Bathroom above garage

[MONTE7071]

This winter on one of the very few really cold days we had the hot water to the main bathroom upstairs froze. Thankfully it did not burst but before next winter I need to fix the problem. So today I went home at lunch and opened up the header where the lines run we have plenty of insultion under the lines but nothing on top of them. Should I just put some more over the lines or should I get some of the foam covering and then put insullation over them. I cut a small acess hole to look inside. I also have to fix a vent for the half bath the put flex dryer hose in, Im going to use regular dryer vent hose.
Here are some pics of it.

 

[kbs2244]

It was the hot water only?
Maybe you just need to use the hot water more to keep the flow up.
When you wash your hand let the hot water flow until it comes out hot.

You need the insulation between the cold and the pipes.
If they go through that soffit with insulation on the bottom of the soffit but not on the sides you need the insulate the cold sides.
It there a heat duct in that soffit?
If so it should keep the temp high enough.

I would start with the gray pipe wrap.

 

[MONTE7071]

It was only the hot water and it froze over night.
I did not see and duct work but I plan on opening it up some more.
Also so everybody knows I did not do the wiring that you see in the second picture the previous owner did that yet another thing I will need to address.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

First point- yes, hot water will freeze before cold water will.

As far as insulating that soffit, I was unable to find the image I wanted but, I think you can get the jest of what needs to be done.
I'll assume that the wall the soffit is attached to has conditioned living space on the other side of it(?) And the ceiling/about the soffit is also conditioned living space(?) If so, those two "sides" of the soffit should not be insulated. The front side and bottom of soffit should be insulated. Think the reverse in the attached diagram.
The idea is to let the soffit space become a part of the conditioned space- heat will penetrate the cavity and thus keep it above the freezing mark.

I'd be willing to bet that when the insulation was installed it was run all the way to the top of the wall, instead of to the bottom of the soffit, then out (bottom portion of the soffit) and up (front part of soffit).

 

[MONTE7071]

I do understand what you are saying and I belive you are correct the wall on the front side is insulated above it was not though I will try to get some pictures odf inside the soffit. Thanks everybody for the comments.

 

[Nowater]

Most hot water heaters have what is called a sacrificial anode, which is a replaceable rod that sticks into the tank and is designed to corrode before the tank does. This anode reacts chemically with compounds in the water, and typically the resultant compound ends up as a precipitate on the inside floor of the hot water heater. That leaves the water a little more pure than when it entered the tank. Pure water freezes at the familiar 32 degrees F. The more compounds in the water, the colder it needs to be in order to freeze. For instance, salt water must be considerably colder to freeze than fresh water.

You can always consider running heat trace on the water pipes.

 

[rasit]

You have all summer to mess with the pipes. I would be working on all that "Romex Surface Wiring" that the previous owner installed.......immediately

 

[blkhonda1991]

dont quote me but i want to say that flex hose in the wall for dryer venting is a no-no acording to code if i rememeber correctly and the run of dryer duct is capped i believe to 25' before terminating at the outside wall.

back on point, i wonder if taking all the drywall off and sheeting the whole soffit with foam with all the joints taped then sheetrocking over it would be a good solution along with pipe insulation

 

[MONTE7071]

The wiring is going in the wall I plan on opening up a section around the wall and then repairing the drywall. It does look like a dryer vent but it is actually a vent for the 1/2 bath behind that wall it goes in the basement and to an outside vent. I will be replacing it with regular dryer vent pipe.

 

[5lima30]

dont quote me but i want to say that flex hose in the wall for dryer venting is a no-no acording to code if i rememeber correctly and the run of dryer duct is capped i believe to 25' before terminating at the outside wall.

back on point, i wonder if taking all the drywall off and sheeting the whole soffit with foam with all the joints taped then sheetrocking over it would be a good solution along with pipe insulation

+1 Most codes do not allow flexible dryer encapsulated inside a wall.

 

[Chaz]

First point- yes, hot water will freeze before cold water will.

Not according to phisics...I want to see you explain this in scientific terms

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Not according to phisics...I want to see you explain this in scientific terms

Here's the "Physics"-
It's called the Mpemba effect; look it up. And read to your heart's content.

 

[camarotoolman]

no flex dryer hose here.

 

[MONTE7071]

Finally got the issue taken care of. Had insullation blown in the garage ceiling the floors are alot warmer now. Now to get the outside wall insulated and drywall hung.