Quote:
Originally Posted by tw
If a plumber knew his job, then a building can be heated to only 40 degrees (5 degrees C) and no pipes freeze. Problem is so many plumbers who never learned their job.
Freezing pipes are best corrected in the summer. If any water pipe is inside an exterior wall, then the plumbing is completely defective and should be changed.
Identify a defect easily. Does a pipe exit from an exterior wall to connect to a sink or toilet? Or does it come up through the floor?
Winter is a time to identify other problems. No floor in any interior room should feel cold. But even in 1970, many contractors said insultation was unnecessary in that space between floors. No amount of reasoning could change their attitude. Because they were told those spaces between joists did not need insulation on exterior surfaces. Then pipes between the floors freeze. But that is your fault; not theirs.
Freezing pipes when a building is at 40 degrees and outside temperatures are at zero (-18 C) identifies defective workmanship. Any underground pipe that freezes clearly violated a simple rule - it must be three feet (1 meter) or deeper (even underneath a garage floor).
|
Great in theory, but unrelated to the reality of old houses and different climates. For example, up here on the 43rd parallel, the frostline is 4 feet below grade. If there is a cold snap (-20 or -30 for a week) with no snow cover, as happens every six or seven years, water service entrance lines will freeze. It sucks. Another common problem is when the wind is strong, the temps are below zero and there are cracks in the foundation or gaps in the walls around windows, mouse eaten insulation or no insulation at all, the wind finds its way to a pipe and freezes it. Especially true in unheated basements. I've seen this happen in houses where the living space was at 68 degrees.
Why not stick to cars and 85% of top management instead of blaming plumbers for frozen pipes.