Thread: Furnace Safety
View Single Post
Old 12-23-2005, 09:06 AM   #34
sreigle
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
Jim, heat tape and insulation on the low point drains will stop those water lines from freezing, at least down to around zero from what we've found. They're freezing up into the tee into the water lines and shutting off water flow. I found insulation alone on the low point drains only bought us a few degrees. It took heat tape to solve the problem. That heat tape has been on the drains for over a year and we've not frozen those drains in that time. We've been down to minus 5 F. The recent freezing was because of something else (dumb error on my part).

The heat duct in the belly should be pointing right at the tanks. At least ours is. We've not had a tank freeze, even down to minus 5 and very windy. We shut off the electric heater in the living area at night (when below freezing), close the door to the upstairs and use an electric heater up there. That keeps the furnace running. We set it on 60 or 62, depending on how cold I think it's going to be.

Also, I put foam pipe insulation on the water lines in the basement storage area and on the lines in the belly from rear axle forward. Haven't got it done behind the axle yet.

It's probably a bit too cold to crawl under and insulate those things though. As cold as it gets up there in Aberdeen it may be a losing battle anyhow.
sreigle is offline   Reply With Quote