Frost protection in attic/loft

[Harry_P]

Not convinced - especially as his pipe lagging sounds out of date.

Our heating has a frost stat on it - set to 9 degrees ........... but its an internet based system to the lowest setting is 15 degrees ........so the house never gets too cold - and we don't have any pipe work / water in the loft either ........

But the op does have pipes in his loft and he may decide to install a frost and pipe stat that is suitable to his particular requirements. Im genuinely interested in why you think a frost and pipe stat won't help avoid frozen pipes?

 

[telectrix]

just fit a blanket on top of the roof. it works on my neighbour's car windscreen. never gets froze. .

 

[Octopus]

But the op does have pipes in his loft and he may decide to install a frost and pipe stat that is suitable to his particular requirements. Im genuinely interested in why you think a frost and pipe stat won't help avoid frozen pipes?

It might help .......... but the OP's admission that his pipe lagging is poor - so that's where to start and its relatively cheap, and is definitely DIY ...

 

[Harry_P]

Not convinced - especially as his pipe lagging sounds out of date.

Our heating has a frost stat on it - set to 9 degrees ........... but its an internet based system to the lowest setting is 15 degrees ........so the house never gets too cold - and we don't have any pipe work / water in the loft either ........

But the op does have pipes in his loft and he may decide to install a frost and pipe stat that is suitable to his particular requirements. Im genuinely interested in why you think a frost and pipe stat won't help avoid frozen pipes?

It might help .......... but the OP's admission that his pipe lagging is poor - so that's where to start and its relatively cheap, and is definitely DIY ...

When I read the original post and he said he already had insulation, personally I would then have thought a frost/pipe stat
would be a good idea but I take your point that the insulation that is already there might be virtually useless. I was just confused why you originally said you couldn't see a frost/pipe stat helping but you have subsequently said it might help,which I do agree with

 

[davesparks]

Can't you get a frost /pipe stat installed on your boiler?

That would only keep the heating pipes warm, which will probably already be warm as the heating is likely to be on in freezing temperatures.
It won't help the cold water mains or any other pipes in the loft which are more likely to freeze.

 

[solarsavings]

How will a frost stat protect cold water pipes in a loft space if that space has no heating? Pipes should be well lagged in any cold space.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Do a loft conversion, you get more rooms and no frozen pipes!

 

[johnduffell]

Frost stat is just a switch that turns on when it's cold, it matters more what's connected ie heaters and where they are located, hence the discussion about heating the loft.
trying to warm a space outside the insulated envelope is wasteful so the op should either extend the insulated envelope around the pipe work or make it's own individual heated envelope.

 

[lecky_bob]

Thanks for this continued discussion and ideas.
It's interesting to talk about the boiler frost stat etc, but I leave the heating on already when it gets cold, but there are not any heating pipes in the roof/attic anyway?
Ideally I like the idea of insulating the roof/rafters properly and then removing the ceiling insulation - but that is a bigger project!

I will redo the insulation - that is easy and makes sense anyway.

Can anyone recommend a good thermostat to put on the pipes so that I can monitor the temperature via the internet??
I could then get an alert if the pipe temperature gets down to dangerous temps?

 

[JD6400]

But the op does have pipes in his loft and he may decide to install a frost and pipe stat that is suitable to his particular requirements. Im genuinely interested in why you think a frost and pipe stat won't help avoid frozen pipes?

Hi Bob, you say that there is just to much pipe work to trace heat but personally I would only do the hot and cold water and leave the heating pipes to fend for their selfs (with insulation ofcourse) .
If it is that cold the heating is going to be cycling anyway.
Would this make the amount of pipe work more manageable?
It would be a lot cheaper to heat the pipe rather than the loft space and safer than leaving a heater unaccompanied .

 

[davesparks]

Ideally I like the idea of insulating the roof/rafters properly and then removing the ceiling insulation - but that is a bigger project!

I. Would insulate between/below the rafters and leave the ceiling insulation where it is.

Or add another layer of ceiling insulation which goes over the pipes if the are close to ceiling level