A study of factors affecting the ice nucleation temperature in a domestic water supply

The ice nuclation temperature in a typical water supply was measured and found in general to be in the range of —4° to —7°C. This amount of supercooling is very significant in a water main in that it will have a major effect on the way in which a pipe freezes. The effects of the temperature-time history of the water, of the presence of certain nuclating agents and of mechanical vibration on the nucleation temperature were determined and were related to the behaviour of undissolved particulate matter in the water. In addition to determining the nucleation temperature in a water supply under various conditions this study also serves to illustrate some of the phenomena that can be expected in general when hetergeneous nucleation occurs.