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Freezing temps therefore let faucets drip?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Tommyboy, Jan 7, 2010.

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  1. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Member

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    With the impending freezing temperatures in the Houston area over the next day or so, should I let my faucets drip inside the house? Or should I just let the outdoor faucets drip? If the indoor faucets need to drip, should it be purely hot or cold or both?
     
  2. Jugdish

    Jugdish Member

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    My landlord told me let the kitchen and bathroom faucets drip every couple of seconds.
     
  3. REEKO_HTOWN

    REEKO_HTOWN I'm Rich Biiiiaaatch!

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    take a cue from the Cure
    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KWYQt9CrZXw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KWYQt9CrZXw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
  4. Beck

    Beck Contributing Member

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    Both. The idea is to keep the water in the pipes moving, both the hot and cold pipes.
     
  5. marks0223

    marks0223 2017 and 2022 World Series Champions
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    Eric Berger's Blog

    Are your pipes going to burst?

    Rarely in the South do we really have to worry about pipes freezing, and subsequently bursting, but now is the time for a few moments of concern.

    That's because Houston's overnight lows are forecast to reach near 20 degrees, and lower in areas north of the city, this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

    That's just about the threshold temperature at which unprotected pipes, like those in Houston attics, may begin to burst due to sub-freezing temperatures. What can you do about it? Thanks to a helpful reader, Stan, the following resource from the Institute for Business and Home Safety is about as good as it gets.

    As it turns out, pipes don't break where the ice develops and expands the pipe, but rather it's due to downstream pressure between a blockage and a closed faucet.


    Among their suggestions to prevent this from occurring:

    • Seal all openings where cold air can get at unprotected water pipes. It's especially important to keep away cold wind, which speeds freezing.

    • Cover pipes with foam or fiberglass insulation sleeves — the thicker the better.

    • Install heating tapes or cables on vulnerable pipes. Be sure to follow manufacturer instructions carefully to avoid starting a fire.

    • Leave cabinet doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate around pipes.

    • Let faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing through pipes that are vulnerable to freezing. Ice might still form in the pipes, but an open faucet allows water to escape before the pressure builds to where a pipe can burst. If the dripping stops, it may mean that ice is blocking the pipe; keep the faucet open, since the pipe still needs pressure relief
     
  6. ClutchCityReturns

    ClutchCityReturns Contributing Member

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    Dave Ward (channel 13) just threw it to the weatherman by saying "it's a real well diggers, witches, and brass monkeys kind of night out there isn't it?"

    ROFL. :grin:
     
  7. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    ****, i forgot to check my attic.
     
  8. IROC it

    IROC it Contributing Member

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    I live in _____. Should I evacuate?
     
  9. Angkor Wat

    Angkor Wat Member

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    What are we suppose to check the attic for?
     
  10. Kam

    Kam Contributing Member

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    exposed pipes.
     
  11. DonnyMost

    DonnyMost not wrong
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    [​IMG]
     
  12. jo mama

    jo mama Contributing Member

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    i woke up this morning to no water coming out of the hot water faucet - i get cold water out of the cold, but absolutely nothing out of the hot.

    perhaps the line to the water heater froze up?

    do i just wait for it to thaw?

    i turned up the heat on the water heater and heard it start going, but it went off quickly, so i turned it up more and got nothing. figured the pilot light went out so i tried to restart (its one of those automatic igniters) and im getting nothing. is there just no water in the heater so the pilot light refuses to come on?
     
  13. BetterThanEver

    BetterThanEver Contributing Member

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    If your pilot light is out, turn the gas off and let the gas dissipate from the area. Please don't try to relight it without letting the area clear.
     
  14. rocketsjudoka

    rocketsjudoka Contributing Member
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    Where is your water heater located? When I was a kid our water heater was located in an unattached garage to our house and we had PVC piping running from the garage to the house. One night around Christmas the temp dropped to the low 20's in Houston and those pipes burst. We still had cold water since the cold main line to the house was fine. I don't know if this is still common practice in Houston to locate the hot water heater away from the house where it could be exposed to colder temps but if your water heater is like that I would definately try to check the pipes to see if they are burst or leaking.
     
  15. LosPollosHermanos

    LosPollosHermanos Houston only fan
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    too late for me, my neight woke me up and there was a waterfall outside
     
  16. jo mama

    jo mama Contributing Member

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    its in what is now an addition/laundry room, but used to be the garage. its a well ventilated closet in the corner, meaning it has two walls exposed to outside.

    the hot water came back on - i guess there was some ice blocking it up - i dont seem to have any leaks. but due to my screwing w/ the water heater in the first place, i knocked out the pilot light and i still cant get it back on. so now the hot water faucet runs, but the hot water is gone.

    and my outdoor faucet is extremely leaky now - im doing online research right now to learn to fix it - home ownership rules!
     
  17. Mrs. Valdez

    Mrs. Valdez Member

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    Half an hour before this morning's baking class I found out my pipes were frozen! I quite forgot to let the water drip. We held class anyway with a few large pots of hot water brought in from the house to wash dishes with. Then when students were leaving they came in to mention there was water pouring out of a pipe under the house (right when my neighbor called to say the same.)

    The good news is that after we get that fixed this afternoon we have an opportunity to do things right before tonights hard freeze :)
     
  18. AMS

    AMS Contributing Member

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    same here... Sprinkler system burst at our place :(
     
  19. marks0223

    marks0223 2017 and 2022 World Series Champions
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    Saw water shooting up from a neighbors backyard an hour ago. I went and knocked on his door, he was unaware. It was the sprinker system.
     
  20. Hammer755

    Hammer755 Contributing Member

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    I got up at around 4 this morning and started a load of laundry to keep the water running. At about 8, I tried the faucet and got only intermittent water pressure. I feared the worst but everything was running fine again within about 30 minutes. The only thing I had to wait longer on was my kitchen sink, which has separate cold and hot lines. I guess it took the cold line a little longer to melt than the hot line - forgot to open the cabinet doors like I intended.
     

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