The rule of the thumb is that it takes roughly 6-hours for water in your pipe to freeze after left in an unheated area. Meaning if you lose power at your home and the weather is reaching below freezing point, you have approximately 6-hours until the pipes will begin to freeze.
Water pipes will begin to freeze once temperatures have reached 20 degrees or below but to freeze they will of needed to exposed to those temperatures for at least a total of six consecutive hours.
How to prevent frozen pipes. Keep your heating on - Don't switch your heating off completely. Instead, set your thermostat to a low temperature so your pipes don't freeze. Insulate pipes and water tanks - Save money and stay warm and insulate your home.
We all know that freezing begins at 32° F or 0° C, but at what point do pipes freeze within our own homes? Temperatures only need to drop to about 20° F for a few hours to put exposed pipes at risk.
Pipes can freeze in as little as six to eight hours, meaning they can freeze overnight. If the outside temperature is below 32 degrees F and your pipes are unprotected, your chances for a frozen pipe increase.
Pipes can freeze at 32 degrees or below, but it will take a sustained period of time for this to happen. In other words, a pipe needs to be at freezing temperatures for at least half a day before homeowners have to worry about any freezing occurring.
As a general rule, temperatures outside must drop to at least 20 degrees or lower to cause pipes to freeze.
Anywhere from 55-62 degrees will keep your pipes from freezing while cutting your heating bill dramatically. PROCESS: While the weather outside is frightful and inside is so delightful, sooner or later you'll have to brave the blizzard and leave the house.
Keep the Heat On
The ideal temperature would be around 55 to 60 degrees. This will be warm enough to keep pipes from freezing. This might seem too much for some homeowners due to the added costs in their expenses.
Even if you aren't going to be home, you should keep your system set to between 55° and 58°. This is typically warm enough to prevent freezing. If you know you are going to have a cold snap, and pipes freezing is a major concern, you can allow cold water to drip from your faucets.
If it's very cold, set your heating to come on earlier and turn off later rather than turning the thermostat up. If you can't heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room throughout the day and your bedroom just before you go to bed. Remember to close curtains and shut doors to keep heat in the rooms you use most.
Turn Up the Thermostat
Sometimes pipes freeze because your home isn't warm enough to keep them thawed. When the temperatures outside drop, increase your thermostat a few degrees so the heat circulates around your walled-in pipes to help unfreeze them.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are: Pipes that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines.
The average home will stay warm for 8-12 hours after the power goes out. After the first 8-12 hours, most homes will experience a gradual cooling over the course of the next couple of days.
Insulate pipes on exterior walls, crawl spaces & the attic. Open cabinet doors to allow heat to circulate around un-insulated pipes under sinks & appliances. Let warm water drip overnight to keep pipes from freezing.
An indoor temperature of less than 55 degrees may lead to freezing pipes, while anything more than 80 may damage drywall. Additionally, be sure to program your thermostat to these temperatures. Do not override the thermostat manually or you may see an increase in your energy bills.
The rule of the thumb is that it takes roughly 6-hours for water in your pipe to freeze after left in an unheated area. Meaning if you lose power at your home and the weather is reaching below freezing point, you have approximately 6-hours until the pipes will begin to freeze.
As temperatures continue to drop, so does the amount of time required for pipes to freeze completely and eventually burst. Depending on various factors, the water inside pipes can start freezing in just 6 hours, though it's more common to see damage and issues after one to three days of subfreezing temperatures.
The recommended range is 50°F-60°F. The better the winterization in your home, the lower you can go, but 50°F is the lowest you should go. To be on the safe side, 55°F-60°F is wise.
You can easily save energy in the winter by setting the thermostat to around 68°F to 70°F while you're awake and setting it lower while you're asleep or away from home.
Pipes are most susceptible to freezing when the outside temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit and there is little or no wind. Under these conditions, it can take as little as two hours for pipes to freeze.
If you think a pipe is frozen, don't wait for nature to take its course: Thaw the pipe as soon as possible or call a plumber for help. If you thaw it yourself, shut off the water or test the shut-off valve.
Typically, an unheated basement will stay between 50 and 55 degrees, assuming there are no gaps to the outside. Most frozen pipes happen when they are inside the exterior walls above the basement, not in the basement.
A foul smell from the drain or faucet is a less-obvious warning sign. Odors are unable to filter out of the frozen pipe and instead are forced back into the home's faucet. No water or a slow trickle when a faucet is used. Whistling and banging coming from pipes, or strange bubbling sounds when you flush a toilet.