The "let the water run" trick only works in marginal circumstances, usually when it's unusually cold outside at night. In this case (the one under discussion), insulation is the solution. If the problem is a constant sub-freezing situation, like an exterior pipe, insulation won't do it, of course. Heat has to come from somewhere. Heat tape is the solution, there.
How do you know that "in this case (the one under discussion)" insulation is the solution?
The only thing the OP has told us is that he likes to leave a faucet dripping in freezing weather. He has yet to come back and tell us why, other than to say to "reduce the chance of freezing". I'd still like to know why he thinks there is a chance of freezing in the first place.
Some folks have assumed a pipe on an outside wall and situations like that, but only the OP "Bob" can tell us what is actually going on.
If dripping water will do anything, it's a minor issue and a little insulation will solve the problem.
He "likes to" keep the pipe from freezing. Insulating the pipe will cure that problem. It really is easy enough for even you to figure it out, if you try really hard.
If it were on an interior wall, there wouldn't be much need, now would there?
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There would be a need if there was no heat in the building, now wouldn't there? Once again, only the OP "Bob" can tell us what is actually going on.
One possibility: A cottage or shop building that gets occasional use and occasional heat. Visitor uses building and uses heat. Before he leave he turns off the heat and the faucet. Result: frozen pipe, even on an interior wall.
Can you tell, with certainty, from what "Bob" wrote that that situation doesn't exist?
We can make all sorts of assumptions but we can't know for sure unless "Bob" comes back and tells us.
Idiot. If there were no heat at all, a drip of water wouldn't help.
A drip of water isn't going to help.
If a drip of water helps, yes.
Why do you insist that "Bob" is a liar and idiot, when you're the only one here demonstrating that he is all of the above?
Your kind of advice can be dangerous when implemented by someone without a clue.
If the water is wet SOMEWHERE/ANYWHERE. And you can get it to the drip before it freezes. The drip can work. It's just thermodynamics. Your blanket statements with the obligatory "idiot" are not educational.
Of course, the problem is internet wide. People who need help don't have the knowledge or experience to know if they're getting sound advice...or they wouldn't be here asking.
Don't waste your typing on him. He's just not worth the trouble.
Then you'd better not listen to me.
Wrong. If the entire building is freezing, it's going to take a LOT more than a drip to keep a pipe from freezing.
I'll bet you don't even own a mirror. What an amazing putz.
Of course dripping water can help but not if there is no heat. It only works if there is a small cold spot. The water has to move fast enough through the pipe to clear the cold area before it gives up enough heat to freeze.
Two hours West? Are you calling Dufas a drip?
No. Phenix City, across the river.
Ah, Phenix City is only an hour and South of here. ...at the speed limit, even.
My original point is that there can only be a small section of the pipe below freezing for it to work, but yes, it does work.
Interesting how you tell me it won't work, then say that it can using almost exactly the same words. Glad to see you're coming around.
It's interesting that you're that illiterate. I said that the solution was to insulate the pipe. I never said it wouldn't work. You must be a Democrat.
And that was the problem. Insulating the pipe in an environment below freezing without enough heat flow from somewhere, possibly flowing water, does not prevent the pipe from freezing, eventually, no matter how much insulation you put on it. Thermodynamics is your friend.
You have a long history of shooting from the hip without thinking it through, then denigrating anyone who challenges you. Consider yourself challenged...pun intended.
this is the best advice that krwless will ever be capable of giving
notice how the limbaughnista always lies
I see krw has made some new friends.....
There is a lot here we don't know. For one thing, depending on the circumstances, it's not clear that just a slow drip is going to keep a pipe from freezing. When I've done this I always left a small steady stream flowing. And then you also have the problem that with some faucets, you can set the flow and then after a few minutes, the flow greatly reduces. How much water you need to flow depends on the incoming water temp, pipe size, how exposed, etc. Sometimes I've left the cabinet under the kitchen sink open to help let more warm air in there, like when turning the heat in the house down when going away for a week.
" snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net" wrote: .
re: "There is a lot here we don't know."
Be careful with what you say in this thread. krw is listening intently.
When I suggested that "Bob" (remember "Bob", the OP that know one has heard from since the 25th?) is the only one who can supply the details required to actually know what the problem is, a couple of interesting things happened.
1 - I joined krw's esteemed list of Internet Idiots. 2 - krw wanted to know why I insisted that "Bob" was an idiot and a liar.Since I couldn't find a single instance where I referred to "Bob" as anything other than "the OP" I figured krw had had a bit too much Thanksgiving cheer and was having trouble reading. Any that point I figured that responding would only enrage him more, so I just ignored him.
By implying that there is something that "Bob" hasn't told us, you might just piss off krw. Once you do, he'll be forced to start each line of his response with his trademarked "Idiot". He uses that word so often I wonder if he's created a shortcut key (Alt-i, perhaps) so he doesn't have to type it in every time.
I did see a pipe freeze, one time, in a farm house. I was watching house for Farmer Bob. Kitchen sink, on exterior wall. I opened up under the sink cabinet, and put a fan, and threw some more wood on the fire. Loosened up after a while, fortunately.
Sure, that's not uncommon. The problem is the moron who ran the pipes in an uninsulated (or improperly insulated) wall in the first place. Pipes should never be run in exterior walls where sub-zero temperatures are common. Care should be taken that they're properly insulated if there is even a chance of freezing weather.
In the case above, the cabinet keeps the room heat from getting to that area. Letting water drip (or small stream) will often keep the pipe from freezing because you're pulling heat from elsewhere in the structure into that space and moving the water out before it can freeze.
You, again, prove me right, Malformed. You can't even quote without lying about what people actually said. You lefties are *INCAPABLE* of doing anything other then lie.
Keep lying, Malformed. Everyone needs to know that you're a lefty so they can ignore everything you say.
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