Alectrician
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I was born and raised in the desert. This is winter in Phoenix.
I have a cabin in the mountains that gets about a foot of snow, a couple times a year.
I generally use the cabin to escape the brutal Phoenix summers but I do like to play in the snow when it happens.
I know nothing about cold winters except that when water freezes, it expands and breaks pipe.
The facts are:
Low temp will typically be about 20 defrees F. High will be 40 if sunny, 30 if snowing.
My heat source is 4 electric wall mounted units with built in thermostats. (high to low) and I don't want to leave them running all thru the winter
I winterized my cabin by shutting off the water at the meter and letting the pipes drain.
I vacuumed all the water from the toilet and put some antifreeze stuff in the bowl (not automotive antifreeze ) I was worried about the dishwasher and washing machine valves/hoses so I disconnected them and tried to get all the water out. I put the antifreeze in all the traps too.
The problem is, when I want to go up for a day or two in the winter, I have to go thru a big ordeal to turn the water back on/off.
The question is, do I really have to go thru this much effort?
1. Will the interior of the insulated, 2x4 framed cabin get cold enough to freeze the wahing machine hoses/interior valves? The floor joists are not insulated.
2. How about the dishwasher which is on an exterior wall?
3. Toilet?
4. Traps, specifically tub/shower trap?
5. I have about 12' of exposed copper supplying the water under the cabin. Will the black foam insulation wrap really protect it from freezing?
6. If I completely surround my water heater (located outside, on the deck, next to the BBQ in the pic) with a couple/few inches of polystyrene insulation, will it be protected?
I suppose that the only way to tell is by spending more time there in the winter and measure the inside temps........but that aint likely.
Any advice from snow dwelling plumbers will be appreciated.
Thawing Frozen Pipes
I have a cabin in the mountains that gets about a foot of snow, a couple times a year.
I generally use the cabin to escape the brutal Phoenix summers but I do like to play in the snow when it happens.
I know nothing about cold winters except that when water freezes, it expands and breaks pipe.
The facts are:
Low temp will typically be about 20 defrees F. High will be 40 if sunny, 30 if snowing.
My heat source is 4 electric wall mounted units with built in thermostats. (high to low) and I don't want to leave them running all thru the winter
I winterized my cabin by shutting off the water at the meter and letting the pipes drain.
I vacuumed all the water from the toilet and put some antifreeze stuff in the bowl (not automotive antifreeze ) I was worried about the dishwasher and washing machine valves/hoses so I disconnected them and tried to get all the water out. I put the antifreeze in all the traps too.
The problem is, when I want to go up for a day or two in the winter, I have to go thru a big ordeal to turn the water back on/off.
The question is, do I really have to go thru this much effort?
1. Will the interior of the insulated, 2x4 framed cabin get cold enough to freeze the wahing machine hoses/interior valves? The floor joists are not insulated.
2. How about the dishwasher which is on an exterior wall?
3. Toilet?
4. Traps, specifically tub/shower trap?
5. I have about 12' of exposed copper supplying the water under the cabin. Will the black foam insulation wrap really protect it from freezing?
6. If I completely surround my water heater (located outside, on the deck, next to the BBQ in the pic) with a couple/few inches of polystyrene insulation, will it be protected?
I suppose that the only way to tell is by spending more time there in the winter and measure the inside temps........but that aint likely.
Any advice from snow dwelling plumbers will be appreciated.
Thawing Frozen Pipes
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