freezing & water pipes

Repair help for the do-it-yourselfer.
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granterrn
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:18 am
Location: Crestview Florida

We just put up our mobile home, and have not yet had a chance to skirt it. The temps are going to be in the mid 20s. Is it best to leave the water in the house on a trickle to prevent the pipes from freezing, there is about 20 feet of pvc pipe on the ground under the house. Thanks
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Yanita
Moderator
Posts: 3369
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:16 pm
Location: Eastern N. Carolina

Hi,

Welcome to the site..

To answer your question, definitely not. If you leave the water dripping you may prevent freezing water lines but you will promote the chances of a frozen sewer line...refer to the "Do not mix cold weather and dripping faucets" article in the ARTICLE link above.

Happy New Year,

Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
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Robert
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Posts: 6413
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:07 am
Location: Tennessee

Hi,

IF you have no other way to prevent the waterlines from freezing, run your faucets at a steady flow, NOT a drip.

This lessens chances of sewer freeze ups.

You can also turn water heater OFF and turn water main OFF if you are uncertain about pipes freezing at night.

This will lessen the impact if a pipe freezes and bursts.


Also, you can insulate the sewer line if needed to help also.



Take care and best wishes,
Robert
Some people are Humbly Grateful, while some are Grumbly Hateful.................... Which one are you ?
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Greg
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Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Hi & welcome,
Before you get the skirting on, get the supply line heat taped & insulated. It is much easier working under the home before the skirting is in place. If you have extra line just laying on the ground you may want to shorten it up some also. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
annie
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:17 pm

Hello,

Here is what I did when temps dropped to 9 below 0.

I put a large plastic container in the shower and let the water drip into the container. This gave me peace of mind and no worry about the sewer pipes. It did not fill all the way during the night-Just a thought to get you by!

Annie
SpongeBob

Greetings from New Hampshire....
I am not being sarcastic at all....but I did notice your Florida location. I am also relatively new to the forum, so I must ask: Is it unususal for folks to have concerns over pipes freezing in Florida? OOPS, I just saw the weather and saw the concern over the freezing of the citrus crops tonite!
-Bob
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Jim from Canada
Posts: 551
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:39 am

What I have, along with the inlet pipe being insulated, is to have the pipe lying on a 2" thick piece of foam so it is not in direct contact with the ground.

Jim
cottonlily

Should have seen this earlier. We have always let ours drip. It's been well below freezing for about 2 weeks here at night.

So the sewer lines under the house will bust? Or the lines in the ground?
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Greg
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Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

What can happens this, since you do not have a short flow like a toilet flush or shower / bath tub draining the water is not moving fast enough to keep from freezing. once the septic lines freeze up there is one way to thaw them (with heat), and if they split then you will be under the home replacing them. Not a fun job in warm weather, let alone in the cold. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
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