Recirculating cold water to prevent freeze-ups

Joe_8

As I have just thawed out my umpteenth building, and fixed my gazillionth split pipe, I wanted to ask any of my esteemed colleagues if they have ever heard of, or had any success in running a cold water recirculation line in order to prevent freeze-ups. This thought came to me while I was in a cold attic. The cold main was frozen solid, but the hot main and recirculation line were ok. Maybe my brain is still frozen, but this seems like it would work. Please share your thoughts, but omit your comments about my frozen brain. Thanks. Joe

Duncan_9

recirculating cold water

Not much personal experience there Joe, because it's always just sounded too risky to me.

I know that you know some folks leave their faucets running a bit to prevent freezing, and it works a lot of the time, but not all of the time. Depends on flow rate, water temperature, exposed pipe area, outdoor temperature, and wind and infiltration. Not easy to calculate with any certainty, I'd guess.

Recirculating cold water: If you think about it, that's the way icicles are made. Even streams freeze over if it gets cold enough.

Steve Miller

Sure, I think it would be a good idea. Maybe use a flow switch and in case the pump fails, you could wire an alarm to the open contacts of the flow switch.

Steve M

Kal Row

more important

is to have pipe exposed to heat that the cold water can convect to,

so no pipes feeding downward from the supply on an outside wall, and the keep cabinet doors open on sinks on outside walls

if you do circulation - it needs to be a brass pump - because the constant supply of fresh oxygenated water will destroy a cast pump forthwith – and you may still need some heating tape on it, so that the terminal runs, which don’t circulate, don’t freeze

bigugh_4

Heat (btu's) prevent freezing!

If the recirc line went to a warmer source it would work. If it went to the city source it would work. but if it had no source of heat, it will freeze anyway! Niagra falls have frozen, why not your pipe! Only heat will keep it from freezing. If you did perchance get it to stay liquid till it left the faucet, it may freeze upon contact, like frozen rain. JMHO bigugh

GW

try this

http://www.lainginc.com/

click on auto circ

I'm tring to get a hold of one for a job where the hot line is freezing up.

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