Thread: Winter Water Pipes Question - Help a Southern Boy

Originally Posted by 32t

I don't have AC in my house and since I have been off the night shift and not trying to sleep during the day the 5 or 6 days a year i would like it it isn't worth it to me.

When you get a heat wave let me know and I'll try to give you some tips. I owe you that much, at least.

Originally Posted by 32t

Then you are draining your hot water heater. If you open your hot water faucet the heater is still full of water and shouldn't over heat because it is still full.

Oh, I see what you were asking. I'm pretty sure it is full now that I know the water was a city issue and not likely to be a freeze in the water heater inlet pipe. The pressure was so low I could not hear it filling.

Whatever you mean by "close up for the season" doesn't happen here. But we have ugly Christmas t-shirts because it's too hot for sweaters here . My girlfriend knits and it is hilarious to see her try to wear every hat, scarf, and mitten she makes in the few days it's cold.

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To the OP ...
I can relate to your difficulty. I live a couple miles from 32T (Tim) and it has been brutally cold here this past week. I am fixing up a house in Wisconsin that my grandfather built in 1963. The siding was 40 years old so I decided to replace it. Much to my chagrin we discovered that there was no insulation in the walls plus there was only 6" in the attic! So the contractor started on the siding, took off the siding and underneath was a standard 1" of insulation but with a lot of cracks between the pieces. Next the tar paper was removed and then the 1" x 10" ship lap boards. That exposed the 2x4 framing. There was no insulation! So the contractor put poly sheeting in between the 2x4 studs the some R19 3" thick fiberglass batt insulation then covered that with Tyvek house wrap .... on 3 sides of the house.
Then he came down with Covid-19! and has been at home for the past 2 weeks. He will be back of course to install the final 1" layer of insulation and the siding on the 3 sides and do it all on the 4th side but I have been worried sick that my water pipes would freeze and burst. So I put up 2" thick 4'x8' foam insulation boards on all 4 sides of my basement and foam sealed all the joists where they are attached to the sill plate board and the rim board. I also put an electric heat tape on the incoming water pipe. Plus I turned on the ceiling mounted electric heater.
So far the temps in the basement are at 50F.
What a relief.......

In this part of the country water pipes run through the attic. The mains of course are underground and then they pass through to the garage where the hot water heater is and from there they go to the attic for distribution.

Contrary to what most think it gets cold in the winter here, very cold. We've been in the low teens this past week. Up north they were below zero.

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To the OP ...
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To directly provide some useful suggestions that you can use ....

my kitchen water pipes are on the outside wall. So I stuffed some of the 3" thick R19 (R15?) fiberglass batt insulation between the wall and the pipes. I also left the doors to the cabinet open so the interior heat would help keep them warm.

I put an electric heat tape on the incoming water pipe and plugged it in. Be sure that the black sensor is touching the pipe. The sensor is also a thermostat and has kept my pipes at 42F.

In addition I also put insulation between the outside walls and the incoming water pipe to the extent possible..

Also my heater is pointed directly at the incoming water pipe.

I just received a notice from my Village Clerk to start running a pencil thin stream of water from a cold water faucet because our frost level will be going further into the ground due to the increasing temps outside.

Hope this helps.

Man, the crap you guys go through to live above the 31st parallel N. I feel for you but...DAMN!

Originally Posted by 32t

I don't have AC in my house and since I have been off the night shift and not trying to sleep during the day the 5 or 6 days a year i would like it it isn't worth it to me.

Nah, you don't need that crap no matter where you are. Remember, AC as we know it has only been an affordable thing since the 1950s. My mother grew up in Tampa in the Great Depression. Hell, I just got a van with AC for the first time in 6 years?...maybe 7???? The '91 I had before the '02 I drove for 9 years without it and I rode with the windows up and the fan on so I could hear the phone. Half the time now I don't even turn it on. Just like cold (I guess......) you get used to it.

Originally Posted by alex1921

These are popular up here. The valve is deep in the wall so it doesnt freeze.

Attachment 329737

My two outside taps are built like that here in Ontario. the tap valve is inside the basement where it's warm.

We get the cold and snow every year in Canada but we're all kitted out for it as is the city. My heart goes out to you guys in Texas. It must be awful to get that cold when no one is prepared.

I have always said that winter is only a problem if a person doesn't have the right clothes and equipment.

I hope the weather gets back to normal in Texas for you guys and that it doesn't cause too many problems for any of you.

If there are any older people nearby it would be an idea to check in on them if that's possible.

Thanks STF.

My water is still of, but i am still counting myself lucky for having both electricity and natural gas. And the up side, if I don't have water in the pipes, it can't freeze, right? .

It is looking like Friday we will be out of the freeze and everything will start to thaw.

We are keeping a close eye on our old people. Luckily my neighbors aren't to the point that they think I am an old person that needs checking up on. They just think I am the kook that was out shoveling snow in my t-shirt .