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
Water pipes are always filled with water. When you use appliances, that water moves slightly which makes it harder to freeze.
Because people are smart, they design water pipes with a certain level of insulation so that the pipes won’t freeze during more “normal” temperatures. But because it gets much colder at night, the temperatures are more likely to reach a level that the insulation can’t handle which would lead to frozen/burst pipes.
Latest Answers