Need help with protecting water line in knee wall - DIY Chatroom

minicus · 11-01-2008, 11:40 PM

The bathroom I have planned for our theater has the water lines placed in the knee wall of our bonus room (pics attached). The feed for the water run has one side of the wall in heated space and the other side of the wall facing our garage. I am planning on wraping temp activated heat tape on the lines in the dead space of the knee wall. I am also paning on building an insulated box around them with a vent to the finished bathroom. Is this enough to protect against freezing lines? We libe in Northern Ohio and temps dip to 0 degrees F during some winter nights. Any feedback is appreciated.

super carpenter Rob · 11-02-2008, 01:18 AM

I live in Ohio also it does get cold. Some times it better to have a vent or grill where the pipes can get heat from the room. Case in point work on a house drywalled the basement ceiling.The floor above had carpet the pipes froze in the middle of the basement,the fix was to cut a hole in the ceiling where the pipes when up and cover hole with a return air grill just another option regards Rob

**AtlanticWBConst.** · 11-02-2008, 09:22 AM

Make sure that you insulate that knee wall compartment around the plumbing lines.

Marvin Gardens · 11-02-2008, 12:59 PM

Skip the heat tape. It goes bad over time and will give you a false sense of security.

Most pipes in the situation you are in are not in danger of freezing. There is enough heat generated by the building to heat half way through the walls. Insulation just slows the transmission of heat.

If you are concerned then leave the space between the knee wall and the outside wall open for air flow. You could put in a small vent to allow air to circulate back there on either end of the run.

I put in pipes in 2x6 walls with just normal R23 insulation in climates that are -20 and 50-60mph winds for weeks at a time. Never had one freeze yet.

Except that guy who lost power for 2 weeks while he was on vacation and had no heat at all. Now he drains his system when he is gone. In this case nothing would have stopped it since he had no electricity.