Freezing pipes

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Freezing pipes

Author: Frances D. Beale (MD)

I had to move into my mother's home on my farm last October. My home was vacant. The artesian well is located at my mother's home and supplies both houses as well as our shop and two barns.
Last year the water froze between my Mom's house and my house, despite the fact that I had left two faucets running in my house. Subsequently, a connection ruptured in my house causing a lot of water damage to my floors and carpeting.
Can I do anything short of digging up the lines from my Mom's to my house to prevent this from happening again? There are three "no-freeze" hydrants between the two houses. Could a heat tape be put on one or more of the hydrants? Unfortunately, my house is built on a concrete slab, so I can't put a heat tape on the incoming water.
Thanks for any suggestions.

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Re: Freezing pipes
Author: packy (MA) i'm not understanding how the water froze underground yet when a pipe inside your house split it flooded your house. if it froze coming into your house there would be no water pressure to cause any damage?
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Re: Freezing pipes
Author: North Carolina Plumber (NC) If the pipe ruptured in your home that's where it was frozen. If you're not going to be living there the best thing to do is turn the water off going into the home and blow any water out of the lines with an air compressor.
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Re: Freezing pipes
Author: m & m (MD) Seems as though the UG froze first. Then the house plumbing froze, unrelated. The UG and house subsequently thawed and the house flooded. ? How deep is the underground line? You were probably doing the best you could by running water. Unfortunate circumstances.
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