Does running a tap help to prevent the pipes from freezing?

NewApproach

Or is this an urban myth?

Buford T Justice

There's some logic to it, as moving water generally doesn't freeze, but its not always guaranteed. Its not 'environmentally friendly' though and is one of the reasons for the Dublin Councils turning off water last week.

henryporter

Not only is it not environmentally friendly, it's about as dumb an act that you could conduct - water costs money to produce and the sooner people start get charged for it the better - it might force them to lag their pipes properly!

FloatingVoter

Running taps is a good idea for an old house that you've just moved into in an ordinary season BUT ONLY THAT. With our weather, just keep warm and don't stress the plumbing. If keeping warm involves chucking a few blankets on the bed, or cuddling up to a hot water bottle, so be it. Like most urban/rural myths there is a basis, but not applicable in all weathers and certainly not these. Hope that helps.

professore

@henry - Yes letting your water freeze in the name of the environment and then buying bottled water to flush your toilets is far better for the environment. Put the blame squarely where it belongs - cowboy builders/plumbers and inept councils - NOT again on the long suffering Joe Public. The government again did not see fit to stockpile enough salt and grit after last year's fiasco, preferring to buy it last minute at no doubt exorbitant cost and have it arrive when the thaw will most likely be underway. PATHETIC :mad:.

Our water freezes AT THE ROAD COMING INTO OUR HOUSE first - never in our house as the pipes are properly insulated there.

There is no reason for water to freeze if pipes are placed sufficiently deep underground.

This guy makes some excellent points on the topic : http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/index.html#1224286235884

For these reasons I for one would leave my tap running (at a trickle) even if I had to pay water charges. This year I did this each night. Unfortunately the pipes froze during the middle of the day it got so cold this year.

I happen to agree with water charges and conservation by the way, but if I have to choose between having no water over christmas and wasting some water I will waste some water.

Rowley Birkin QC

We have a well on the farm that we have diverted to the house because the mains water has frozen. It's being run 24/7 at the moment because the pipe carrying the water from the pump to the house is running across open ground. It was mistakenly switched off yesterday for about 10 mins and froze solid.

professore

FloatingVoter wrote: »

Running taps is a good idea for an old house that you've just moved into in an ordinary season BUT ONLY THAT. With our weather, just keep warm and don't stress the plumbing. If keeping warm involves chucking a few blankets on the bed, or cuddling up to a hot water bottle, so be it. Like most urban/rural myths there is a basis, but not applicable in all weathers and certainly not these. Hope that helps.

Do you have running water now ????? I can tell you for a fact that not having running water is a major pain in the ass. I can also tell you for a fact had I left my tap running a few days ago I would STILL have it.

Also what does keeping warm have to do with water ? These are unrelated ?

cuddling up to a hot water bottle emmmm last time I checked you need WATER for that ?

professore

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

We have a well on the farm that we have diverted to the house because the mains water has frozen. It's being run 24/7 at the moment because the pipe carrying the water from the pump to the house is running across open ground. It was mistakenly switched off yesterday for about 10 mins and froze solid.

Finally - someone living in the real world - not some green utopia where people magically don't need water. Sorry to hear about your water.

Rowley Birkin QC

professore wrote: »

Finally - someone living in the real world - not some green utopia where people magically don't need water. Sorry to hear about your water.

Ah it's not so bad, kept me busy for the last few days anyway!

It's actually flowing back down into the ground again anyway so we're not really wasting any water as such. Only real cost is that the pump for the well is running 24/7 but we had to get water running for the farm. The house was a secondary concern.

FloatingVoter

Assuming you are living in Dublin city, water at a trickle won't hurt anyone. In the country, that is up to local plumbing or lack there of- to each their own.

As for Green issues, water existed long before anyone cared about rationing. This is about not flooding your house OR running out of water for filling said hot water bottle.

If in the name of Green energy you choose to live in a cave, or in the name of rebelling against the Green agenda you feel like having a Jacuzzi while you put the dog in the bath, thats yours to live with. While you do this, don't live next door to me, pls.

Bruthal

henryporter wrote: »

Not only is it not environmentally friendly, it's about as dumb an act that you could conduct - water costs money to produce and the sooner people start get charged for it the better - it might force them to lag their pipes properly!

Any tips on how to lag the mains feed in the ground before it comes into the house?

neeb

I run the dishwasher and washing machine at night. They both have delay timers. The water would be getting used anyhow but I think it had kept my pipes unfrozen, unlike last year. We are suffering for cowboy builders/ no building control, the mains pipes are not buried deep enough.

I measured a trickle of water for half and hour, it just filled a basin. I don't think this is the reason the council is out of water.

pansyflower

Why not collect the water and use as much as you need to flush the loo?

iamfromcork

My Mother does it down in cork (not running just dripping) and she's the only one left in the village with running water, must be something to it ,always thought it was a joke myself lol

NewApproach

I should probably have added in the OP that the environment, trees or the sky are the last thing on my mind.

Thanks though!

JMSE

robbie7730 wrote: »

Any tips on how to lag the mains feed in the ground before it comes into the house?

If you are in an '80s semi-d like I am, then just scratch at your driveway with a coin to reveal your mains pipe.

I have the answer to the problem and this is it. We retrofit (if not fitted already) a stopvalve on the mains feed to the cold water storage tank in the attic. When very severe cold temps are forecast, close the valve say at the start of the day. The tank will empty through the day as you use hot and cold water in the bathroom and hot in the kitchen. When the tank has emptied, reopen the stopvalve. Observe the flow rate at the ballcock as the tank begins to refill. Using the stopvalve, minimise the flow to just a fraction of what was pouring in. Now your mains is flowing more or less constantly, and your cold storage feed is too. There mightnt be enough water in the tank for a shower or a bath at certain times but if you have an IQ above 10 you could work the stopvalve system to suit your needs.