Frozen water pipes

[Stevi3]

We have no problems in s5 bit we do have our heating on 24/7 from nov-march sonthat may have helped us. On the oter hand I have to pick my other half up at dinner yo take him home for a poo as te pipes at work have froze haha bloody men!!!

[andyrad29]

We have no problems in s5 bit we do have our heating on 24/7 from nov-march sonthat may have helped us. On the oter hand I have to pick my other half up at dinner yo take him home for a poo as te pipes at work have froze haha bloody men!!!

 

ok.... a little too much info there

[mrflobby]

Interesting, I'm looking for the same stuff for about 2m of pipe in a lean-to.

Any idea where these kits can be located? Local plumbing centre has no idea what I'm talking about. Self regulating cable/tape is what I need.

[*Wallace*]

Just tried kitchen tap and we have water again amazing how much you take basics for granted.

[freaklikeme]

Us and next door have had no water for 2 days now, the house joined on to us has water but her neighbour doesn't.

 

Just don't know what to do

[corgigasman]

If you fit it in conjunction with a frost stat then it will only come on when there is a risk of freezing, therefore you won't waste as much electricity and you don't have to remember to switch it on when we get a sudden cold spell. Some actually self-regulate ie apply heat as temperature drops, obviously a bit more costly

Edited December 22, 2010 by corgigasman

[iansheff]

I remember fitting it on a water pipe that fed a portakabin that was being used as a dialysis room so that the person who needed to dialyse would not have frozen pipes, this was at least 20 years ago. As someone said it was worked by a frost stat to bring it on, we had to dig down and put the wire on as low as possible. I was going to get some and put it on my condenser overflow pipe, am fed up of it freezing up.

[sufc1968]

I'll start with the basics. Trace heating is an electrical way of generating heat to keep pipes, tanks etc warm. It's not very efficient but easier to install than any of the other options. The simplest kits are pre wired to a plug/transformer and simply connect in and run constantly. To install these it's simply a case of wrapping the tape around the pipe, covering it with a silver tape and then insulating the pipe and tape together. Without the insulation it does not work. There is basically a wire connected to the electricity which by drawing current generates heat.

 

Is your pipe insulated at the moment? Where does it run?

 

My water pipe and stoptap runs up on the outside of my house from ground level and enters the kitchen i've not measured the pipe as yet as it boxed in, but at a rough guess I would say it's just over 1m in length, (I understand that i will have to dismantle the boxin to be able to measure accurately,)

the first time it froze up three weeks ago I had to dismantle a part of the boxin to see if it was insulated the pipe is protected with loft insulation and grey lagging around the pipe. Where the pipe enters into the kitchen Ive got access to a power supply.

[gnvqsos]

Nah...they just stay mucky for the winter and boil up snow when they need a cuppa

 

They probably lag pipes and may plumb in steel-much harder than copper but more able to cope with expansion.

[Akposodje]

We have had nothing for 2 days now. Tried heating pipes under floor of kitchen that go to main stop tap but to no avail so blockage must be under cover outside (the driveway).

 

Any ideas you plumbers out there other than wait for the thaw ??