How to keep my water pipes in the attic from freezing (big house, safe)

[Dopo]

Letting your pipes drip doesn’t always work
I did that and when the temperature got around 10F they started bursting in the attic

[oceangaia]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Letting your pipes drip doesn’t always work
I did that and when the temperature got around 10F they started bursting in the attic

If it drops under 15F, let them trickle.

[TallGreengrass]

Maybe it’s a luck or chance thing. My neighbors have a big new whole house generator and they still had a pipe bust. There was one in the attic or garage they weren’t aware of and it busted and made a mess.

[Oskar_Z28]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

As long as you can keep your house in the 60s (either with grid power or with a generator running your furnace), the pipes in your attic over your living spaces should stay warm enough to avoid freezing.

If you have attic pipes that run over unheated areas (garage, carport, porch overhang, etc), insulating these would be a great idea.

I wouldn't run a space heater in the attic - running the furnace is much safer. Even a small generator can run a natural gas furnace without breaking a sweat. During the February winter storm, our 3500w portable ran the furnaces (1-2 at a time), two fridges, lights, and electronics.

That is exactly right - as long as your house stays warm the pipes inside the house and attic should be OK if properly insulated. If you lose power like last year and attic drops below freezing, pipes will eventually freeze and will burst (if copper, PVC, or galvanized) as insulation only will delay the freezing, but not prevent it. For outside pipes keep the water moving and insulate the hell out of them (no exposed areas).

We redid both of our properties in PEX (one in 2017 and one in 2021 - right before the freeze) and neither one had problems. We actually had some pipes below one of the houses freeze (it's a 40s pier and beam house), but once thawed out, worked fine.

[mojo101]

Originally Posted by TallGreengrass

Maybe it’s a luck or chance thing. My neighbors have a big new whole house generator and they still had a pipe bust. There was one in the attic or garage they weren’t aware of and it busted and made a mess.

thats what happened to my house,I dont have a generator.
During URI,a 9 ft copper pipe which spanned across the attic above the garage (which is not heated) burst in 4 places and rained down sides of the drywalls.
I have to have all the drywalls of the garage replaced,ceiling and both sides.
The guys who came to knock down these drywalls told me my house is in better shape than others,they found termites !

[houstonlmao]

Originally Posted by Oskar_Z28

We redid both of our properties in PEX (one in 2017 and one in 2021 - right before the freeze) and neither one had problems. We actually had some pipes below one of the houses freeze (it's a 40s pier and beam house), but once thawed out, worked fine.

how much did that cost?

[houstonlmao]

If it gets that cold again, I'll shut the main valve off at the street and drain the pipes. I had one like op bust in the garage. The pipe guy put sharkbites on, and I heard those things pop off easily. blah. Too late to change anything. I've covered them with insulation and boxes. It was the lack of electricity that messed me up.

[mojo101]

Originally Posted by houstonlmao

If it gets that cold again, I'll shut the main valve off at the street and drain the pipes. I had one like op bust in the garage. The pipe guy put sharkbites on, and I heard those things pop off easily. blah. Too late to change anything. I've covered them with insulation and boxes. It was the lack of electricity that messed me up.

thats why some buy generator.

[mojo101]

if the pipe is behind the garage drywall,I have one which burst and the plumber put a shark bite around the burst and I cover the pipe with insulation,then we put up the drywall,not much else we can do,but that pipe leads to the faucet outside the house,not much water in it.

[mojo101]

I wouldn't run a space heater in the attic - running the furnace is much safer. Even a small generator can run a natural gas furnace without breaking a sweat. During the February winter storm, our 3500w portable ran the furnaces (1-2 at a time), two fridges, lights, and electronic
-----------
how do you connect the furnace to your portable generator?
both water heater and furnace and A/C are in the attic.
I think I COULD Use a 3500 Watts portable generator,what brand do you recommend?