How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Happy New Year everyone! As winter is now in full swing and we start off this year with below freezing temperatures, what better time than to discuss what to do if your pipes freeze. We will also share tips on how to prevent this potential disaster!
A burst pipe could result in thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home. With a burst pipe water will continue to flow into your home until the main water shut off valve is turned off. Oftentimes you don’t even know this is happening until the damage is done.
So while we brave these cold temperatures, it’s always best to heat any room that has pipes and plumbing fixtures in order to keep them from freezing. Foam or fiberglass insulation can also be purchased at hardware stores to wrap around any accessible water lines that may be in unheated areas. For cabinets and pipes located on outside walls, you can also leave the door open to allow heat from the room to reach them easily. Leaving the water running on a small, steady stream is also an option if you’ve experienced problems with freezing pipes in the past.
Tips to Do Before Freezing Temperatures Hit
- Inform members of the household where the main water shutoff valve is located
- Remove all garden hoses, shut off the interior valves to any exterior hose bibs and drain each hose bib of any residual water
- Ensure pipes located in unheated spaces are well insulated
- Seal up any gaps in openings around doors and windows where pipes are located
What happens if your pipes freeze?
First of all, don’t panic. And most importantly, never thaw frozen pipes using an open flame as this is an obvious safety hazard. Keep the faucet open. If you can locate the section of the frozen pipe, start the thawing process. I recommend the following methods for thawing:
- Hair dryer
- Heat tape
- Heat lamp
- Electric or radiator heaters
It’s important to note that if using light to thaw the pipes other than a heat lamp, incandescent bulbs work best as LED lights do not give off much heat. This will thaw the pipes more gradually than other methods. However, be sure to keep the bulb away from all combustible materials. And in a pinch, even using the exhaust vent on a vacuum cleaner or shop vac works to heat up pipes as well!
Remember that plumbing travels through much older areas of the structure than the living spaces. Because of this, it’s not possible to monitor the temperature of every area that has plumbing. So the most important thing you can do is ensure the interior temperature of your home stay warm enough to keep your pipes from freezing this winter. Stay warm!
Featured Image by G J Whitby from Pixabay