Frozen Water Pipes In Attic

Pex won t ruin if frozen.

Frozen water pipes in attic.

Often inexpensive foam pipe insulation is enough for moderately cold climates. Inspect carefully to see if you notice any line. Turn on the faucet. When running pipe from a slab to an attic use cross linked polyethylene tubing or pex instead of copper.

Surprisingly both hot and cold pipes can be at risk. Field tests of residential water systems showed that for uninsulated pipes installed in an unheated attic freezing began when the outside temperature fell to 20 f or below. Don t thaw pipes using a propane torch which presents a fire risk. The cost will run about 50 70 per foot.

It s smart to insulate water supply piping exposed to freezing temp. It s the thawing pipes that leak and spew water after a hard freeze use a space heater heat lamp or hair dryer to thaw the frozen length of pipe. Look to spend about 75 to 150 to insulate pipe in the attic of a 2 bath home. But plumbing pipes in an unheated area such as an attic crawl space and garage are at risk of freezing.

Another idea is box the pipes in and run a heating duct to them. There are no manufacturer guarantees it won t fail. Hi just an idea run the hot and cold water pipes in the attic next to each other touching if possible then wrap them in insulation together now go to the sink in the new bath room and install a recerculation pump and make sure it is on when the weather is cold. Exposed interior plumbing exposed pipes in the basement are rarely in danger of freezing because they are in a heated portion of the home.

Wrapping freezing pipes with thermostatically controlled heat tape from 50 to 200 depending on length is also an effective way to quickly thaw a trouble spot. Moving plumbing pipes from a slab to an attic use pex pipe. If you find any broken pipes turn off the main water supply to the house. Placing water pipes in outside walls greatly increases the risk of frozen and burst pipes in cold.

Don t forget your labor.