Table Rock Residents "freezing Pipes"

[Billfo]

Just a question for Table Rock residents about water pipes freezing.. I have a a vacation house on the lake.. It has a crawl space.. The main water shut off is very inconveiently located on the back end of the crawlspace (about 30" clearance). There is also a main water shut off where the main supply comes UP into the house & the shut off is in a utility closet. I shut the water off there when I am not there- and open an inside faucet to drain some water. Should I be concerned about the main supply freezing inbetween the two shut-offs ? Getting to the main shut off would be a major feat for my old fat butt. I do not know if it is even necessary to shut the main off in the Table Rock region.. I know in Nebraska it would freeze & bust !

Thank you for your experiences.

Bill

[Danoinark]

I'd be surprised if it did...but a blanket of pipe insulation would almost insure it wouldn't.

I'd make sure all of my crawl space vents were closed too.

Dano

[Billfo]

Thanks for the reply.. Per Mapquest, your about 40 miles south of me. Have you ever heard of anyones pipes freezing in their crawlspace ?

I'd be surprised if it did...but a blanket of pipe insulation would almost insure it wouldn't.

I'd make sure all of my crawl space vents were closed too.

Dano

[Danoinark]

Thanks for the reply.. Per Mapquest, your about 40 miles south of me. Have you ever heard of anyones pipes freezing in their crawlspace ?

Oh sure it happens alot but typically to exposed pipe. I would drain that main in the crawl space, leave a couple of taps in the house open. Do you leave any heat on in the house? A thermostat set to 55 or 60 would help if you keep a furnace on.

[Billfo]

My first winter... Good idea, I will leave the furnace on 55. Looks like I will probably have to crawl under there & wrap the pipe with heat tape & insulation so I dont have to go under there very often to mess with the main shut off. Open the shut off on main floor, open outside faucets.. That outta do it ! * Hope the Copperheads havent found their way in the crawlspace yet !

I still plan on coming down every 5-6 weeks for a few days so I dont want to put the house away for the winter completly. I hear the winter fishing is still pretty do-able !

* I need to get someone down next season & come up with a better shut off (maybe an access door- so I dont have to enter the crawlspace evey month !)

Oh sure it happens alot but typically to exposed pipe. I would drain that main in the crawl space, leave a couple of taps in the house open. Do you leave any heat on in the house? A thermostat set to 55 or 60 would help if you keep a furnace on.

[Danoinark]

My first winter... Good idea, I will leave the furnace on 55. Looks like I will probably have to crawl under there & wrap the pipe with heat tape & insulation so I dont have to go under there very often to mess with the main shut off. Open the shut off on main floor, open outside faucets.. That outta do it ! * Hope the Copperheads havent found their way in the crawlspace yet !

I still plan on coming down every 5-6 weeks for a few days so I dont want to put the house away for the winter completly. I hear the winter fishing is still pretty do-able !

* I need to get someone down next season & come up with a better shut off (maybe an access door- so I dont have to enter the crawlspace evey month !)

Sounds like a good plan. You should be ok.

[Wesley]

heat tape it, if it gets as cold as last year they will break, heat tape is CHEAP

[gitnby]

go to home depot or lowe's, maybe even wal-mart and buy the electric heated pipe wrap.

you run it along or around the pipe and then wrap it with some insulating tape.

plug it into a thermostat-type plug that then plugs into your 110 outlet.

when the air temp drops below 40, the plug activates and the element heats up.

I use it on my pipes in the pump house, and on a backwash pipe on the water filter, which is outside on the north side.

never freezes!

[Billfo]

Yes I will !!! I heard about it getting cold on Table Rock last winter.. I guess all it takes is 32 for a couple of days and colder at night... Yup.. Next week.. Heat Tape here I come.. Peace of mind..

heat tape it, if it gets as cold as last year they will break, heat tape is CHEAP

[glennL]

In my subdivision, we have a water shut off valve about 3' down in the ground, down by our street. It's our main. Can you shut off there?