I live in Iowa and we tend to have cold winters (Average temperature Dec-Feb is below 32 degrees). We live in a slab home (no basement) and I believe the water pipes are under the house. We are into conserving the natural gas heat (we're cheap too, haha) and don't turn our heat on until the thermostat drops below 55 degrees. Is it bad not to run the furnace until then? Last year we waited until the end of January to run our heat, but we lived in an apartment. Will our pipes freeze if I we choose not to run the furnace, or is that only if we don't run hot water? I have no problem utilizing our blankets for heat. Help please!
2006-10-11 06:44:26 · 10 answers · asked by Yuna 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
You could probably go all winter without the pipes that are under the foundation freezing. The pipes in your walls are a different story. Especially those on outside walls. I would turn the heat on if you were going to get below 32. You can always leave the water trickling in the faucets. This will prevent the pipes from freezing. Running water won't freeze. My swimming pool has a "Freeze-stat" on it. It turns the pump on "low" and keeps the water circulating so it will not freeze. We are in Texas, so it doesn't get "real" cold here. Freezing is unusual.
2006-10-11 07:00:45 · answer #1 · answered by bugear001 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
well as long as you keep a trickle of water running in the sinks even if it's cold water the pipes will not freeze for a while water only freezes if the pipes don't have running water in em and it goes stagnant and turns to ice hence water pipe freeze up and burst
2006-10-11 14:35:19 · answer #2 · answered by Pale Rider 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
32 degrees is the freezing point don't worry about wind chill. wind chill is the temp that the air feels like to us humans. insulate all pipes or at night you can drain the pipes. no water in the lines = no frozen pipes no matter what the temp is.finally you can let the water run (fast drip)
2006-10-11 13:17:10 · answer #3 · answered by mr.dj 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
if it's going to get 32 degrees or below, you will need heat; however, even if it isn't that cold, and there is a wind chill factor due to an open crawl space, your pipes could freeze. Better to be on the safe side because fixing frozen pipes would cost more than the savings in heat.
2006-10-11 06:50:21 · answer #4 · answered by DeeDee 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
bypass away your water dripping for the period of the freezing temps. till it gets way down around 0 letting the water run continously will save it from freezin. could be somewhat highr water bill, whether it wont be as costly as a plumber replaceing your pipes
2016-10-16 02:05:37 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the temp gets to about 40,it's time to turn it on! Anything below that will freeze your pipes.
2006-10-11 06:47:24 · answer #6 · answered by Terri R 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Most modern central heating has a freeze setting on..the absolute minimum of hot water goes thro ,just enough to stop them freezing...while I wouldn't do what you are I think if you are happy with it then that's fine...brr I like my heating on..good luck.
2006-10-11 06:53:00 · answer #7 · answered by Lily 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If you let the water run in a trickle, you can postpone the freezing.
2006-10-11 06:52:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
keep the house at 55 and you shoud be fine unless there is cold air blowing under your house if so block the air from blowing in
2006-10-11 06:48:37 · answer #9 · answered by Marc D 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
aslong as your pipes are insulated then they wont freeze, running hot water through them wont stop freezing if there not insulated.
2006-10-11 06:48:36 · answer #10 · answered by neil d 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋