ELI5; How does keeping your faucets dripping in freezing weather keep your pipes from freezing?

216 views

ELI5; How does keeping your faucets dripping in freezing weather keep your pipes from freezing?

In: 1

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Moving/flowing water is harder to freeze than still water. Since freezing is the “slowing” of a liquids molecules, it is harder to “slow” them if the liquid is in motion.

Wether or not a drip is enough movement to make a difference is another thing as even moving water will freeze if cold enough and a drip is hardly fast movement, but that is the scientific reasoning behind it, in its most simple form.

Anonymous 0 Comments

It doesn’t stop them from freezing. It stops the pipes from bursting when they do freeze. When water freezes it expands. If the faucet is closed pressure can build up and burst the pipe.