What's the general rules on dripping faucets in the winter to avoid busting a pipe?

Question

For instance, does it have to be XX degrees for XX days before you really need to drip faucets....thanks.

Answer 1

We need more details. Plumbing indoors or outdoors (shut off & drain) Crawl space plumbing or basement or garage? Drains exposed to cold or in heated areas only? If this is a chronic problem, in your area, heat tapes or light bulbs generally work better because the cold often lasts for days.

In general, it will only work for about 12-20 hours at temps around freezing. Below 27 degrees, it takes less than 2 hours to freeze depending on exposure to cold. If you are running water into a drain that is exposed to freezing temps, , it will plug using the drip method. I suggest getting advice from a long time resident or plumber who has experience in your area. Without some knowledge of the area & being able to look at the actual conditions, none of us can give you a definitive answer.

Answer 2

You should never let your home get so cold you need to let the faucets drip. Always make sure the heat in the home is set no lower than 60*F.

If you leave the house on a winter vacation, its also a good idea to shut off the domestic water supply (if you have hot water heat, make sure you dont shut that off)

Answer 3

First, this is not something you should have to worry about, if you are prepared. Air is your enemy, seal off the crawl space from any drafts, insulate any waterline that is exposed, in severe places wrap the line in heat tape and plug it in when the temperature drops below 25 degrees consistently. You can also exhaust your dryer temporarily into the space, but be doubly sure that it is kept clean.

Answer 4

They have a new gadget, that you attache and turn on to aitomatically adjust the drip, or stream. when the temperature or wind index drops to zero, you need a good trickle running. This is primarily for outside spigots.

Answer 5

their is no xx time because hot water freezes faster than hot and if you have a draft that will freeze your pipes faster i would wrap the pipe in heat tape they have some with a built in thermostat so they com on by themselves and you have no worries as for xx temperature any thing below 32 degress

Answer 6

It depends on your house, the amount of insulation. PLumbing can freeze real fast. You can get heat tape for exposed pipes.

I don't think there is a rule of thumb on this.