How to manage frozen pipes

Hilda200 · Jan 25, 2017

Hello all,
Does anyone here have frozen pipe issues?? Here the temperature is very low and the pipes are frozen. It's been two days that we are suffering without sufficient water. I've been searching for a solution for this and found few articles giving tips to prevent freezing before temperature drops. If you know any tips to overcome frozen pipes, please suggest some. Else I'm thinking of calling frozen pipe repair Toronto. Looking forward to get suggestions from you all.

CurtisOliver · Jan 25, 2017

Advice from the Water Organisation in the UK is:

If a pipe freezes...

Turn off the water supply at the stopcock.
Check to see if the pipe has burst.
Slowly thaw the pipe with hot water bottles or a towel soaked in hot water, starting at the end nearest the tap.
You can also use a hair-dryer (lowest setting) but NOT a naked flame or blowlamp.

steve001 · Jan 25, 2017

Hilda200 said:
Hello all,
Does anyone here have frozen pipe issues?? Here the temperature is very low and the pipes are frozen. It's been two days that we are suffering without sufficient water. I've been searching for a solution for this and found few articles giving tips to prevent freezing before temperature drops. If you know any tips to overcome frozen pipes, please suggest some. Else I'm thinking of calling frozen pipe repair Toronto. Looking forward to get suggestions from you all.

You've never heard experts say to leave the water running slowly? None of the articles mentioned this? Some more help. https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch....pes-from-freezing-during-extreme-cold-weather

Crazlaser · Jan 25, 2017

The problem with leaving it running is if it's cold enough it builds up slowly and eventually clogs even if it's running. We've had pipe bursts that way after leaving them running. You'd think the water melts the ice but it doesn't.

Lifetime17 · Jan 25, 2017

Hi
Ok to prevent freezing pipe apply heat tape to the effected areas . Wrap the tape around the pipe and plug in to an outlet . As mentioned you can also let the water run in the sinks so you always have a flow.

Crazlaser · Jan 25, 2017

Rich that works too, we put heat tape on HVAC compressors to let the refrigerent be warmed up out so I assume it would easily warm the pipe.

steve001 · Jan 25, 2017

Crazlaser said:
The problem with leaving it running is if it's cold enough it builds up slowly and eventually clogs even if it's running. We've had pipe bursts that way after leaving them running. You'd think the water melts the ice but it

Well, that not what I've been told, but if you say so. ;-)

Crazlaser · Jan 25, 2017

steve001 said:
Well, that not what I've been told, but if you say so. ;-)

Probably not in all situations, just happened to us once.

lasersbee · Jan 25, 2017

I live in a rural area and I use well water. It is usually around
~45 degrees F. To stop freezing of the copper pipes I wrapped
all the pipes with heating wire on a thermostat that detects
low temp before freezing.

Prior to installing the heat wires we would let the 45 F water
trickle through the pipes to keep them from freezing. This works
unless the air temperature drops drastically below freezing.

Jerry

Rivem · Jan 26, 2017

For running the water and hoping it doesn't freeze, it really helps to insulate the pipes so that the slowly running water doesn't lose its heat so fast.

lasersbee said:
I live in a rural area and I use well water. It is usually around
~45 degrees F. To stop freezing of the copper pipes I wrapped
all the pipes with heating wire on a thermostat that detects
low temp before freezing.

Prior to installing the heat wires we would let the 45 F water
trickle through the pipes to keep them from freezing. This works
unless the air temperature drops drastically below freezing.

Jerry

That's the way to do it if freezing pipes are a big recurring problem though. That how I've prevented it out in Colorado when the temperatures can get decently below 0 for an extended amount of time.

Benm · Jan 26, 2017

Crazlaser said:
The problem with leaving it running is if it's cold enough it builds up slowly and eventually clogs even if it's running. We've had pipe bursts that way after leaving them running. You'd think the water melts the ice but it doesn't.

If this will work depends on numerous factors.

First of all you have te temperature of the water that is coming from the water mains, which is usually not at freezing point but a bit above it.

Then you also have pipe insulation vs flow rate, if the interior of the pipe will drop below freezing point you will get ice buildup at some point, clogging the pipe at some point.

Leaving water trickling can work great against moderate conditions, like slightly freezing temperatures for short lenghts of exposed plumbing. Combining this with insulating the pipes works much better, just use the insulation material that is also used to insulate heating pipes in central heating sytems (very easy to install).

Another advantage of leaving it trickle is that you create some room for the ice to expand when it does freeze. Even if this will not prevent a pipe from freezing up, it could prevent it from bursting.

Hemlock_Mike · Jan 26, 2017

If you have metal pipes, connect a welder
from one end to the other. Get a bunch
of watts going through.
HM

Cyparagon · Jan 26, 2017

As much fun as that sounds, I'm not convinced the pipe would offer enough resistance. I'm no plumber, but:

Google says 3/4" pipe has an OD of 7/8 and a thickness of 0.049". (22mm/2)²pi - (19.5mm/2)²pi = 81mm² which is about 000awg.

Google says 1/2" pipe has an OD of 5/8 and a thickness of 0.049" (15.9mm/2)²pi - (13.4mm/2)²pi = 58mm² which is about 0awg.

Steel pipes are higher resistance, but are also much thicker, which would probably negate that.

Seoul_lasers · Jan 26, 2017

steve001 said:
You've never heard experts say to leave the water running slowly? None of the articles mentioned this? Some more help. https://www.google.com/amp/s/patch....pes-from-freezing-during-extreme-cold-weather

Running water works to a point (helps relieve pressure buildup) but ideally, thermal insulation and a hairdryer are your best friends.
When I lived in Seoul we has continuous problems in winter with pipes freezing up due to shoddy construction, even in newer apts.
So I got familiar with using a hairdryer on pipes. Our winter minimums went down to -20 to -23c during some winters. Just outside of Seoul, a few degrees colder than that with Windchill!! Ouch !! Not what I am used to.

We don't have the issues of Toronto here in Victoria as we usually (not this winter) have only 3-5 days below freezing. Usually no less than -3c and on rare occasions see -5c. Normally our winters are 10-14c H and 3-5c L
hence why we are able to grow some select varieties of Citrus, Figs, Olives, Tea -- Camellia Sinensis, Magnolias and even Japanese Cinnamon, Camphor and many kinds of palms outdoors here.

Bionic-Badger · Jan 26, 2017

Maybe let it drip, but also cover it with a blanket or some sort of cover (don't let it get wet) to reduce the effects of convection?

Hemlock_Mike · Jan 27, 2017

The use of a large pipeline welder worked
for many years around here in north Iowa.
HM

How to manage frozen pipes

Hilda200

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Lifetime17

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lasersbee

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Rivem

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Benm

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Hemlock_Mike

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