freezing pipes

drewhart

i live in cleveland, ohio. i have cpvc supply lines. i am rehabbing this house and i dont want to turn the boiler on. if you use the water everyday will the pipes freeze? the hot water tank will be one too if that helps.

TazinCR

Over night at 28-32 probably not a problem.Water can freeze in hours. Either put heat tapes on the lines and a light on the tank or leave the water running a small stream will likely keep it from freezing.

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drewhart

the pilot light on the tank? it will be on and running.

TazinCR

Hot water will be fine

__________________
I may go home hungry, but not tired and hungry.

joed

Hot water tank will be fine. Both hot and cold line could freeze if the temp goes low enough. Leaving the faucets dripping(both hot and cold) should keep enough water flowing in the pipes to prevent freezing.

Marvin Gardens

Cold air settles and will find it's way to the lowest point. In an open structure it will go to the basement where the pipes are. Then when it heats during the day the cold is protected from wind that would scour out the colder air. This means that the cold air will stay in the basement and absorb even more heat. The bottom line is that over time the pipes will freeze if the cold air is below freezing for days at a time. Even running water will freeze (as in freezing creeks and rivers).

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JDC

The waterlines, both hot and cold, will freeze esp in Cleveland. They freeze here in Cincinnati and your weather is colder than ours. The water in the water heater will be fine if you have it on, but not the water in the hot waterlines unless you have them on a recirc pump. Even then I'd worry.

4just1don

put a electric heater in there to be real sure,,,let it cycle on a LOW setting, keep it in the basement by the most exposed part of the pipes.

OR winterize ALL the pipes and drain water heater till spring,,even winterized blown out pipes will freeze and break,enough runs to a low spot and whamo.

IF your using it all day and not in night,,the electric heater is CHEAP insurance!!

If it gets way cold the drains will freeze before the water suplies and talk about a "MESS" with a capital M(the running the water senario)