Well, for the city and Seattle floating homes the "Seattle freeze" has been alive and well in recent years during winter months. As temperatures drop and it snows in Seattle, there are some things to note that are important on a houseboat. When it snows on a floating home or houseboat, the biggest concern is usually removing the excess weight off the top and decks of your home as they were not built to withstand the additional load. Snow loads can make them top-heavy and tipsy or even worse - sink them if the floatation is not adequate.
Sometimes, though, the snow may seem lighter in weight than usual, but the bigger concern is the ice and frigid temperatures. It's customary for everyone on the dock to drip their faucets during cold snaps. Despite this, many are caught off guard and are either out of town or simply forget to run their faucets. The result is waking up with no running water. It's important to understand what works and what doesn’t so that we can always be better prepared for the next cold snap.
Running water prevents pipes from freezing as the water is moving. Many docks are equipped with valves at either end so that the water flow can be turned on and off should the need arise to have running water. Some docks do not have this valve system, but historically have been able to keep their water flowing just by running the faucets. Sometimes, it isn’t enough and in those cases divers need to be called. Why divers? Because our plumbing is mostly and often in the water. During these cold snaps, divers spend the entire day unfreezing as many homes as they can. Luckily many main lines don’t break, but there are a lot of broken pipes during these times. Individual houses should still run their water so that the connecting pipes between the floating homes and the dock do not freeze. There are exceptions to this, however, so it is best to have your individual home assessed for best advice. For instance, one dock religiously dripped their faucets only to have their sewer line freeze so there was nowhere for the dripping water or other waste to go except back into the floating home.
As a result of recent colder snaps, many docks are changing the way they do things so here’s a good list of tips for keeping your water running in your floating home or houseboat during a cold snap.
Heat tape under the insulation on connectors between dock and house - Some floating homes only have the pipes insulated and once they freeze the insulation actually KEEPS THEM FROZEN. The better method is to install heat tape - specifically thermally activated heat tape which is an electric cable and aluminum tape that warms the pipes when the temperature drops below 37 degrees. The heat tape is installed under the insulation. It isn't a guaranteed method and faucets should still be dripped, but it does warm the water enough to keep it flowing and then as a result it adds extra protection to the mainline.
Hot water and/or heat gun warming - Docks have used both as well as the giant warming blowers that the divers carry. With no running water, how do you boil water? The answer is that you are surrounded by water. Boil lake water in pots and pour on the water line around and connected to your house. This is typically the best method for quick thawing and works well when dock neighbors mobilize and help each other. According to professionals, if you are going to use a heat gun, just be careful not to light the insulation on fire and go easy. It can be too hot. Many people use hair dryers to warm pipes, but there is a lot of danger with hair dryers over water.
Community and Dock Reminders - This might be the most important for prevention. Email your neighbors, your dock, Facebook group messages, text messages, etc. Some docks have A-frame signs that they put out to remind people to turn on faucets at night and throughout the cold temperatures.
Home temperatures - Keep your thermostat turned up during cold snaps to warm the pipes on the inside of the house, too. Open your bathroom and kitchen cabinets under the sinks to let the heat in. Periodically run warm or hot water - or the dishwasher. This helps keep the sewer line warm, too.
Dripping may not be enough - One owner who has running water during cold snaps is very proud to proclaim that the real trick is to not DRIP the faucet, but to run a steady low stream. Also, if you are only going to run one faucet then run the one furthest from the dock, but it is preferable to run all of them on a low stream for best results.
Creative work floats - If you don't have a work float on your dock, be creative. Divers regularly will use a SUP or kayak to work on water lines along houses that could not otherwise be reached. We houseboaters are a creative bunch so be creative! But don't fall in!
Prioritize help and come together - Help your neighbors with what they need. Check on their homes for them. Work together, and get the homes with elderly, children, and medically challenged up and running first. Offer the good people that work in your homes a bathroom and drink or a warmth break. Offer divers a dock cart to move all of their gear up and down docks all around to be more efficient. It is all about taking care of each other and that is what this community is so good at.
Seattle floating homeowners and houseboaters are a group of hardy and loving individuals, but we do rely on and are forever grateful to the hardworking divers who help us. We are so lucky to have them! If you want to learn more about this amazing lifestyle, please feel free to reach out. I live in a Seattle floating home and I am an expert in the various nuances of them.
Courtney
