I’ve been told to run the faucet furthest from the water meter at a slow trickle at night to prevent the pipes in our two story home from freezing (it’s about 5 degrees F where I am). Why do they recommend doing this at night only and not during the day—for example, when you’re away at work? If the temperature is below freezing both periods what is the difference? Wouldn’t you want to do this day and night?
In: Physics
I see a lot of people saying moving water is harder to freeze but they’re missing the other reason. Water pipes are underground deep enough that they are below the frost line, where it doesn’t easily reach freezing temperatures. A slow flow is not just about keeping it moving, it also keeps bringing slightly warmer water in to the colder above ground pipes.
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