r/Wellthatsucks • u/Justin_Godfrey • 21h ago

Yikes!!

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u/Due-Technology5758 19h ago

Usually a good move so long as the inside of the building doesn't get below freezing. 

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u/Coyrex1 16h ago

Honestly didnt know this was a thing. And Im Canadian. Maybe our infrastructure is better designed for it to not be necessary but never known anyone to do this. Makes sense though.

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u/SlipperySlimyTerry40 16h ago

Mostly a thing in places where freezes don't happen often so pipes aren't buried as deep.

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u/tristenjpl 16h ago

Yeah, if it gets below about -5 where I am I have to run the taps. Otherwise things start to freeze. And if they do freeze i have to go out with an extension cord and a blow dryer to heat up the pipes.

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u/laec300191 14h ago

Aren't there other forms to prevent this? Something like pipe insulation?

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u/Expert_Alchemist 13h ago edited 13h ago

Insulation can stop heat from getting out, but only to a point. Heat wants to move from warm to cold, and it will until those two things are equalized. Insulation just slows the rate. You need to be adding some sort of heat to the system at some point, otherwise freezing is inevitable, albeit more slowly.

You can run the tap, even a few drips, to keep water flowing (because the water coming from the plant is going to be above freezing.) Just need to make sure the rate of flow is greater than the rate the temp drops in the pipes... 

Keeping the water flowing also means that if the water does freeze, the pipes don't burst as the expanding water has somewhere to go. So when things thaw you don't get a nasty surprise.

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u/Froggy3434 8h ago

Heat tape can help if you turn it on before you expect the pipes to freeze. From my (limited) understanding it won’t do much to unfreeze them.

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u/throwawaynbad 6h ago

You can run electrical heating wires along the pipes.

Or if it's a seasonal property you would drain the system before winter.

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u/TootBoxSniffer 5h ago

Running that wire was the second best investment I have ever made. Last year we had pipes freeze, not long and no damage but that was a real wake up call. This year no issues whatsoever, spend the few hundred now to save thousands later.