So how do you guys prevent this since my heat has not turned on in over two weeks. On the way home today 5:30pm the wife called to tell me she turned the heat on and nothing. House was 60 degrees upstairs 64 down stairs. Came home to find one of the pipes that feeds my base board heater frozen. The pipe is ran through the second floor sofit which over hangs the down stairs by two feet. Had to remove sofit, insulation and pipe wrap. heated pipe with mapp gas and reassembled house. just got in three hours later. thanks for any advise
frozen pipes how to prevent
- Thread starter tonymm
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North of 60
Minister of Fire
1) Dowfrost HD 53% propylene glycol anti-freeze swapped into your system.
2) Disable your burner, but place a heating call so your pump runs continuous with the zone valves open in the areas you are concerned about.
2) Disable your burner, but place a heating call so your pump runs continuous with the zone valves open in the areas you are concerned about.
stejus
Minister of Fire
Another way to prevent this is to cycle the heat every so often. When temps are near zero, it doesn't take long for pipes to freeze, especially exterior walls, basements, overhangs, atticks. My oil burner sits idle most of the winter (for heat) except when it gets this cold. I cycle every 2 hours for 5 minutes. It's not even 5 minutes because the call for heat starts at the thermostat, 2 minutes later the burner fires up and the water cycles through the zone. With water temps in the pipes at 180 degrees, it's good for another two hours. I burn .75 gallons per hour, so for a 3 to 5 minute cycle, it's about 0.21 cents for the cycle. Cheap insurance for the few times a year I need to do this.
Echo the advice of N of 60..
Run propylene glycol at a 60/40 to water mixture in your boiler. You don't have to cycle anything, and the damn thing can stay off all winter if need be without concern of any freezing or bursting piping.
I and virtually every soul in Alaska with a hydronic heating system do this, and sounds like the neighbors in the NWT's do as well.
Run propylene glycol at a 60/40 to water mixture in your boiler. You don't have to cycle anything, and the damn thing can stay off all winter if need be without concern of any freezing or bursting piping.
I and virtually every soul in Alaska with a hydronic heating system do this, and sounds like the neighbors in the NWT's do as well.
SteveT
Feeling the Heat
Many people on this forum, including me, use a product called the Thermguard to cycle to furnace periodically. I am very pleased with the product. Search for threads using that keyword and you'll find plenty of information.
RedGuy
Member
North of 60
Minister of Fire
The Dowfrost HD product that comes pre-mixed at 53% with rust inhibitors runs about $850 for a 40gal drum. It can also be purchased in 5 gal pails. Do a google and you may find a local distributor. They recommend a 50/50 mix so it comes as 53% as its near impossible to drain your existing system 100% at all low points. Do not forget your expansion tank and Boiler. Sometimes the obvious ones get forgotten in the drain and fill haste. These usually are the two main fluid holders in a little residential system. Other than in slab.
Cheers and good luck.
Cheers and good luck.
This is what I use, Prestone LowTox.
http://www.hectorshardware.biz/shop/product.asp?dept_id=19031201&sku=573477&
I have a Burnham LE steel boiler, high efficiency/low mass. It does not hold much product itself, mainly the piping. Because it is low mass, it only fires when the house calls for heat, so it does not run to keep itself warm (or the product in it, since there isn't much). Its a welded steel boiler, not traditional cast iron. I bought a case of 6 gallons of the Prestone LowTox, used less than 5 mixed 60/40. My house is a ranch.
We were -27 last Saturday, Sunday it warmed to -18, but that temp was accompanied by 60 mph winds, so you can imagine the wind sweeping heat loss on my 25 year old home. My woodstove was pumping it out. My boiler did not run at all during that weather.....and I had no frozen heat piping.
http://www.hectorshardware.biz/shop/product.asp?dept_id=19031201&sku=573477&
I have a Burnham LE steel boiler, high efficiency/low mass. It does not hold much product itself, mainly the piping. Because it is low mass, it only fires when the house calls for heat, so it does not run to keep itself warm (or the product in it, since there isn't much). Its a welded steel boiler, not traditional cast iron. I bought a case of 6 gallons of the Prestone LowTox, used less than 5 mixed 60/40. My house is a ranch.
We were -27 last Saturday, Sunday it warmed to -18, but that temp was accompanied by 60 mph winds, so you can imagine the wind sweeping heat loss on my 25 year old home. My woodstove was pumping it out. My boiler did not run at all during that weather.....and I had no frozen heat piping.
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