Best solutions to prevent frozen pipes

[Birkoff]

I've had a cabin in a snow zone (3500' ASL) for 35-years. House was designed with plumbing exposed in the crawl space which doesn't get below 40 degrees. Previously I've had no frozen pipes because I leave the cabin at 50 degrees and drip the faucet. There can be some outages during the winter (temps seldom get much below freezing), but with normal water pressure and dripping, the pipes haven't froze.....until this year. Power was out for four days because of a winter storm and outside temperature dropped to 0 degrees, so no heat, no power, and the water pressure for the neighborhood dropped. Interior of the house dropped below freezing for two days. The result was a pipe burst in an upstairs sink and when the power came on it flooded about half the house.

I've added a 1000-watt backup battery (Ecoflow) to run the propane furnace (which gives about 30-hours of backup). I'm considering buying an automatic Moen shut off valve with sensors to shut off the cold water where it enters the house (located in garage).

Any other good solutions from plumbers from the northern climates? (I know I could drain the house every time I leave, but that seems like too much trouble).

 

[Geofd]

What happens if that freezes..... Is it feasible to drain down and isolate from a curb cock at the street??????

 

[Birkoff]

The water system is a small system with about 35-homes. A 1" line has a shut out valve about 30" under the ground level (way below frost line) and enters the garage at floor level. The first time I ever got a freeze stop was in the garage and put heating tape on that area and never had another freeze. Its not really possible to 'drain' the first portion of the line.

I remember a demonstration on This Old House where they showed how pipe freezing and breakage is a function of air pressure and dripping releases that pressure build up.

 

[RS]

We have 2 seasonal residences in N MN, even though we heat them somewhat over winter I blow out all the water lines, pretty easy to do.

 

[Birkoff]

If the situation was in November, "See you in May" I would blow out the lines, but the cabin is used two or three weekends a month during the winter and the 'average' low temperature is seldom less than 28 degrees.

 

[RS]

OK, I understand, if you use it that often you need to leave the lines full and heat it. And if you want to leave a faucet drip you can't shut off the water. It sounds like you have made the heating system more reliable. Good luck!