Frozen pipes

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KH2399

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We own a two family home, the rental unit has a laundry room in an unheated hallway. Every year, the pipes freeze and the tenants cannot do laundry for 1/2 to 1/3 of the winter months. We have lost several tenants because of it.
The previous owners kind of mickey moused the laundry room and the pipes are inaccessible. We have had several estimates to fix the problem all costing over $5,000. Does anyone know of a way to fix the problem without tearing out walls? Space heaters do not work, we cannot wrap the pipes, or put a heating wire on them.
the pipes run through the back wall of our closet on the first floor so taking the wall out is not an option. Does anyone have any ideas?
 

Cwhyu2

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The piping should be moved from an outside wall, mabey rerout them through the closet exsposed to heated space.
 

KH2399

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the way the laundry room is situated is that it is on a lower landing in an unheated hallway, the room itself is under the livingroom of the rental unit and over the closet on the first floor. in order to reroute the pipes, we would have to tear out the wall and floor of the laundry room and also the closet and this requires the pipes to be rezoned. This involves drilling new holes in the granite foundation and all of this is too costly. I am looking for a solution that will send us into bankruptcy!
 

Cwhyu2

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Without seeing the layout I cannot suggest any solution to your problem that will not involve some kind of demo.
 

Gary Swart

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You seem to be able to come up with a reason why any solution suggested won't work, but it comes down to you don't want to pay the piper.
 

Jadnashua

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In order to not freeze, the water pipes need to be positioned where they can get some heat from the rooms. This generally means closer to the wallboard with no insulation between the heated room and the pipe. Any insulation there must be positioned to help keep the heat in. Insulation can't make heat, but will slow the movement. If the walls are drafty, you must seal them up properly, otherwise, especially with something like fiberglass insulation, it just acts like a big air filter, and won't slow the heat transfer. All it takes is one small air leak to cause pipes to freeze when it gets cold.
 

KH2399

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You seem to be able to come up with a reason why any solution suggested won't work, but it comes down to you don't want to pay the piper.
It is not a matter of 'paying the piper' as you call it, it is a matter of not being sent into bankruptcy for something that there may be a simple solution too. If it seems like I have a reason why any solution won't work is because I have heard the solutions and prices before. I came to this forum with the hope that someone may be able offer a simple solution not to be chastised and called a cheapskate. If you have a solution offer it if not please do not reply. Thank you.
 

Jadnashua

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Without being there, it would be hard to tell you how you could route your pipes to prevent them from freezing!

I've already given you the basics...you can't have insulation between the pipes and the heated room and you cannot have outside air leaks into that wall, which will take away any heat the comes from the heated room faster than it leaks from the room, which means the pipe will just get colder and if it's cold enough and windy enough, it will freeze.

It may be that all you have to do is move the insulation, or to seal air leaks (which could be harder). OFten, you have to do both. It may not require relocating the pipes. But, until you can actually see inside, or choose to reroute the pipes entirely inside in heated space, they are likely to freeze again when it gets cold. Worst case scenario, they freeze hard, and split. THen, when they warm back up again and the ice plug melts, you've potentially got a major flood.
 
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