Mobile Homes & Frozen Pipes

By: Kevin Damaske

If you live in a mobile home in a colder climate frozen pipes should be at the top of your list of concerns.  It is best to keep an eye on them because as you know mobile home plumbing hangs directly below your structure and above the ground.  That means your pipes are normally the same temperature as it is outside.   

There are a few things you can do to protect your pipes.   First, monitor your homes skirting to ensure it is secure around your home.   Next, make sure there are no missing sections, the skirting blocks cold air from going underneath your home.  Third, you should also check to make sure the slope of your sewer lines are at least at a quarter inch grade per foot.   Meaning if one end of your pipe is touching the ground and is 10 feet long at the other end it should be 2 1/2 inches higher than the ground.   If a pipe is anything less than a 1/4″ grade, water will sit in the pipe, freeze and potentially cause the pipe to crack.   Another major concern is where your waterline comes up out of the ground.   This is where your home is connected to your park’s water supply.   This line is very important and needs to be protected.  A break could cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars in water damage and inconvenience of not having any running water. 

There are also a few items that are important additions to add to your plumbing system.  The plumbing under you home should be wrapped with insulation to protect it from the cold.    Another recommended addition you should install is heat tape or cable wrapped around your exposed pipes below your home.   Heat tape will help prevent your pipes from freezing.   It is required to be plugged into a receptacle that is located underneath your home.  Unfortunately if you’re heat tape stops working the only way you will know is when there is a water break. 

There is another option; you can install a device called Current Alert.  It plugs into a receptacle underneath your home as well as into the heat tape/cable.  There is a box that contains a light indicating all systems are functioning correctly.  There is also a light and buzzer that sounds when there is an issue with the system.  It is a good idea to install the alarm box where it is visible.  Crawling under your home during the colder months is no fun task.  Current Alert monitors heat tape on plumbing systems and alerts you immediately when something is not working allowing time to prevent a potential catastrophic failure.

It is recommended that all these systems be turned off during the warmer seasons, once the potential of a freeze is gone.  Disconnecting these systems will extend their life span.  Heat tape usually lasts approximately 5 years depending on the brand and quality.  It is important in the fall to remember to reconnect during the colder seasons.  To verify the tape is working, you should be able to feel that it is warm after several minutes of being plugged in.
If you have any questions or would like more information on the Current Alert device

e-mail info@handymanandmore.com or visit www.currentalert.net for more information.

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