what temperature water should you run to keep pipes from bursting?
g asked:
I have an older home, and were we are its extremely cold. I have water running in the kitchen sink, tub and bathroom sink, I always thought you would just run cold water? Then i heard some guy say hot water? does it matter? Also the kitchen, bathroom are on the south side of the house, so i didnt know if i need water running at all faucets, i have small water running, I also have the cupboards open where the pipe runs to the kitchen to help air flow? my main concern was does the temperature of the water matter? i noticed i have no hot water in the bathroom sink, but i have cold water, i have hot water in the tub, so not sure whats going on there?
i forgot to say, i have no basement
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I have an older home, and were we are its extremely cold. I have water running in the kitchen sink, tub and bathroom sink, I always thought you would just run cold water? Then i heard some guy say hot water? does it matter? Also the kitchen, bathroom are on the south side of the house, so i didnt know if i need water running at all faucets, i have small water running, I also have the cupboards open where the pipe runs to the kitchen to help air flow? my main concern was does the temperature of the water matter? i noticed i have no hot water in the bathroom sink, but i have cold water, i have hot water in the tub, so not sure whats going on there?
i forgot to say, i have no basement
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Julio 8th, 2009 at 19:39
As long as you run water at all, you should not have a problem. Normal faucet temperatures don’t really make a difference. For more information, please visit:
Julio 8th, 2009 at 21:52
Don’t use hot water,it freezes faster than cold water……..if you have just a trickle coming out of your faucets that should be enough to keep them from freezing.
You might get some heat tape for your main lines and consider foam insulation to put around your pipes too.
Julio 9th, 2009 at 13:50
First off the thought was that running water does not freeze as easily as still water. Water will still freeze if it is cold enough-even in the creeks.
Secondly, why they are saying hot water is that in plumbing, the hot and cold pipe could be(not always) are running close together and hot water(which comes heated from the tank) will impart the heat in the same cavity as the cold water(if that pipe is there). That is the thought. It does drain your tank which has to keep reheating more and more water.
The difference between the bathroom sink and the tub would be in the plumbing(or that the hot water to the sink has frozen.
What to do. Having the cupboard open to room temp is the right thing to do. Check in the basement (how cold it is) and for exposed pipes. Those pipes will be that cold.
Pay attention. If the pipes are on the outer walls of the house – where the insulation is suppose to be THAT IS YOUR PROBLEM. It has its butt in the frost 24/7(just like a refridgerator).
Modern homes (the 50’s on at least) have the plumbing on the inside walls or no closer that6″ to the inside of the outer(insulated) wall. And the water tank is in the middle of the home.
You have to expose the pipes from the inside walls and get the room air to contact them. Also you need glass or syrofoam insulation behind them. Hope none have already broken(which means you would have to tear the wall apart anyways). Do a retrofit in the spring.
Now I know you are asking, why was it built this way? Maybe cause initially they had a well? And pipes were added later for running water.
Julio 12th, 2009 at 19:35
Hot water will freeze before cold. Always let your hot to a faster drip
Julio 14th, 2009 at 12:31
any one who says hot water freezes faster is crazy, you should only run cold water, unless your hot water heater is exposed to the cold air, you can use a blend (mostly cold). and only on the sinks that have pipes explosed to cold.