Winter is here and that means for many homeowners they have been preparing their homes for the freezing weather ahead. One of the most crucial areas of a home to winterize are the plumbing pipes. By following these steps, you can save yourself and family a lot of headaches, as frozen pipes can be a dangerous and costly problem.

Once the weather drops to the freezing point, water within your pipes may start to freeze, creating ice.  As the ice expands it may cause excess pressure on your pipe until it cannot withstand the ice any longer and burst. A quick and simple way to see if your pipes are starting to freeze it to turn on your faucets. If the faucet only produces a trickle of water, then there is a chance of thawing them early enough before the pipes burst. If your pipes are frozen you may notice frost on the outside of your pipes due to ice on the inside, causing no water to run when from the pipes when turned on. You may also notice an odor coming from your drains due to an ice blockage. If you notice signs of frozen pipes you will want to reach out to your local plumber immediately to prevent a bigger issue like a burst pipe.

Pipes can freeze whether they are made of plastic or steel but the types of pipes that are most susceptible to freeze and burst are water sprinkler lines, outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines and it’s not always safe to bet that indoor plumbing is any safer. The plumbing that is inside your house within unheated areas are more vulnerable to cause problems due to lack of insulation; these areas include attics, basements, crawl spaces, garages, or exterior walls. If you find a frozen pipe in your house reach out to a plumber near you to prevent more damage such as a burst pipe or water damage.  

HOW TO PREVENT FROZEN PIPES IN YOUR HOME

1.                   Be Familiar with Your Plumbing

The first step in preventing frozen pipes is to identify where your plumbing pipes run and to know where your water shut-off valves are located and that they are easily accessible in case of an emergency (usually located in garage, basement, laundry room or possibly in your yard).

2.                   Drain and Open Lines in The Fall

All outdoor water lines connected to swimming pools and sprinkler systems should be completely drained during the fall months so that when winter arrives no water or moisture is left inside the pipe to expand and burst the pipe. Next remove and drain hoses and shut off valves to outdoor hose bibs.

3.                   Insulate!!!

Any of your water pipes that are in unheated areas should be well insulated to help maintain temperatures that drop to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below to prevent freezing of your pipes. There are tons of pipe insulation options depending on where the pipe is located.

4.                   Seal Leaks

Anytime cold air sneaks into your house through cracks it can sometimes freeze any exposed pipes. If you notice any drafts around your door frames, windows, vents or other areas it is best to get them sealed up before the freezing weather comes. There are a bunch of different products that you can find at your local hardware store to use such as caulk, weather stripping and spray foam.

5.                   Run A Bit of Water

It’s a great idea to consider opening a few faucets slightly to allow a drip of water to flow though the pipes overnight during severe cold.

6.                   Heat Exposure

One of the best things you can do is to make sure your pipes stay warm throughout the winter season.  If you are planning to leave town it is best to keep your heat on incase it goes below the freezing point, so you don’t have to deal with the possibility of freezing pipes or them bursting. It’s better to have a regular gas bill then a flooded home.

7.                   Regular Plumbing Maintenance

It is always a good idea to schedule regular plumbing maintenance. Having a plumbing technician perform a regular seasonal inspection can help you identify any potential problems before they arise.

 

HOW TO THAW FROZEN PIPES

It’s always best to deal with frozen pipes as quick as possible to minimize any water damage to your home.

 

1.       Locate Frozen Pipe

First thing to do is to go throughout your home and open all your faucets, if any produce just a trickle of water, then this is a sign of a frozen pipe somewhere between the faucet and the water source. Starting with the plumbing closest to the faucet follow the line with your hands every few feet to find the coldest pipes which will most likely holding the ice.

2.       Shut Off Water

Now is the time to shut off the water supply to the frozen pipe, or you can shut of the water to the whole house. It is important to do this so when the frozen pipes do thaw it is just a small amount of water left in the pipe to clean up so be prepared with a bucket and mop to catch the frozen water that has thawed.

3.       Open Faucets

Next drain all the remaining water in the house by opening all faucets (sink, shower & tub) and flush each toilet once.

4.       Apply Heat

Now it is time to apply heat to the frozen sections of pipe using a hair dryer, space heater, electric heating pad or even hot wet towels. No matter what, don’t ever use extreme heat or an open flame to thaw out frozen pipes as it can cause serious injuries or an explosion.

5.       Slowly Restore Water

Now you are ready to turn the water back on throughout your house. Once you slowly turn the water back on go and look for any leaks. If you do spot a leak, shut the water back off and call a plumber ASAP. Close valves and faucets left open from step one.

6.       Check for Leaks

After a frozen pipe has thawed, turn the water back on very slowly while watching carefully for any leaks. Be prepared to turn your water off at the master valve in case of a leak.

 

CONTACT US TODAY

 

If you are concerned that your pipes may be vulnerable to the upcoming cold temperatures, please feel free to contact us at 844-247-7668 for any advice or recommendations to prevent you pipes from freezing. Here at RootBusters Plumbing we believe in honesty, integrity, and professionalism in the field of plumbing work. We provide the ultimate customer service while maintaining the most economic process for plumbing work in town.