05 December

How to Deal With Frozen Pipes

Like the famous “Game of Thrones” line, winter is coming and the cold is starting to become heavier by the day. In addition to donning warm clothing, you should also prepare your water supply lines before it freezes, since we know from scientific studies that water expands when it freezes.

A frozen pipe means tremendous pressure in the pipe which can cause it to burst and create serious flooding in the area. Not to mention the damage caused by this incident can cost thousands of dollars apart from the difficulty of the thawing process. Also, the cold temperatures of winter bring us to the holiday season and adds extra stress if you have guests over with completely frozen pipes.

Steps to Prevent Frozen Pipes

The best way to prevent frozen pipes is to make sure the area is warm enough that the temperature doesn’t drop below freezing. It is better to prepare your water supply pipes for the winter rather than thawing pipes after winter. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you manage your plumbing system, especially the ones on exterior walls in the winter and prepare for thawing frozen pipes.

Have Your Water Heater Checked

This is the season where you should have your water heater checked by a professional to make sure it won’t give up on you in the cold weather. The plumber would need to drain the water in the entire house plumbing system as hot water can cool down in the pipes and sit there to freeze overnight in the winter.

Check Your Water Valves and Pipes for Insulation

One way to prepare your pipes is to turn off the outside water valves. Experts say that when the temperature drops below the freezing point, it is possible to have burst pipes. ruptured  Make sure to turn off every outside water valve, and open the bleeder cap on the shutoff valve to drain the water.

You can also let your faucets drain water overnight when the temperature drops, as this will help decrease the pressure build-up in your home’s pipes. Allowing the faucet to drip can prevent pipes from bursting and encourage water flow. If you have hot and cold water pipes, you can open both faucet taps a bit. Disconnect all hoses from the faucets as well, whether inside or outside your house and drain them to prevent cracking.

In addition, preparing your pipes for the winter means purchasing a thick layer of insulation if you have uninsulated pipes inside or outside your house. Most insulating tubes are made of polyethylene or fibreglass and are accessible for purchase through a hardware store or on the internet. You can do this by yourself or call a plumbing service to ensure better wrapping and a clearer diagnosis of your pipes.

Get Those Cracks and Leaks Fixed

Take a look outside of your house and see if there are any gaps or cracks on the exterior wall. Check for your floors if there are any pipes that run through floors and walls. Those cracks let in cold air and it can cool the pipes even more. This is the simplest measure to thaw frozen pipes. Rim joists are also likely to be affected by outside temperature, and you can insulate these using expandable foam. Once you locate those cracks and holes, just use a caulking or spray foam insulation to fill the gaps.

Pipe leaks require attention in addition to the necessity to inspect walls. Any existing leaks have to be repaired. Open those cabinets under the sink in your home, and check. Every leak is a weak spot and it can cause problems for your home’s system once the winter temperature kicks in. Take note that it can also be quite expensive to fix and highly inconvenient. Make sure to call a professional to get the job done and save yourself some time and money.

Pro tip: Go for heating tapes

If you are unfamiliar with heating pad, it functions like blankets for your pipes, supplying heat directly to keep them warm. Often,they are used to wrap exposed pipes. There are two kinds of tape: the automatic heating tape, which turns on and off by itself, and the manual heating tape, which needs to be plugged in if heat is needed and does not have a switch.

Read through the instructions carefully and follow them step-by-step as these can be dangerous and might cause house fires.

Travel Without Any Worries

The holiday season entails travelling to other places with your family and friends, and if you have an itinerary planned, you wouldn’t want to come home with a burst pipe and a frozen area in your home. Make sure that this doesn’t happen as it can lead to expensive and serious damage.

Before shutting off the main water valve completely, you can drain your pipes first, or you can leave the water on with the heater set to a high temperature to keep it warm. The temperature does not need to be too high, however, it can be set above 50 F to provide enough heat. If you have someone to watch your house for you, inform them to keep the heat on to prevent the pipes from freezing.

Also, if you are taking your car with you and you have water lines in your garage, insulate the garage doors or install a portable heater in the garage to maintain warm air. Properly seal your windows and keep the garage doors closed to prevent the cold air outside and not from seeping through open areas in your house so the pipes in your garage can stay warm.

Pro Tip: Remember Your Hose Bibs

These are often left forgotten and might burst without you even knowing it. Remember to drain the water flowing in your hose bibs and insulate them with covers before deactivating them.

These are only a few tips to help you prepare your plumbing for winter effectively and efficiently. If you can do it yourself, do it as soon as possible to save you some time and effort in the holidays. However, if you wish to have someone else take a look at your home’s pipes, don’t hesitate to call up a plumbing service.

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