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Preventing pipes from freezing on an exterior wall with no access

 
Judy Bauer
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My house is on a slab. I remodeled the bathroom last winter they used insulation on the wall to prevent the pipes from freezing but they still frooze once last winter. I was thinking about adding planter boxes on the outside of the home. I would get the thick blue or pink insulation and put it against the house and then add the planter box to hide the insulation. I understand that insulation doesn't warm the pipes but would prevent the cold getting  in and the heat getting out.. Would that work? If not does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance. Stay safe and healthy.
 
Daniel Ray
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A little more info would help to know if a planter will keep the pipes from freezing. Where are you located? What is the winter lows and for how long? The box with some extra insulation will surely help prevent freezing if you are in a mild location. You can also buy heat tape to wrap the exposed pipe to keep from freezing. Some of the nicer heat tape comes with a thermostat that only kicks on under certain temperatures so that you don't need to think about it.

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C. Letellier
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Can you run another set of pipes someplace better in the house?

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Anne Miller
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When you say no access, I am assuming the pipes are inside a wall.  

Some things I feel might be an option:  

A electric space heater pointed towards the inside wall though not too close.

A heating pad attached to the inside wall.

Keeping the room temperture a little warmer than normal 24 hours a day.

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

 
Judy Bauer
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Daniel Ray wrote:A little more info would help to know if a planter will keep the pipes from freezing. Where are you located? What is the winter lows and for how long? The box with some extra insulation will surely help prevent freezing if you are in a mild location. You can also buy heat tape to wrap the exposed pipe to keep from freezing. Some of the nicer heat tape comes with a thermostat that only kicks on under certain temperatures so that you don't need to think about it.


Central Illinois it varies on temperature it has been below freezing for a few weeks at times. The pipes are in the wall behind the shower.
 
Judy Bauer
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C. Letellier wrote:Can you run another set of pipes someplace better in the house?



I would need to tear out the shower.
 
Judy Bauer
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Anne Miller wrote:When you say no access, I am assuming the pipes are inside a wall.  

Some things I feel might be an option:  

A electric space heater pointed towards the inside wall though not too close.

A heating pad attached to the inside wall.

Keeping the room temperture a little warmer than normal 24 hours a day.



Yes, the pipes are behind the shower wall.

Space heater us fine except when I need to leave the house.

The house is normal 73 to 75 in the winter.
 
Glenn Herbert
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The planter concealing insulation board might work just fine, depending on the layout. Do you know exactly where in the wall the pipes run? The planter would need to cover that whole area with a bit of overlap, and be sealed to the wall so no breeze can blow through behind it. Perhaps being unsealed along the bottom would be okay so that moisture is not completely trapped in there... Are you thinking a raised bed type of planter, or one hanging on the wall?
 
Judy Bauer
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Glenn Herbert wrote:The planter concealing insulation board might work just fine, depending on the layout. Do you know exactly where in the wall the pipes run? The planter would need to cover that whole area with a bit of overlap, and be sealed to the wall so no breeze can blow through behind it. Perhaps being unsealed along the bottom would be okay so that moisture is not completely trapped in there... Are you thinking a raised bed type of planter, or one hanging on the wall?

 
Anne Miller
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I don't know why I didn't remember this the other day.

We leave a faucet dripping when we are worried about pipes freezing. It doesn't have to be much. Just let the cold water drip from the faucet served by the pipes that might freeze. A trickle will keep the water running water through the pipes.

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

 
Judy Bauer
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Anne Miller wrote:I don't know why I didn't remember this the other day.

We leave a faucet dripping when we are worried about pipes freezing. It doesn't have to be much. Just let the cold water drip from the faucet served by the pipes that might freeze. A trickle will keep the water running water through the pipes.

 
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