frozen/burst pipes

[Fred]

Hi,

The little old lady who lives next door asked for help as water was leaking through her ceiling. The pipe to her header tank had frozen.

I realise prevention is better than cure, and a lack of pipe lagging was partly to blame but in this weather I think a lot of people have had bursts.

This made me wonder, is one pipe type better than any other in resisting/delaying bursts? Would a plastic pipe have a little more elasticity than copper? I realise it would only delay the inevitable but would PEX or polybutylene be better or MDPE or something else?

TIA

[Tim Watts]

I have had JG speedfit freeze outside with no problems - but be aware, it can push the joints open.

But I've also had copper freeze without issue - in fact the only burst pipe I remember was a lead one which did split very easily.

Trace/heating tape under insulation would be the strongest method.

[Clive George]

I had amusement fitting a tee to a 15mm pipe which had got ice in it at one point and was thus a bit bigger than 15mm.

Eventually solved by taking a yorkshire fitting and shoving a socket from a spanner set down it using a vice to stretch it enough to go over the pipe - I was lucky enough to find one in my collection which was the appropriate size.

[cynic]

Don't let it freeze in the first place would be ideal but "most" of the pliable plastic pipes will stand freezing without damage due to their elasticity, as long as the joints hold. (No guarantees in really extreme conditions) Think about self limiting trace heating tape under the lagging if you expect conditions to recur.