some heat. == |
#6
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 1, 6:26*pm, Roy wrote:
On Feb 1, 3:07*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote: On Feb 1, 3:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote: Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why.. *Any ideas? I think the operative statement here is the last sentence. It seems to help and it does to a certain extent. It will shield and protect it and there is always going to be heat transfer from the pipe inside to out, throught the wall, etc. How effective it will be, to what extreme you can take it, for how long, is another story. Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. Solves the problem once and for all, provided you remember to disconnect hoses or at least make sure they are drained of water. |
#7
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On 2/1/2011 3:37 PM, Bob-tx wrote:
Getting mighty cold in central Texas. Last couple days was 80+ degrees. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? As somebody already pointed out, heat flows from high to low. Wrapping your faucet insulates it so that the heat isn't so readily lost to the outside. It's enough to keep it from freezing in most cases. Jay |
#8
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On 2/1/2011 2:45 PM, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Feb 1, 3:37 pm, "Bob-tx"No Spam no contact wrote: Getting mighty cold in central Texas. Last couple days was 80+ degrees. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? Bob-tx Heat is transfering from the inside out. Warm always moves towards cold. Is that why I should keep the refrigerator shut when I fart? :-) TDD |
#9
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
|
#10
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
?
"Bob F" wrote Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. I finally installed one a couple years ago. I am waiting for the repair parts now to fix it. It didn't survive its second Seattle winter. I hate to think about how well they do in the midwest. Something is wrong. Mine are 30 years old and still work just fine. |
#11
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 1, 3:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote:
Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees.. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32.. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. *Any ideas? Bob-tx Not that it matters much, but most of todays hosebibs are "frost free". which means there isn't any water in the bib itself. The valve is inside the house. If you have this type, it doesnt matter if you wrap them or not. Hank |
#12
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
? "Bob F" wrote Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. I finally installed one a couple years ago. I am waiting for the repair parts now to fix it. It didn't survive its second Seattle winter. I hate to think about how well they do in the midwest. Something is wrong. Mine are 30 years old and still work just fine. Yeah, but you're in Miami. |
#14
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 6, 7:32*am, "HeyBub" wrote:
Ed Pawlowski wrote: ? "Bob F" wrote Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. I finally installed one a couple years ago. I am waiting for the repair parts now to fix it. It didn't survive its second Seattle winter. I hate to think about how well they do in the midwest. Something is wrong. *Mine are 30 years old and still work just fine. Yeah, but you're in Miami. I have 4 frost proof sill cocks on my home in NJ for the last 16 years. Only one of them has failed and that was because I left a garden hose filled with water on it so it could not drain. The principles here are straightforward and simple. They work by using a very long valve stem and moving the actual valve 12" from the handle, so that it's inside the house. Hence, when it's shut off, water drains out and the water behind the valve is inside, where it can't freeze. But, there are a number of ways you can screw it up: Not install a long enough one. It's below freezing inside where the valve is, perhaps due to open holes, drafts, etc. It's pitched in the wrong direction so that water stays in it. You left a garden hose filled with water attached to it. |
#15
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On 2/6/2011 1:53 AM, Bob F wrote:
wrote: I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? I think the operative statement here is the last sentence. It seems to help and it does to a certain extent. It will shield and protect it and there is always going to be heat transfer from the pipe inside to out, throught the wall, etc. How effective it will be, to what extreme you can take it, for how long, is another story. Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. Solves the problem once and for all, provided you remember to disconnect hoses or at least make sure they are drained of water. I finally installed one a couple years ago. I am waiting for the repair parts now to fix it. It didn't survive its second Seattle winter. I hate to think about how well they do in the midwest. Mine had a pitch problem, it was almost level, and to make things worse it gets down to 40F inside. It's a really *large* model that gives lots of flow so I kept it and fixed it. I now turn off the water to it from inside the pump house and leave the faucet valve open... and no hose. |
#16
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
"Hank" wrote in message ... On Feb 1, 3:37 pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote: Getting mighty cold in central Texas. Last couple days was 80+ degrees. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? Bob-tx Not that it matters much, but most of todays hosebibs are "frost free". which means there isn't any water in the bib itself. The valve is inside the house. If you have this type, it doesnt matter if you wrap them or not. Hank I have seen these up north, what we have here are just short stubby hose bibs with the valve just below the handle. Bob-tx |
#17
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
"Tony Miklos" wrote in message ... On 2/6/2011 1:53 AM, Bob F wrote: wrote: I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? I think the operative statement here is the last sentence. It seems to help and it does to a certain extent. It will shield and protect it and there is always going to be heat transfer from the pipe inside to out, throught the wall, etc. How effective it will be, to what extreme you can take it, for how long, is another story. Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. Solves the problem once and for all, provided you remember to disconnect hoses or at least make sure they are drained of water. I finally installed one a couple years ago. I am waiting for the repair parts now to fix it. It didn't survive its second Seattle winter. I hate to think about how well they do in the midwest. Mine had a pitch problem, it was almost level, and to make things worse it gets down to 40F inside. It's a really *large* model that gives lots of flow so I kept it and fixed it. I now turn off the water to it from inside the pump house and leave the faucet valve open... and no hose. All good info, but none addresses my original question of WHY it helps to wrap faucets. Anyone have any ideas?? Bob-tx |
#18
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
Bob-tx wrote: "Tony Miklos" wrote in message ... On 2/6/2011 1:53 AM, Bob F wrote: wrote: I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. Any ideas? I think the operative statement here is the last sentence. It seems to help and it does to a certain extent. It will shield and protect it and there is always going to be heat transfer from the pipe inside to out, throught the wall, etc. How effective it will be, to what extreme you can take it, for how long, is another story. Which is why I like frost proof sill cocks. Solves the problem once and for all, provided you remember to disconnect hoses or at least make sure they are drained of water. I finally installed one a couple years ago. I am waiting for the repair parts now to fix it. It didn't survive its second Seattle winter. I hate to think about how well they do in the midwest. Mine had a pitch problem, it was almost level, and to make things worse it gets down to 40F inside. It's a really *large* model that gives lots of flow so I kept it and fixed it. I now turn off the water to it from inside the pump house and leave the faucet valve open... and no hose. All good info, but none addresses my original question of WHY it helps to wrap faucets. Anyone have any ideas?? Bob-tx Hi, Wrap is insulator. And will protect from dings somewhat. |
#19
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Sun, 6 Feb 2011 04:18:56 -0800 (PST), Hank wrote:
On Feb 1, 3:37*pm, "Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote: Getting mighty cold in central Texas. *Last couple days was 80+ degrees. Got down to 40 at midnight last night and by 9:00 this morning, it was 32. Going to be 17 degrees tonight, and 15 tomorrow night. *In fact, we may not get above freezing until Saturday sometime. *It was a short summer. Anyway, I went out and dutifully wrapped all our outdoor faucets; first with a bath towel, then with two inch thick foam rubber, and taped it all tight around the faucets. But, I wonder why this keeps them from freezing. *Obviously, there is no heat generated by wrapping them, and there is very little residual warmth in the faucet / pipe stub. *A little residual warmth from the brick siding, but that is all. *It seems to me that the bitter cold would soak through the towel and foam rubber in a few hours. *Then, what good does it do to wrap them? I know it seems to help by wrapping the faucets, but I'm not sure why. *Any ideas? Bob-tx Not that it matters much, but most of todays hosebibs are "frost free". which means there isn't any water in the bib itself. The valve is inside the house. If you have this type, it doesnt matter if you wrap them or not. I don't know about "most", mine aren't, but frost-free are certainly available. The line to one goes through the attic of the garage, too. I do the best I can; shut off those lines at the manifold and leave the valves open. |
#20
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
"Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote:
All good info, but none addresses my original question of WHY it helps to wrap faucets. Anyone have any ideas?? It slows the transfer of heat. Metal is a great conductor of heat, which means that the cold outside will follow the valve/pipe into the wall. By wrapping the facuet, you put a thermal break in place which in tun keeps the pipe and valve warmer. In most cases, it only takes a few degrees to keep things above freezing at the valve. |
#21
Posted to alt.home.repair
|
|||
|
|||
Wrapping outdoor faucets (hose bibs)
On Feb 6, 11:27*am, Robert Neville wrote:
"Bob-tx" No Spam no contact wrote: All good info, but none addresses my original question of WHY it helps to wrap faucets. Anyone have any ideas?? It slows the transfer of heat. Metal is a great conductor of heat, which means that the cold outside will follow the valve/pipe into the wall. By wrapping the facuet, you put a thermal break in place which in tun keeps the pipe and valve warmer. In most cases, it only takes a few degrees to keep things above freezing at the valve. == And also since the OP lives in Texas...just cracking the valve open enough to let the water slowly dribble out over night for the few times that temps go below the freezing mark would work. This may not be practical depending on location of the valves vis a vis the walks, shrubs, foot traffic, etc.. == |
Reply |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Recommendations for fixing leaky outdoor t-handled faucets (some of which are embedded in the foundation)? | Home Repair | |||
Fitting and outdoor tap for a hose | UK diy | |||
Outdoor faucets and cold weather | Home Repair | |||
hose bibs | Home Repair | |||
Whine in Pipes when outside hose bibs winterized | Home Repair |