Freeze Protect Pipes On Pier Foundation

HunterWilliams

Is a heat trace with insulation the only way to go? Any other techniques to suggest?

mdshunk

Run the pipework on the conditioned side of the floor insulation.

HunterWilliams

That's not the problem - the problem is the building is up on piers, and at some point the plumbing has to go into the ground. That 6'-0" space between the bottom of the building and the ground is wide open to the elements (not a crawl space). I need to wrap the pipes with insulation, and something else (?) to protect the insulation, and probably put a heat trace on for the winter.
I am looking for suggestions on methods and products for this type of situation. I don't usually encounter houses on piers.

Ron The Plumber

Build a chase and insulate to the hell out it. Oh yea use Pex pipe not copper.

bcox

Use a heat tape. It is a cable that has a plug on one end that you plug into a 120v receptacle. When plugged in it gets warm. Attach the heat tape using electrical tape every foot or so along the entire pipe, from the point where it comes out of the ground to where it goes into the house. Wrap the entire pipe with foam pipe insulation and you should be good. Don't forget to plug it in.

mrmike

For the Main Water line coming from the ground and your water source to the Pier, I would suggest "Inside the pipe Heat Tape" It is a fairly simple install. I googled it & there is one called Winterguard.
For the Rest I would use Self regulating heat tape on rigid Copper line, taped on, using fiberglass tape & insulated it well, especially at any elbows. Also it would be very helpful to have it in a well insulated Chase.
Around here, we have to take every pre-caution as our winters are cold. For a place on a pier, I would even want a small panel inside, with "power on" lights for the Heat tapes................Mike

jayson22

I would go with the heat tape myself.

Just my .02 cents..

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22rifle

A high quality heat trace with good insulation that is protected from the elements, etc. is a good choice.

Miller257

I would but some heat tape, hard wire it in so no one unplugs or shuts it off, get a 24' length and run it up and down. Then I would build a chase around it and insulate the hell out of it. Put a shutoff valve right where the pipe comes out of the ground and use pex.


That's what I would do if it were mine, plan for the worst, heat tape fails or power goes out you might have yourself a nightmare.

mrmike

A couple of you have stated you would use pex. I like to use it too but what are the advantages in this set-up, where freeze-up is possible. How do you thaw it out in the freezing cold compared to thawing copper where you can put a torch on it or a welder etc. ??

Miller257

Most of the time pex will not burst, although I have had an instance once where it did (I actually think water froze on the outside of the pex crushing it, who knows). That's the advantage, it will still freeze, but it wont burst. to thaw it just use something with less heat, like a hair dryer, might take longer but you wont have the burst pipe.

protechplumbing

If it is a mild climate you could run pex for the water lines and install a freeze valve on the end of the line. That would be ok for the southern USA. I would do it north of Georgia.

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mrmike

I had an experience this winter where a pex froze & busted. It was hooked on to a copper pipe just inches away. There were similar ones here too in another post. The water froze inside the pex line & expanded & burst with the typical horizontal split. Why I don't know, maybe because copper did'nt allow the start of the expansion as the pex because it was more rigid. It's Matter of opinion but I would prefer copper in this situation.
Out in the freezing cold a hair dryer will take a very long time & if it is in the open air might not do it at all. I used to have to make splices on cables in the winter in the open air & sometimes it was so cold I couldn't heat them enough to shrink them on with a blow torch! Then, I had to build a tent around it.

BusyOne

A FreezFlo valve installed on the main line. We use them on raised beach houses. The inventor, an engineer, lives just outside of VA Beach and has installed many there as well as in Myrtle Beach, SC.

If you are interested in hearing more about it, I could get his number for you.

BusyOne

To the person who asked about these, I lost your email. The company is CVC Corporation.

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