Domestic trace heating

[rich65]

Hi all,
I would like to run a cold water supply into my garage to feed a kit washing sink and then onto an outside tap, the garage is attached to the house but has no form of heating.
As I work away from home for a few days at a time the thought of a burst pipe worries me so I am thinking of ways to prevent this such as,

1. isolating valve immediately where the supply enters the garage, cheap but easy to forget to isolate when going away, but would be fitting anyway for local isolation.

2. extra thick insulation, not sure this would work over a period of sustained cold temps.

3.combination of insulation with trace heating, does anyone have any advice on a domestic system that can simply be plugged into a domestic socket with automatic thermostatic control?

 

[cross thread]

british gas have a trace wire kit they fit to condensate pipes that is stat controlled and comes with a rcd, i cant remember the m ake but plumb center should know

 

[heatingman]

this is a link to the manufacturers of the trace kit that BG use on condense
http://www.first-traceheating.co.uk/

 

[Agile]

You should really have an isolating valve INSIDE the house and you have to as far as the outside tap is concerned.

It should not be difficult to remember to turn it off.

Just leave it on your going out reminder list by the front door:-

hat,
keys,
notes,
laptops,
spectacles,
oyster card,
mobile phone,
three condoms,
isolating valve etc.

Thats modern life for you, the list gets bigger as it goes on!

30 years ago all you would take are a key, condom and a tenner!

 

[Jake1886]

Armaflex lagging, with either the self adhesive slits or if using ordinary then purchase the glue or Armaflex tape for sealing.

 

[studips]

if you haven't already thought of it, consider doing it in mdpe or hep2o - they're more freeze tolerant than copper.

also you might consider a surestop water swtich, i've never used one i have to admit, but might be worth looking at as an alternative to a manual valve (easier and quicker to use).

 

[Axel]

Put a reminder note inside the packet of condoms,

 

[rich65]

Thanks for all the replies guys, sadly never needed to take 3 condoms out with me

I presume that Armaflex lagging performs better than the usual foam type that I would buy from B+Q, Wickes etc, if this is so then is it worth while changing any existing if i'm under the floor at any time.

I am probably going to go with trace heating and the insulation, as well as considering the trace heating in the link given by Heatingman has anyone had experience of this system from TLC?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/CCPGE04.html

Thanks again,
Rich

 

[FirstTraceHeating]

The difference with this trace heating system is that it is a constant wattage rather than a self regulating cable. This means that it has the potential to burn out if overlapped or damage the pipe. Self regulating cables change their output depending on the temperature of its surface. This way the cable can never over heat.