Do you let water faucet drip - Page 5

HLP · ‎04-02-2015

@shaggygirl wrote:
Yes, If it's going to 20 F or less I do a slow drip in one of the bathroom faucets and also leave a cabinet door under my kitchen sink open because it's on an outside wall and an older home w/little insulation. During a frigid winter a few years back the cabinet thing was recommended on my local tv station.

I do the same . My kitchen sink is on an outside wall, when it gets in the teens i let it drip all night, but catch it and water my flowers the next morning.

shaggygirl · ‎11-24-2011

@SilleeMee wrote:
@shaggygirl
In my house there is only one main water valve which controls the entire water supply. I wish I could just shut off the garden faucets but that's not possible.

Ohhh I see. Well as someone else mentioned you can have separate valves installed inside for each outside faucet....if it's worth it you. The one for my front yard faucet is at knee level right by the main whole house shut off, easy enough. The one for my back yard I have to get on a ladder and slide back a drop ceiling panel to get to it because that's where the pipe is that feeds it. Fortunately I only need to use a ladder with just 4 steps. So where your pipes are would probably determine where shut offs could be installed. In your case maybe it wouldn't be convenient for you.

patbz · ‎03-10-2010

When I lived in the High Desert ( Mojave) I learned the hard way: We had $45,000 worth of damage when our pipes froze ( a very unusual occurrence; houses weren't built to withstand that).

tototwo · ‎03-09-2010

Years ago a friend of mine's pipes froze in her 2nd floor apartment. Her water pipes broke and leaked -- they didn't leak water, but ice. Thick ice built up on her floors and creeped up the walls and furniture. She had an ice rink in her bedroom, living room, and hallway. The heavy ice eventually broke thru the floors down to the 1st floor. A mess!! Remember the frozen house in the movie "Dr. Zhivago" ? That was her apartment.

I learned from her experience so yes!!! I definitely let faucets drip and open cabinet doors.

* A woman is like a tea bag. You can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. *
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

I don't do it in my house unless it is well below zero. I do have my mom do it if it will be in the teens or less, because we have had issues at her house with incoming water freezing up in the past. We haven't had that issue in our own home though.

shoptilyadropagain · ‎03-19-2014

I never have but I do open the cabinet to the sink as it is on an outside wall. I also turn up the heat a little in there.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
- Author Unknown

GoneButNotForgotten · ‎03-29-2020

yes; in extremely cold weather that slight drip can keep water moving through your pipes instead of just sitting there and freezing (and rupturing your pipes).