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Started By
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re: Better to have water dripping or turn off main and drain.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:33 am to GREENHEAD22
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:33 am to GREENHEAD22
Am I weird for always turning off my main when leaving town for multiple days?
2
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:34 am to BluegrassBelle
But that's just it, most people will just shut off the water, open the faucets and that's it. They're missing a critical step in the process.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:34 am to Oates Mustache
quote:
Dripping prevents that from happening.
Not always. Best thing to do if you're not there to monitor is to shut off the main. I know lots of people who had pipes break in Feb. 2020 who had faucets dripping. In pier-and-beam houses the aboveground drain lines can freeze too which means a dripping faucet can become a problem. I bought a few extra 4" hose bibs to keep in stock too, the little foam caps don't do much in 11F in this state.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:35 am to GetCocky11
quote:
Am I weird for always turning off my main when leaving town for multiple days?
No. We do it too. Even in summer.
Experienced one pipe leak in the house in my lifetime while out of town and that was enough.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:35 am to Oates Mustache
quote:
But that's just it, most people will just shut off the water, open the faucets and that's it. They're missing a critical step in the process.
Cool. Then go bitch at them for not knowing how to manage their pipes.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:37 am to BluegrassBelle
We’re just going to be away for one night. I was going to leave a hot/cold drip at all the facets and leave my attic door open and run the heater.
Good idea or bad idea???
Good idea or bad idea???
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:38 am to sec13rowBBseat28
Attic door open? That sounds extreme
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:39 am to Oilfieldbiology
quote:
What if your house is new (<5 years old) and all internal plumbing is Pex piping?
If you’re not going anywhere, I’d still drip to be on the safe side. I know it’s supposed to expand with a freeze but it was my understanding that after they freeze and flex so many times they can lose shape/elasticity?
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:39 am to TulaneUVA
quote:
Attic door open? That sounds extreme
Giving your house the ability to heat spaces that normally wouldn't get heat. It's actually a good idea.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:39 am to Oates Mustache
quote:
They're missing a critical step in the process.
How do you perform this critical step?
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:40 am to sec13rowBBseat28
quote:
eave my attic door open and run the heater.
can you disconnect one of the heating ducts in the attic and let it just blow away in attic?
This post was edited on 12/19/22 at 10:41 am
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:40 am to GREENHEAD22
If you do turn off the main, be sure to turn off the breakers to your water heaters.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:40 am to GREENHEAD22
The forecast in Houston is below 20 on Friday, but the high will be above 32, so you should be OK
This post was edited on 12/19/22 at 12:58 pm
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:40 am to BluegrassBelle
For people who shut off and drain the water, do you also shut off your water heater?
Seems reasonable to do this.
Seems reasonable to do this.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:41 am to GREENHEAD22
the low is only 24. You'll be fine...
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:42 am to The Third Leg
If you are ONLY worried about those freezing, then yeah. But I'd be worried about the rest of them freezing under the house as well.
At 24 degrees (which is the low for houston) you aren't going to have pipes freeze thst are dripping.
But they could definitely freeze with just water sitting in them.
If I was going to cut main and drain, I'd find a way to blow/flush them out. I wouldn't leave water to pool and freeze.
At 24 degrees (which is the low for houston) you aren't going to have pipes freeze thst are dripping.
But they could definitely freeze with just water sitting in them.
If I was going to cut main and drain, I'd find a way to blow/flush them out. I wouldn't leave water to pool and freeze.
This post was edited on 12/19/22 at 10:43 am
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:42 am to GREENHEAD22
If you have a well and water pump and you drain and shut off the water, it will freeze at the shutoff point from the water pump. I am going the drip method and keeping fingers crossed.
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:44 am to GetCocky11
quote:
Am I weird for always turning off my main when leaving town for multiple days?
Not really, I know there was a time I wish I had. I had spent the weekend with my then girlfriend, now wife, and when I got home Monday morning I opened my front door and water came running out at my feet.
For some reason the water line to the icemaker was run through the attic and had burst and my kitchen ceiling was on the floor and the whole damn house was flooded.
That was a bad day
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:45 am to chryso
quote:
How do you perform this critical step?
We never used the propylene glycol though. And only did so if we were going to be gone for a long period (like a week or better).
This Old House Step by Step
Posted on 12/19/22 at 10:46 am to FredBear
quote:
Not really, I know there was a time I wish I had. I had spent the weekend with my then girlfriend, now wife, and when I got home Monday morning I opened my front door and water came running out at my feet.
For some reason the water line to the icemaker was run through the attic and had burst and my kitchen ceiling was on the floor and the whole damn house was flooded.
That was a bad day
This is why I reference my "worst scenario" post
A couple of busted pipes should be able to be fixed in a day. Having my ceiling on my floor and flooring ruined is about 10 different levels of suck beyond 1 day
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