Thinking of repiping your home ?

[Dirtmechanic]

I installed double insulated PVC pipe for automatic waterers in my horse barn in high desert area of central Cal.... one night ALL of the PVC lines split the long way up to 12 feet long. The only reason that there was no flood was because water in the lines formed to ICE at 14* F . Even a couple of the copper lines burst going to the barn and inside our home too !

Amazing pressure on a closed system. Still, I cannot stand letting water run which would solve the issue but oh my the price. Outside I have had good luck with galvanized pipe when frozen. What did you do?

 

[bobm]

Amazing pressure on a closed system. Still, I cannot stand letting water run which would solve the issue but oh my the price. Outside I have had good luck with galvanized pipe when frozen. What did you do?

4"
since the barn water lines go overhead to automatic horse waterers in each corner of each stall in my barn ... i converted to 3 /4 " copper pipe, whapped in heavy insulation then covered within 4 " black plastic pipe. On the end of each overhead run at each stall ( 18 ) , I installed brass ball shut off valves and ran 3/4" copper lines to service the automatic waterers. If and when one of those copper lines failed, it was easy to change them out at minimum cost. At the end of the overhead runs for eather sides of the center isle, I added additional ball shut of valves so that I could open those at the end to have a low trickle of water that was released to the outside of the barn.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

4"
since the barn water lines go overhead to automatic horse waterers in each corner of each stall in my barn ... i converted to 3 /4 " copper pipe, whapped in heavy insulation then covered within 4 " black plastic pipe. On the end of each overhead run at each stall ( 18 ) , I installed brass ball shut off valves and ran 3/4" copper lines to service the automatic waterers. If and when one of those copper lines failed, it was easy to change them out at minimum cost. At the end of the overhead runs for eather sides of the center isle, I added additional ball shut of valves so that I could open those at the end to have a low trickle of water that was released to the outside of the barn.

I had to put heavy ball valves on the garden sprinklers. I would have one split occasionally until I changed them out to very thick metal. The rest is galvanized. Mostly we turn the water off, but it catches me once in a blue moon because our winters are relatively mild and rarely below freezing for a week. We don't even have a frost line here.

 

[baymule]

A pipe burst in the ceiling of our old house and we had it repiped in Pex. It was December and not a lot of plumbing getting done. So we offered cash for a discount on price, which was gladly accepted. We got a good job done, were happy with it, but did have the holes in the walls to deal with.

We knew the plumbing was old and bad, I always cut the water off at the road on freezing nights, and drained all the water faucets, but it busted during the day and flooded the house, what a mess!

We were happy with the Pex and so is the owner who has that house now.