Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [freezing]

132 questions
19
votes
2 answers

Can my municipal water line siphon from my house water lines?

Our local water tower is empty during this winter storm. I heard my water heater "running" even though there were no faucets on in the house - I immediately thought I had a burst pipe. After finding no leaks, I turned on a faucet, and there was…
Aww_Geez
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14
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6 answers

Best way to keep a PEX run in an attic (above a foyer) from freezing?

I plan on running PEX pipes both hot and cold across 16 feet of unheated attic space above a foyer. The foyer is 16' long and is off the kitchen, it isn't heated directly but is part of the house; it is usually colder than the rest of the house,…
Jeremy
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13
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7 answers

Outdoor burst pipe best practice for the winter

We had an outdoor tap (faucet) fitted in the summer last year here in Edinburgh UK. The temperature here often dips to just below freezing over the winter. Outside, at least. The plumber suggested we should turn off the water under the kitchen sink…
paul_h
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13
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6 answers

Wiring a reliable temperature switched outlet

I have an electrical wiring question. Background: I'm building my house by contracting out the daunting parts. Through a lack of good communication with the plumber, my plumber ran most of my PEX pipes through the crawlspace under my house instead…
Patrick
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10
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8 answers

What are the consequences of allowing paint to freeze?

Insulating and heating my garage sounds like a pain. What are the consequences of simply allowing water-based latex paint to freeze in the winter? Is it ruined forever or does it just need tons of extra mixing in the spring?
ArgentoSapiens
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9
votes
3 answers

How does low freon cause the compressor suction line to freeze up

There are many questions about air conditioner issues with the most common being that it isn't cooling properly. Among the typical answers are low Freon and the standard diagnosis for low Freon is ice on the large copper pipe at the outside…
John Dyer
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9
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5 answers

How can I prevent an outside lock from freezing?

I store a bunch of the "outside stuff" in the shed for the winter. Mainly things that I only use when the weather is warmer. It pretty much remains locked up for the winter. Occasionally though, I have to run out there to get something in mid…
mohlsen
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9
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7 answers

Is there a way to thaw a frozen pipe, if you can't access the pipe?

Big freeze, new house. Just found out the add-on bathroom was plumbed by amateurs, and the cold water supply froze. I don't have access to the frozen section of pipe (without major demo), so I can't heat the pipe directly. If I open the hot and…
Tester101
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9
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7 answers

Do I need to do anything to protect my pool during a rare freeze?

I have an small inground pool in the backyard. I live in central Florida, so it doesn't get too cold around here very often. However, tonight there is supposed to be a hard freeze (24°F for 4-7 hours) and I'm a little worried about the pool. If I do…
Mag Roader
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7
votes
6 answers

Freeze prevention in garage

My garage is below a heated room, and there are heating pipes running through the garage to heat that room. In the recent incredibly cold spell in New England, one of those pipes froze and burst. I have lived in this house for 30 years, and this is…
rogerl
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6
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2 answers

How do I seal a large gap between slabs to avoid freeze/thaw heaving?

I have a very large slab patio on the back of my home in Southern MN that has pulled away from the house about 6-8" due to freeze/thaw heaving. The previous owners have filled the gap with river rocks, which gives it an "ok" appearance, but it…
cabbey
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6
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1 answer

I think I have a section of frozen PEX inside an exterior wall. What should I do?

The sink in our main floor bathroom, which has an exterior facing wall, seems to have a frozen hot water pipe. The cold water flows freely and toilet is fine, but hot water seems to be frozen, which I guess isn't a shock given it's supposed to be a…
Eric
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6
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8 answers

What are the possible ways to prevent heating pipes in an entryway from freezing?

I live in Maine, and it can get cold in the winter. My house has baseboard hot water heating and three heating zones (basement, first floor, and second floor). We have a mudroom/entry room that I believe was added to the house after it was…
susie derkins
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6
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11 answers

How can I prevent my HVAC condensate drain line from freezing?

Last night, my heat (forced air) suddenly stopped. Today, a plumber figured out that my heater is 90% efficient, produces lots of condensate, and the drain line had frozen. We went outside and saw the drain line was about 2 feet long of 2" PVC,…
S. Robert James
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6
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3 answers

Does a water-filled trench protect against freezing?

This is a strange question, but I have a trench with a water line (HDPE poly pipe) in it from my new well to my house that I haven't yet buried. There's a cold snap coming where we'll see temps drop to around 10F for 4 nights or so. The trench is…
atanamir
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