[AaronBurns]

This is a heater that can be switched off or on to heat or cool the water at the main source of water, coming to the house (outside the house) at the Shut Off valve where the water first comes from the main water pipes. The shut valve would be fitted with a cooling and heating element to heat the water in the winter, to prevent all pipes from freezing without ever having to use insulation on your pipes. You can also enjoy colder water in the summer. No one wants pipes that are warm and you have to wait a couple minutes, just to get a glass of cold water to drink. Which, is very important since, we all need to drink water, everyday. The water heater, in your home, stores both cold and hot water so, the hot water coming in would, cool down when, in that part of the water heater. Besides that, you could just switch off the unit and go back to standard use of your water and it's source like, the unit wasn't, even, there. Shut Off valves are located outside your house at, the main water pipe leading to your house and they are very easy to dig up, around them, since, they are, only, one or, two feet deep, at the most. It would not be illegal since, you own the property and you own the valve. If the water supply company sent out hot water, in the first place, they would not have a freezing problem, in there pipes, either. It, is very expensive and costly to, repair a broken water pipe and it can destroy your house. A Plumber would cost at least $50.00 American Dollars per hour, to do the labor, to fix a broken pipe and it would take several hours, of labor, from him to do the job.

Reward: Credit

[Steve]

With regular pipes, this won't work. The main issue with pipes in winter isn't the temperature of the water while it is flowing. The problem is the water that'll remain in the pipe after you turn off the tap - that's what'll freeze and burst the pipe if it's not insulated.

I also doubt that a regular heater can effectively heat or cool down water that is flowing by at such a speed. My guess is that you'd either have to induct a lot of energy in very short time (fairly ineffective) and/or maybe use an alternative source, like laser (?) or microwave.

[AaronBurns]

You are right. Bad idea.
Besides, too heat the water where ever it goes would take so much energy that you would pay an exorbitant cost.
In other words; it would be so expensive that even Bill Gates wouldn't go for it!

[Rishi]

If both of your ideas are combined there is a lower power/cost option. There is available what is called a tracer heater element, which is a low wattage continuous insulated resistance wire element used for winding on pipes to keep the surface above the freezing point of the contents in process pipelines. By putting such an element over the incoming pipe below the thermal insulation you can keep the pipe just above freezing point, when the water is not flowing. Even this will consume some power, but much less than the original option.

This can be switched on whenever the ambient temperature falls below freezing (Automatically if desired). This will not address the cooling problem however.

Rishi

[AaronBurns]

Thanks Rishi!
But, what about all the plastic PVC pipes that run from the main line to and inside the house? How can you heat those since those are the pipes most likely to cause the problem.
Plastic will break in freezing temperatures and metal will just simply, not flow at all.

[Rishi]

PVC can stand 200 deg F. If the tracer is designed for operating between 50 and 100 deg F we should have no problem with plastic pipes. Even metal pipes are known to burst when water inside freezes.

Rishi