Water Pipes Freezing In Attic

But exposed plumbing in areas such as crawl spaces attics and garages may be at risk.

Water pipes freezing in attic. Field tests of residential water systems showed that for uninsulated pipes installed in an unheated attic freezing began when the outside temperature fell to 20 f or below. As discussed as to at what temperature do pipes freeze we know that water freezes at 32 degrees fahrenheit and therefore pipes that are installed outdoors have a much bigger chance of freezing as soon as it passes the 32 degrees fahrenheit mark. There are number of steps you can can take when learning how to keep pipes from freezing in the first place. Insulation will help maintain water temperature levels in the pipes.

In many areas of the country where homes are built on a slab foundation water supply lines are routinely routed through the attic space. Otherwise a cold water line run a long distance through a hot attic can take several. You can also wrap pipes in heat tape or heat cables with a thermostat control. Because most attics are unconditioned a hard freeze that plunges attic temperatures into the mid 20s for any length of time can cause a burst pipe.

Water inside the pipes can still freeze. Insulate pipes located in the attic and crawl space using pipe insulation even if the climate where you live does not often have hard freeze conditions. Because water always flows downward freezing attic pipes that rupture are especially damaging to the living spaces below. It can potentially flood every floor of your home within a few minutes.