Renovations - Pipe freeze protection?
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:37 am
Soon getting vintage mobile home. Need replace plumbing.Will be using pex. Previous owner installed pipes UP, above the ceiling!!. (Ceilings are perfect, no sign of any problems ever- cold, northeast-) I guess the logic is that all the heat is rising but imagine the damage if they ruptured!! They are above the MH under a peaked metal roof under @18" of insulation.
It's all working great but will be adding dishwasher, moving washer to kitchen,new fridge has ice-maker, and anticipate building addition w/new bathroom- not enough water getting to that end- need more supply.
A few questions: What about the above ceiling thing? (The pex will be much more freeze tolerant than the plastic now there) A friend has suggested running them INSIDE of the heating duct in the floor instead, that way they are warm?? Crazy?
Lastly, I've been thinking about making the hot water run into a loop and recirculate it on a timer or thermostat. If I took both the hot, hot return & cold and wrapped them all properly with insul, I think the hot water flowing thru could easily work better than a heat tape? (At least it shouldn't need replacing every couple years.) Added bonus is hot water pretty quick to the faucets.
The plan is to install a new gas instant hot tank-less heater. There IS a brand new electric heater, but it's only 30 gallons and just too small. I plan to use the existing temp control on the current heater to turn on a circulator to pump water from the small heater thru the gas unit and back to the small tank. (Yes, some don't see the wisdom of introducing a tank to a tank-less system, but eventually I may use the system for heating also,and for that it will be a benefit. Many say the life of a tank-less unit is greatly extended because it is heating tempered water rather than cold ( The shock of the cold water being introduced happens in the small tank heater)and it will also allow me to size the tank-less a little smaller than the full demand would require as there are 30 gallons of reserve to begin with). So what say you all?? Pipes above or pipes below? In the duct? Hot water loop? or just use tape?-Auckie
It's all working great but will be adding dishwasher, moving washer to kitchen,new fridge has ice-maker, and anticipate building addition w/new bathroom- not enough water getting to that end- need more supply.
A few questions: What about the above ceiling thing? (The pex will be much more freeze tolerant than the plastic now there) A friend has suggested running them INSIDE of the heating duct in the floor instead, that way they are warm?? Crazy?
Lastly, I've been thinking about making the hot water run into a loop and recirculate it on a timer or thermostat. If I took both the hot, hot return & cold and wrapped them all properly with insul, I think the hot water flowing thru could easily work better than a heat tape? (At least it shouldn't need replacing every couple years.) Added bonus is hot water pretty quick to the faucets.
The plan is to install a new gas instant hot tank-less heater. There IS a brand new electric heater, but it's only 30 gallons and just too small. I plan to use the existing temp control on the current heater to turn on a circulator to pump water from the small heater thru the gas unit and back to the small tank. (Yes, some don't see the wisdom of introducing a tank to a tank-less system, but eventually I may use the system for heating also,and for that it will be a benefit. Many say the life of a tank-less unit is greatly extended because it is heating tempered water rather than cold ( The shock of the cold water being introduced happens in the small tank heater)and it will also allow me to size the tank-less a little smaller than the full demand would require as there are 30 gallons of reserve to begin with). So what say you all?? Pipes above or pipes below? In the duct? Hot water loop? or just use tape?-Auckie