freezing pipes?

Question

a very temp situation, but still at least 1 winter and in NORTH INDIANA! I have to supply two 3/4 pex pipes to a 2nd story heated area. to do this, I must run OUT of a heated area, THROUGH A GARAGE.this "garage" is a 80' x 25' garage with a 2nd story all living space, but will be unheated except for the back 20. I need to run the pipes up at the garage ceiling ( floor joists) to the back then UP. the garage walls are not insulated, but I am going to do the floor (ceiling, or joist to 2nd story) if I have the pipe in there, do you think that is enough? if I insulate all the garage walls too? heat tape that run is over 500 bucks.. I figure I might spend it on insulation I will eventualy need if it will work.?

Answer 1

Cheaper than heat tape is to run an electric heater of some sort in the garage, just enough to keep it above freezing. Pipes really do need to be in the interior walls. Can you build a double wall, or an outer box to encase the lengths that run outside? Some people have suggested building a sort of small insulated doghouse type structure around pipes if they must be outdoors. Or just run heat tape on that short piece.

Answer 2

no your pipes will freeze. cheaper to run some sort of heat in the garage and ins it. other cheap option for this winter is to keep the water flowing at least in a small steady stream in the room above the garage. it wil;l be money down the drain but moving water cannot freeze solid unless it is coooooold. ive done this on cold nights at my moms house. the lines to the bathroom go through an unheated crawl space when it gets 0 f or below. she lives on lake ontario. mighty cold there it has worked as low as -25f. but i do not do it for more than a wkke. otherwise it drains her well. there is insulation that is made to form around the pipes.
personally i would find a way to reroute the pipes so that they do not pass through the garage.

Answer 3

If heat tape is out of the question you should at least make sure you have no fittings in the unheated area. Pex can usually handle freezing and thawing without damage. The brass or plastic fittings on the other hand do like to burst from freezing.

You should also keep a little water running so it does not sit in the lines and have the opportunity to freeze.

Answer 4

You could run the pipes in the garage but put armorflex on each pipe and use it over every inch of those pipes in the garage... box them in and surround them with insulation... Then fill the system with -100 Anti freeze for safe keeping making sure it's compatable with the pipe and boiler your useing..... Then call it a day.........

Answer 5

Heat the garage or use heat tape. Insulation without heat is not the answer.

Answer 6

insulate them all the way, put heat tape on out side area,run wrap out side area run in plastic also,
[cuts down on wind chill factor, ]

Answer 7

Frostex heat tape should not be that expensive. Look into it.

Answer 8

sophisticated matter. look into in google or bing. it may help!