Record Freeze

[Axxe55]

Biggest danger to freezing are any exposed pipes, faucets or outdoor plumbing. Most water supply lines are buried, so the ground acts like an insulator for them. Most houses, the plumbing inside is protected with walls or insulation. Wind chill factor can also cause pipes to freeze if exposed.

 

[Davetex]

I suppose you could drain most of the water in the lines by disconnecting the incoming line at the meter and opening the valves inside. Of couse you would need a shutoff valve on the upstream side of the meter.

At least this would work at my house. YMMV.

 

[HKSig]

If the power stays out long enough for us to get cold inside the house.

We have a shutoff valve in the garage (which is unheated)... If power went out and we had no water pressure, I'd close the shutoff valve and turn all faucets/showers on to "drain" and flush the toilets. And turn off the water heater, and maybe drain it...
Since we have water pressure, the faucets are all dripping.

 

[John Galt]

Biggest danger to freezing are any exposed pipes, faucets or outdoor plumbing. Most water supply lines are buried, so the ground acts like an insulator for them. Most houses, the plumbing inside is protected with walls or insulation. Wind chill factor can also cause pipes to freeze if exposed.

This.

Unless you have outside exposed pipes (not to include pier and beam where the pipes are under the house and skirted) it is unlikely you would have a problem. The ground and the house will provide insulation to prevent pipe freezing at temps above 0 DEGF. Short term below 0* should be OK but better drip a tap or two just in case.
The issue is for detached buildings such as a garage or Mother-in Law house where the pipes might run above ground. I have a detached garage with a game room above. The water supply to the game room runs through the covered breezeway between the two. I now must drip both hot and cold water in the game room head so the pipes won't freeze in the breezeway overhead.

 

[Axxe55]

I suppose you could drain most of the water in the lines by disconnecting the incoming line at the meter and opening the valves inside. Of couse you would need a shutoff valve on the upstream side of the meter.

At least this would work at my house. YMMV.

Water would still be trapped in some of the piping. Short of applying some sort of air pressure to force all the water out, there would still be residual amounts of water still there.

If it is a remote cabin, or an RV, or a weekend house not used very much, draining, and forcing all water from the piping might be a very good idea.

 

[SA_Steve]

South TX and Houston have lots of attic pipes. One disaster there in my past.

 

[Axxe55]

South TX and Houston have lots of attic pipes. One disaster there in my past.

I have heard of many houses in Houston being built with the water heaters installed in the attic area of the house. With the current low temperatures, I can now see that being a very bad idea. Even with normal temperatures, it's a very bad idea.

I'd like to see a reason that explains why this was done. For the life of me, I can't see any upside of installing a water heater in the attic area when building a house. Is there something I'm missing?

 

[HKSig]

I'd like to see a reason that explains why this was done. For the life of me, I can't see any upside of installing a water heater in the attic area when building a house. Is there something I'm missing?

The only reason I know of is to save space downstairs. When the water heater springs a leak and destroys the ceiling, plus leaks downstairs... I'd rather have it in the garage.
I'd do tankless now, but that'd be in the attic too.

 

[John Galt]

Space. Both of my water heaters are in the attic. Freed up square footage for closet space in the bedrooms.

 

[kbaxter60]

in the hub city.

Detroit?

 

[John Galt]

On a side note, your water heater should be sitting in a plastic tub with an overflow. A leak will be contained in the tub and excess water will drain down the normal pipes. Most folks won't know their water heater is leaking until the light bill goes up (if they even notice that).

 

[IXLR8]

We are heated by good clean natural gas. Just like god intended.

 

[Spcwolf]

We are heated by good clean natural gas. Just like god intended.

So is my house. It’s super nice to be able to cook dinner on your stove top with natural gas during a outage.

pipes are in the attic, surrounded by blown insulation. I don’t think I will be having a problem. I know where my water shut off valve is as well.

 

[Coiled]

I've got one hose bibb off my unheated garage wall I'm worried about.
I'm placing a 75watt light bulb inside a small styrofoam ice chest and placing it around the bibb.
Obviously I'll keep the bulb from melting the ice chest.

Dangit, used to do the light bulb(s) trick for the girls 4H projects so not sure why I didn't think of it now.
Thanks Cam.


Does any one know what wattage incandescent bulbs in direct contact with cotton shirts/towels as insulation could set them a blaze? I'm talking about in the water meter box but also 1 spigot with PVC pipe and adjacent to vinyl skirting.

 

[F350-6]

Power would flicker off for a second or two every 5 - 10 minutes all day long starting around 6:30. Heater had trouble keeping up since it would cycle off, then take a minute or two to kick back on. Finally lost power for a few hours tonight. House got down to 62 degrees. Heater fired back up now and playing catch up.

Fingers crossed it's still on and working all night long.

 

[Coiled]

Whereabouts are you?

Hope you can stay warm.

 

[Sircharles]

I'm certainly no yankee but I did just visit Maine recently and to be honest, I think this is a bit of an over reaction. I was working on an auto shop in 10 degree weather up there. Not sure why it will be that hard to sleep warm in our houses in the same.

 

[F350-6]

Between Grandview and Maypearl.

 

[Spcwolf]

I'm certainly no yankee but I did just visit Maine recently and to be honest, I think this is a bit of an over reaction. I was working on an auto shop in 10 degree weather up there. Not sure why it will be that hard to sleep warm in our houses in the same.

I am from Montana, and weather there had it at 14 degrees as their high today.
We didn’t close down anything unless we were completely snowed in.

 

[Sircharles]

That sounds about right, here in Houston they closed schools and all the food is flying off the shelves. Costco looks like it got robbed by 200 registered horders. I have a couple buddies from Montana/Alaska and they can't get enough of the news reports down here. Absolutely hilarious.

I am from Montana, and weather there had it at 14 degrees as their high today.
We didn’t close down anything unless we were completely snowed in.