Why don water towers freeze solid in the winter?
Many people who read How Water Towers Work have the following question: “Why, in a place like Montana or North Dakota, do water towers not freeze solid in the winter?” To answer this question, we need an expert. Malcolm Jackson is the Business Development Manager for the tank maintenance company Utility Service Co., Inc. The company has home offices in Perry, GA, and has thousands of elevated tanks under full-service maintenance contracts in 17 states. Here is Malcolm’s answer to the question: They do freeze. They just don’t normally freeze solid. In the more extreme climates, like North Dakota, engineers incorporate heating systems into the tank design. Specifically, the central pipe that runs from ground level up into the bottom of the tank is called a riser. Water is pumped into the base of the riser and allowed to rise into the tank. Many tank risers are wrapped with heat tape, covered with insulation
