Frozen Pipes

[Guy_on_Clinton]

Because of the below zero temps... I made sure to keep my basement waterlines on a constant small drip.... can someone more knowledgeable than me on these things chime in on safety measures to avoid frozen pipes...

[~LL~]

Sounds like you've got the basics down, "Guy".  More ideas from State Farm Insurance...via Google search.
http://www.statefarm.com/learning/loss_prevent/learning_lossprevention_frozpipes.asp

[Bear]

The drip is excellent. I  have vertical pipes that run to the 1st floor bathroom that are on the north side of the house, these will freeze, but not burst at -5 below. I place a fan facing vertically in the basement on low on the problem area, this circulates warmer air up into the wall

[~LL~]

The drip is excellent. I  have vertical pipes that run to the 1st floor bathroom that are on the north side of the house, these will freeze, but not burst at -5 below. I place a fan facing vertically in the basement on low on the problem area, this circulates warmer air up into the wall

Brilliant!  And, thanks for the idea!

[Bonster]

Because of the below zero temps... I made sure to keep my basement waterlines on a constant small drip.... can someone more knowledgeable than me on these things chime in on safety measures to avoid frozen pipes...

Guy, your basement gets that cold?  Damn.

[Bonster]

The drip is excellent. I  have vertical pipes that run to the 1st floor bathroom that are on the north side of the house, these will freeze, but not burst at -5 below. I place a fan facing vertically in the basement on low on the problem area, this circulates warmer air up into the wall

I'm surprised water lines were ever run in outside walls before the days of insulation.
I understand the configs of a house may leave no other option, but having an opening in your basement up through a wall is a serious fire hazard and should not normally pass inspection. 

Maybe I'm not picturing properly what you just stated, Bear?

[~LL~]

Because of the below zero temps... I made sure to keep my basement waterlines on a constant small drip.... can someone more knowledgeable than me on these things chime in on safety measures to avoid frozen pipes...

On NPR this morning, someone said that one should leave a faucet dripping in the uppermost room of the house -- not the basement.  Think it makes any difference?

[Bonster]

Water should be moving in any pipe which runs through an unprotected area...like the pipes to Bear's crapper.

[berwynson]

I should think that the "drip" is most effective if it can be located at the furthermost point from where the water pressure source is located, that is, have movement in the pipe for as great a part of it's length as possible.

We never had a pipe freeze in the bungalow that I recall in 30 years; however, one winter an extremely long cold snap caused frost to form on the INSIDE of the south wall, which bordered outdoors, in the living room! This did not do wonders for the wallpaper!  Berwynson

[Bonster]

I should think that the "drip" is most effective if it can be located at the furthermost point from where the water pressure source is located, that is, have movement in the pipe for as great a part of it's length as possible.

It depends on your pipe configuration...take this scenario...leaving Bear's hot tub dripping wouldn't help the pipes going to his first floor crapper.