How much heat to keep pipes from freezing

[Ralph Mowery]

I know there are some that are designed to work at low temperatuers. I have installed a few where I work in some small (about 6x6 feet buildings with water pipes) . There were connected to some 240 volt heaters of around

1500 watts. I don't know what the brand is or where to get them as the purchant department ordered them. I don't know how low the common portable heaters will go. Probably not near low enough to keep the power bill down. Howver one of those thermostats could be put in series with the portable heater.

I still think the heat tape and some insulation would be the way to go if possiable. You can buy strips of it with a thermostat already on it that will plug into a 120 volt outlet. Then some insulation and you do not have to heat the whole aea at a big waste of power.

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Only Mormons. The rest of us are OK.

[LSMFT]

Get a drop cord and put the bulb UNDER the pipe; heat rises.

[Metspitzer]

Good suggestions all Thanks everyone

[mbeyer]

Buy one of those little ceramic electric heaters. Walmart, hardware store, building center, etc.. They're about $30 and very safe to use. They draw lower wattage than the bigger electric heaters. Blow it toward the wall where the pipes are. (of course leave a few feet in between - read the directions to know how far to space it from walls). Heat tape is costly too, but it may be a little cheaper, but this heater wont need anything installed. Just plug it in.

[Jeff Thies]

How do you figure that? Almost all heaters draw ~1500W on high, and some portion thereof on medium and low.

Not that I'm adverse to ceramic, but they don't draw less power.

Jeff

[Caesar Romano]

On Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:40:32 -0500, Metspitzer wrote Re Re: How much heat to keep pipes from freezing:

Be aware however that it is not unusual for the thermostat on heat tape to fail and not turn on the tape heat when it is needed. I just got finished fixing two failed heat tapes down at the barn here in northwest Alabama.

It's looking like the 2010-2011 winter will be the coldest we have had in 30 years. We just got 8" of snow last night. That's the second snow in the past month.