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Am I ready for winter, attic pipes/tank?

  • 24-09-2011 08:21AM
    #1
    Neilw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,838 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Just curious as to how safe I would be from frozen pipes if we get a bad winter.

    Attic is insulated with 300mm of insulation, insulated attic door also.
    Water tank has a jacket on it, and insulated cover on the lid, there is no insulation below the tank and then the tank is wrapped in rockwool down to attic floor level so no heat can escape from the uninsulated area below the tank. The top of the tank also has 150mm of rockwool on top.
    Any pipes above insulation level are covered in green foam insulation.

    How does this sound?

    Thanks :)


Comments

  • #2
    heinbloed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,632 ✭✭✭heinbloed


    How does this sound?

    It reads good.

    Now drain the system to a level below ceiling, heat the house and there will be no chance of frozen pipes (smiley).


  • #3
    Neilw
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,838 ✭✭✭Neilw


    heinbloed wrote: »
    It reads good.

    Now drain the system to a level below ceiling, heat the house and there will be no chance of frozen pipes (smiley).

    I hoped to not have to drain the system :(


  • #4
    heinbloed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,632 ✭✭✭heinbloed


    As long as water is exposed to freezing temperatures it can freeze. The thermal insulation wrapped around pipes and containers reduces the thermal loss but can't stop it. So sooner or later the temperature of the exposed water will drop to zero and it will freeze.

    To avoid this happening good plumbing systems don't pass through unheated rooms, rooms at risk where the room temperature can drop down to 0 degrees Celsius.

    As a safety meassure for the existing system there are various methods, all depending on the presence of thermal energy: forced circulation, electric resistance heating cables etc...

    A third method would be to ad an anti-freezing agent to the water system. But get this done by a fully insured professional, many materials used in standard systems are attacked by glycol, for example sealing rings. Risk of leaks, exactly what should have been avoided.

    If overhauling the system get a pressurised system installed, it needs no tanks or pipes in the attick.


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