COLD

Boondox · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

We've had frozen pipes twice this month in the cottage we rent above our farmhouse. Real pain in the buns! Years ago we had a fire in the farmhouse this time of year and all the pipes in the basement ruptured in the cold. We replumbed with Wirsbo PEX. Amazing stuff! One of the half inch lines running along the basement wall froze solid when a basement window broke and let winter in. The line just swelled up twice its normal size and went back to normal when it thawed out!

Reactions to cold weather are kinda funny. I was all bundled up yesterday morning at 10 below, but by the afternoon it had warmed to 3 above and I was comfortable in a t-shirt while getting eggs from the coop.

Pete

Wingnut · Jan 22, 2003

-40 C = -40 F!!!! Brrrrrr..
buncha wussies!
Why, he says stroking his long white beard, I remember back when I lived in Inuvik, we used to go out snowmobiling at -60

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

pete .... who now thinks that the 0 F this morning was cold enough for him .... and is suffering from PMS (parked motorcycle syndrome)

RichZ · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

Howdy, Bob!

Luckily the frozen pipes are just to our washing machine. Our house is over 200 years old, and the laundry room used to be a porch, so it has no basement underneath it, and we can't get to those pipes. We called our friend who is a plumber, and he tried to blow a heater under that section of the house, but he couldn't defrost the pipe. We have forced air heat, and he extended a section of pvc pipe from a heating duct to the section of the house where the frozen pipe is, but it STILL hasn't defrosted yet!!!/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif We're hoping the pipe isn't broken, but we'll only know when and if it ever defrosts.

In the meantime, we have a hosebib under the kitchen sink, so we attach a graden hose between that and the washing machine when we do laundry, so we can at least use the machine. Our plumber said he has spent most of the past few weeks dealing with frozen pipes all over the Cambridge area. What a winter!!!/w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

RichZ · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

Pete, it is amazing what you get used to. I was working in the barn over the weekend when it was 10 below, and I had to take my coat off.

You're getting eggs??? Our chickens are barely laying!!! They hate being locked in the henhouse, and some days we don't get any eggs, at most we get 2 or three. Down from 12 or more each day!!! The chickens don't like this weather either!!!

rancar · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

"The line just swelled up twice its normal size and went back to normal when it thawed out!"

Wow....this is amazing. Where does one buy this stuff called Wirsbo PEX, Pete?

"...it had warmed to 3 above and I was comfortable in a t-shirt while getting eggs from the coop"

Sounds like good weather for budding Rambos in training.../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

....Bob

Knight9 · Jan 22, 2003

Hey Pete,

We have a contractor in here for two days who flew in yesterday from Texas....tee hee.... 70 F apparently and about -30 F here. 100 degree temp swing literally in hours...

Welcome to Edmonton I say!!!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Kevin

rancar · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

Rich...

It's a little comforting to know I'm not the only one who has this problem. Misery loves company, ehh?

My pipes freeze up in the basement under these temp extremes. Before the house renovation was completed and before I installed new basement windows (and windows I should add, for those following the Building Permit thread, that I didn't have to get permits for /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif), the only way I had to warm these pipes was with electrical taping. I never found these to be very effective, especially around joints. I've since installed two overhead electric space heaters, similar to ones you see in warehouses, that hang down from the ceilings. These are placed at opposite ends of my basement. When basement temps get down to 30 degrees or so I have to turn these on. With these running for 10-15 minutes, the pipes quickly thaw and I'm good to go. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

"We're hoping the pipe isn't broken, but we'll only know when and if it ever defrosts..."

In this case and as a precaution, you might want to install a separate shut off valve on the water line running to the washer if you don't have one already. When temps warm up and if you're away, you might come home to a flooded crawl space and basement. Just speaking from experience and a small inexpensive tip that I hope others can benefit from. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Stay safe and warm....
Bob

Boondox · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

Rich -- Yeah, we're getting eggs from our Buff Orpingtons (about six a day from nine birds) but the two year old hens aren't putting out anymore. If they don't start up again in spring we'll stew them.

Pete

RichZ · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

Thanks, Bob!! We've got the valve shut off already!!! Great minds think alike!!/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Now we just have to wait for the thaw. I figure that'll happen sometime in August!!!/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Boondox · Jan 22, 2003

Re: REALLY COLD

Bob -- PEX is cross-linked polyethylene (I think) and I got it from my local heating/plumbing folks. They highly recommended the stuff for use in cold locations. It's not to be confused with that stuff used in radiant heating systems of several years ago that started failing. There was an article recently in one of the home mags (sorry, can't remember which one -- probably TOH or Fine Homebuilding since I get both of them) that gave a really good evaluation and how-to guide.

I built a pair of manifolds (one hot and one cold) with ball valves to isolate every water fixture in the house. Because of the manifold and the individual runs, we no longer have water hammers or those annoying pressure drops when in the shower and someone else flushes, starts the washer, etc. Also, because we eliminated every single elbow in the pipes, we seem to have better water pressure.

I had absolutely no plumbing experience at all, but was able to replumb our 160 year old two-story farmhouse in one long day (this does not include making the manifold with the help of a "Soldering for Dummies" book). We were even able to use the old copper pipe to pull the new PEX down the inner walls from the upstairs bathroom to the basement!

Let me know if you want some pictures of the stuff.

Pete