Drip Drip

Grallert

I recently had a discussion about dripping your faucet. We just got hammered here in the Berkshires and the subject came up about freezing pipes. My contention is that a dripping faucet is less likely to freeze and the pipes are less likely to split. The opposing view was that it makes no difference and you better off closing the water supply. Of course this will cause a split in the system if there is a freeze up and the piping is not drained completely.

I guess this all depends on the severity of the cold and it's duration.

What do you all think.

Jamie Hall

If the heat is down (or the pipe runs in an exterior wall)) and if you have enough water, then yes leaving a faucet going is certainly will do no harm. Not a drip, though. It needs to actually run. Not full bore, but… running.

The worst thing you can do is trap still water in a pipe. If you are going to close the water supply — prolonged outage, perhaps — then that's fine, but drain the whole system while you're at it. Otherwise a burst pipe is almost guaranteed.

EdTheHeaterMan

If you have ever taken the time to look at a creek that is flowing on a cold winter day, you might see ice form on the edges of the creek but the creek did not freeze over. That is because moving water will not freeze at the same temperature as still water. So allowing flow in a pipe may save you from a burst pipe. That does not mean that it will never freeze. It just takes a lower temperature to freeze, and that is all the difference you might need in an emergency situation.

Intplm.

A drip drip is fine, a steady thin stream is even better. Moving water always takes longer to freeze.

Better to insulate where the pipe is of course, but if that's not possible open the faucet to a drip or a hair line stream to help avoid a freeze up from none running water which is sure to freeze.

Grallert

This has been my experience living in a 202 year old house with a sketchy kitchen layout. I was just concerned I'd been fooling myself and others.

hot_rod

If you are on a well, a fast drip or slow stream will cycle the pump a lot. How much flow is enough is the question.

Lesser of two evils I suppose.

GGross

Locally we get water run notices periodically to avoid freeze ups, and they always say we should run it a thin stream about the thickness of a pencil lead give or take.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Opening the cabinet doors under kitchen sinks and vanities will allow some of the house heat to get at the pipes.

My nephew has a toilet in his unheated barn. A couple of 100watt light bulbs near the toilet tank is enough to keep it from freezing

mattmia2

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1884238#Comment_1884238

the volume you need depends on the size of the pipe and the delta t.

the drip brings in warmer water from the supply, you are adding heat to the system by replacing some of the water with water with more heat to keep it from losing enough heat to undergo the phase transition to a solid

mattmia2

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1884228#Comment_1884228

also mixing in the warmer water deeper in the body of water.

mattmia2

btw a shop vac is great for sucking the water out of a pipe.

RTW

As an aside, anyone who has experimented knows that if you put a tray of cold water and a tray of hot water in the freezer at the same time, its the hot water that freezes first

Regards,

RTW