Keeping pipes from freezing (houses, crawl space, cabinet)

[norcalmom101]

Ok, I hope I don't sound stupid, but this is going to be our first winter in Idaho and given it should start snowing this weekend, I'm getting very worried about pipes freezing.

The house is huge and very very drafty (will be even after I cover up the broken and/or ill fitting windows), and will be next to impossible to really heat. We have a forced air furnace, will need to close off some vents and the rooms they are in, as well as cover up any entrances to those rooms (upper level) and we also have a main level gas fireplace.

Staying comfortable is one thing, but my main concern is keeping the pipes from freezing. What are the minimum things I need to do to keep this from happening?

[Ultrarunner]

Never had a pipe freeze in 40 years... should say burst from cold.

Every fall I block all my foundation vents and make sure even rooms that are being used never drop below 40 degrees. Even a small amount of steady cold air is enough to cause problems.

If you have a bathroom or laundry that you are not using at all, you can winterize by adding RV type antifreeze to the drains, toilet bowl and toilet tank.

For a trouble area, electric heat cable is available, although it does require electricity to operate.

Don't forget to check with neighbors having similar homes for ideas.

[Sage of Sagle]

You're not going to have pipes freeze up until it gets much colder. We don't generally have pipes start freezing until it gets down under 10 degrees. So an October storm won't generally make pipes freeze up. Here in NID where we have free well water, we may leave 75% hot water at a trickle. The problem isn't normally the drains...it's the incoming water pipes under pressure. So anything you can do to move water through that pipe is good.

Wrapping pipes helps too, because any time you can limit airflow around the pipe wall, the better you area. So even if you use some insulated wrap under the house it's good.

I'm assuming you're heating enough of the house to keep it in the 50's at least inside. The issue isn't the inside of your living spaces. It's your exterior walls, and any "full" water pipes under your crawl space. Best thing you can do for pipes under crawl space (assuming you're not on slab) is to use spray foam to get 1-2" of thermal barrier around the pipes. In your exterior walls, most good builders won't put pipes there, but it does happen.

[cleosmom]

On the extreme cold nights, -10 or more, I not only leave a trickle of water running (cold water not hot or you'll have a very cold shower the next morning), but I also open the cabinet doors where the sinks are to allow the heat in there to the pipes.

[eastidahomom]

We usually wait until it's a good -10 too. The ones with the most problems seem to be modular units and homes that are more free standing (no other houses else around to block wind). Then I run a little cold water in a couple of bathrooms. If the water is flowing, it usually helps prevent freezing. Wrapping pipes is a great idea too.

Oh and consider the windchill factor too. If it's 0 degrees but the windchill is -20, take precautions just to be on the safe side. Caulking those frames around the windows will help keep heat in. New windows aren't cheap but may be something to consider.

[norcalmom101]

Thanks everyone for the great input. I vaguely remember counting something like 80 windows, I'll have to take a re-count. It is going to be a very very rough winter for us. Keep the great info coming!!

[esselcue]

Yikes! Are you really expecting snow this weekend? Whoo-hoo! I will be traveling through (again) NEXT weekend and I would love to see some white dust on the ground and trees.

[norcalmom101]

Will you be driving through SE Idaho at all?

[esselcue]

Not this time...flying into Spokane and driving through CdA and north . But SOON!!!

[DESERTRYDER]

Norcalmom.

Be sure and see if the local utility might provide a free service check of your forced air heater.
Is it electric or some sort of Gas unit?
Check the filter in the heater and make sure it's clean.
Are the duct pipes accessable in the attic or crawl space? Are they properly insulated ?
Check all connections on the duct pipes and retape them with duct tape to minimize any hot air loss to non living space.
Remember cold air comes down the chimney when the fireplace is not on so check the flue pipe and see if there is a damper inside that maybe closed when not in use. If there isn't , a big chunk of cardboard in front of the fire place and some more tape will work wonders to seal out the cold. It's cheap and when you want to use the fireplace again just remove the cardboard and replace it AFTER the fire place cools off.
Buy a 48" wide or bigger roll of cheap 40 mil plastic and some blue painters tape. Cut the plastic to be a bit over sized for the entire window.
Make your own dual payne windows by installing the plastic on the inside of the windows with the blue painters tape. Cover the entire window frame and all.
It will be a miracle take my word. Fun for the family too.
35 years in the how to keep customers warm buisness for as little money as possible...