Thanks for the help. I haven't been in the crawl space to look at what is going on. I had a plumber lag the pipes with a foam lagging that is flexible and has a slit running the length of it. It clings to the pipe and is only taped at intervals. He told me it wouldn't keep the pipes from freezing eventually in a long cold snap. I had a recirculating pump installed on top of my hot water tank because it is a very long run to the kitchen from the garage where the tank is located. But my pipes have never frozen and so I was just wondering. Thanks again.

you just need to keep the heat above about 50 to keep them from freezing. since you say you could be gone a week, then i would think you want electric heat for the safety. another option would be to install a hose bib at the lowest point of both the hot and cold lines. when you will be gone for a few days simply turn off teh water, open teh highest faucets, and then place a bucket under the hose bibs and open them to allow the lines to drain. leave both open while gone and close thjem before you turn teh water back on. don't forget to turn off teh WH before you do this!

I totally disagree about having to drain the pipes. Open all the sink cabinet doors and use space heaters. Find out if the weather is going to be clear as well as cold. If the sun is shining, your home will gain heat during the day through the windows. You also already have a warm thermal mass if the house was warm when the furnace quit and you have a basement. Your basement may not feel warm to you, but it is a far distance from freezing. It will help keep the pipes from freezing during these four days. If the weather is going to be cloudy or windy, the single digits are going to last well into the daytime, or the pipes are close to walls that are not well-insulated, then provide space heating nearby or get heat wrap for the pipes. You could also go to Lowe's or HD and get the foam insulation tubes that are split and fit right over the pipes. Unless your furnace was a hot water system that also provided your hot water, you also have the heat of the water heater to keep at east the hot lines and the fixtures and drains warm. We all should probably insulate those hot pipes, anyhow. Kerosene heaters give me the willies, I hear too much about people being asphyxiated by not venting them properly. I think electric is safer. Either way, someone has to stay home if you are running space heaters.

Blame it on the contractor, not the pipes themselves. In a cold climate, the exhaust vent pipes of any vent like the bath vent or kitchen vent should ALWAYS be insulated. Otherwise, when the moist warm air hits the smooth cool metal (and it should be rigid metal, not flex duct)you will get condensation, just like your iced tea glass in summer. You also need to check for moisture issues in and around the ducts since he didn't insulate. Running the vent may aggravate any moisture issues. It might be better to just let the taps run a bit to keep them from freezing. Believe it or not, we're having to do that down here well below the Mason Dixon. 9° this morning down in the holler.