post and pier in upstate ny?

[radiobot01]

Hello, I am very new to house building. I am looking at a 5 acre lot in NY to put a cabin on. Looking throug the plans the foundation I am thinking about using is a post and pier foundation. My question is this, In the dead of winter it will get to 0 in upstate, how with this foundation do your pipes not freeze? Maybe a dumb question....

[peg_688]

If it's a cabin I'd put in low point drain and when ever I left the cabin for more than a few days , in winter, and always when I left for more than a week,  winter or summer , I shut down the elec. pwr to the well / hotwater tank/ pressure pumps etc , and drain the entire building thru that low point drain , no worries of burst pipes , leaky toilets / hot water tanks etc.

Water IN pipes is not a problem,  water [highlight]NOT[/highlight] in pipes is a big problem.  

G/L PEG

   

[MountainDon]

Yep! Proper planning can make the draining a breeze. Another thing that could be considered is building the system with a point where compressed air can be introduced thru a standard shraeder valve to assist in blowing the water out of any low spots. RV'ers do that all the time. Back home in wintery Manitoba there were a couple retired guys who supplemented their income with winter prep blowouts along the lake front summer resorts.

RV antifreeze can be added to the plumbing traps to prevent freezing of the waste line traps. Available at RV shops and Wal-Marts everywhere. It's non toxic.

Sam Walton was an RV'er; that's why they allow overnite RV parking in most Wal-Mart and Sam's Club parking lots.

[Spyke]

I think he is talking about a water pipe freezing under the house when he is there and the water is on. If that is the case build an isulated box around the pipes, then wrap the pipes with a heating cord and insulate that. Then throw in a light with a bulb inside the box for a little extra heat. Even with all that it is smart to let a faucet drip if it is really cold.

Then like the others said put together a system so you can drain the pipes while you are away.