When it's really cold, do you run water to keep it from freezing in your house?

Question

It just seems a lot cheaper to buy water than it is to pay a plumber to fix frozen pipes. Not to mention the aggravation and the inconvenience.

Answer 1

You let a small trickle run. Of course it would be better to just have the plumber or electrician install some heat wire on the water pipe in the outside wall and crawlspace. It does require cutting open the wall a little to put it in, but so does fixing a busted pipe. The wire is then hooked up to a thermal link and it will come on just a little when the air outside gets cold! You can also open the wall and install some insulation around the pipe - on the outside so the pipe still gets heat from the interior of the house, just less cold from outside. Interior pipes should be OK and drains have some composting heat in them. so they do not freeze. Cold water pipes freeze before hot water pipes.

Answer 2

When it is extremely cold it is a good idea to have a small stream of water running to keep the supply lines from freezing. If your fixtures are on an exterior wall there is an even greater chance the lines could freeze. Here are also a few suggestions

1. Install electric heat tape on the waterlines.
2. Place pipe insulation over the water lines.
3. If the waterlines are near the exterior of the house - tuck insulation to create a barrier between the outside and the pipes.

Keep in mind the drain-lines can also freeze. Running a small stream of water can save you allot of money in the long run.

Answer 3

It's still possible for the pipes to freeze as there could be water left in some of the pipes still. You might want to ask a plumber. If it's a big risk it's probably possible to have the pipes drained or blown out, like underground sprinklers are.

Answer 4

That may not work as well as you hope. If the pipes are behind walls or in kitchen cabinets isolated from the room heat they get very cold. Try getting those small flexible heater tapes that wrap around the pipes that are most vulnerable. They come with a built in thermostat (that turns them on only when it is very cold) and some fiberglass over-wrapping. Their power consumption is very low and they do a better job than just leaving the water running.

Answer 5

You can insulate your pipes really cheap now day. The foam tubes work so well you could have pipes outside in the freezing cold and they still will not freeze, It costs about .25. But for now make sure you don't have any moving air around your plumbing. close off crawl space vent, foam seal any cracks and so on. moving air will freeze them up quicker than anything.

Answer 6

Let all outside pipes drip at a 3 drip per second rate. Also, wrap these outside pipes with an insulating product, which you can buy at any hardware type store. Let the indoor faucets drip at a slow rate.

Answer 7

If you leave the water running it could freeze in the outlet pipes,and flood your home.

Answer 8

When it is really cold it is said to let your pips run a little but just a little more than a drip. ...When i use to live up north Michigan i would have to do this when i left for the weekends. it worked for me! you will not notice much if any change in your water bill.

i hope this helps.

Answer 9

yes we let the water drip when its going to be freezing outside. and you are right about the water and plumber.

Answer 10

I wouldn't know it doesn't get that cold out here but um I understand what your saying. Cuz logic by passes the fact of my inexperience. Basically it sounds reasonable. And to each it's own.