With winter
in full swing, staying warm and cozy is the top priority, especially during
winter storms and below freezing temperatures. With the frigid temperatures,
pipes can easily freeze, it difficult to stay warm and carry out everyday
tasks. If you’re experiencing colder than normal temperatures, it’s important
to keep an eye on your pipes to help avoid costly repairs.
Pipes Most Vulnerable to Freezing
Not all
pipes in your home are equally susceptible to freezing as others. The pipes in
your home that are exposed to outdoor, freezing temperatures are most
vulnerable to freezing. By draining these pipes, thoroughly insulating them,
and storing hoses inside will help decrease the chances of freezing.
Nonetheless,
keeping an eye on these pipes will help reduce the changes of freezing:
Outdoor hose
bibs
Pool supply
lines
Sprinkler
lines
Pipes in
unheated areas – attic, garage, basement, crawlspaces
Pipes along
an exterior wall
How to Tell if You Have Frozen Pipes
The easiest
way to tell if you have frozen pipes is if you have no water supply coming out
of your sink or if the water pressure from the water supply line is slowly
trickling out. If your water supply is slowly trickling out but still aren’t
sure if your pipes are frozen, look out for these signs:
Frost on the
outside of exposed pipes
Low
temperatures for long periods of time – the longer there are below freezing
temperatures (32 degrees), the chances of your pipes freezing increases
What to Do About Frozen Pipes
If you
notice frozen pipes in your home, it’s important to act fast. The faster your
frozen pipes are thawed, the less damage there will be. While waiting for your local plumber, give
these thawing tips a try:
Keep your
heat turned up in your home (especially when the temperatures are hitting 10
degrees and lower). Some people like it cooler at night and turn down their
heat, but it gets even colder in the night and this is when the unimaginable
happens with frozen and burst pipes.
Open up
cabinets in your home under sinks to allow for the warm heated air to circulate
the pipes under sinks.
Prevention
Tip: You can also turn on a trickle of warmer water through your pipes to help
prevent them freezing. Some people do this at night or when temperatures are
brutal.
Feel free to
add a space heater in troublesome areas of your home like the basement or where
a fixture seems to be just trickling out water.
If you have
an isolated frozen line,
for example kitchen sink, you could attempt to use a hair dry and blow hot air
on the pipe.
Never use a
direct heat source such as a torch or flame to try heating pipes, especially in
walls. People have attempted this and have burnt down their homes using this
type of method.
If you
notice frozen pipes in your home, give Plumbing 911 a call today at (866)
720-0911.
