At what temperature do you have to worry about pipe damage?

[Lesherp]

I am camping in Bryce and it is getting cold. I am at Ruby's with hookups and can keep it warm inside with two space heaters. I am wondering at what temperature I need to start worrying about pipes freezing to the point of breaking. It is supposed to get down to 23. It is warming up into the 50's during the day so things should thaw out if they freeze a little. I think I can keep the inside pipes warm enough by keeping bathroom door open and doors open under the sinks. I am most concerned about the short pipe exposed outside where you drain system and the holding tank. I am also considering dry camping here a few days, would these temperatures put me at too much risk for problems? It is supposed to be warming up. What would be a safe temperatures for dry camping?

[commodor47]

We managed to survive without any damage to our water system on a night (in Bisbee, AZ) when the temperature dropped to 4.5 degrees. I check the weather on a regular basis and knew the cold weather was approaching. In anticipation I disconnected from city water, opened the gray tank drain valve along with several other steps. The only issue we had was with the bathtub drain trap freezing and the bathtub water taps freezing. Given the plumbing is a Pex system no water lines were damaged.

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To answer your question - it depends on your preparation. I think temperatures in the low 20's would not be an issue.

Dick

[Bill]

Two easy things that I learned the hard way.
1. Bring an extension cord and a hair dryer. It is an incredibly useful tool for thawing stuff, including the drain valves you mentioned. I learned this by spending two or three hours heating water on the stove, and pouring it from a coffee cup over the frozen lines and valves.
2. After a freezing night, DO NOT pick up or otherwise disturb the slinky drain hose until you are sure it is completely thawed. Any ice in the spirals will instantly penetrate the thin plastic outside, and you will throw the hose away. I learned this by ..., well, you can guess.

Bill

[Padgett]

Just remember: the English put their water pipes on the outside of the hose so it is easy to get to when it freezes.

Have only seen 17-18F here once back in the last century & just set the water faucets to a slow drip. NP.

[ShrimpBurrito]

If you're going to let the inside go down past freezing, you'll obviously want to drain all the water lines AND make sure you run the water pump dry. If you don't, the ice will puncture the thin membrane/diaphragm inside the pump with holes you can't see with your eye, making it useless until you replace the diaphragm. (a $15 part that no brick and mortar store usually stocks)

Dave