Preventing Frozen Pipes

12/20/2018 (Permalink)

According to consumer reports, burst pipes are one of the most common causes of property damage during frigid weather and can cause thousands in water damage. Following are some tips to help prevent your pipes from freezing.

• Keep garage doors closed.
• If you open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors it will let warmer air circulate around those pipes.
• Let cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes.
• Leave the thermostat set to the same temperature no matter the time of day.
• Don't turn off your heat if you plan to be away during cold weather. Instead set it to a temperature that is no lower than 55 degrees.
• Add insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces.

If the above prevention methods don't work and you come across a frozen pipe here's what you need to do.

• Turn on a faucet. The water that flows through will help to melt the ice in the pipe.
• Apply heat to the section of pipe that is frozen using an electric hair dryer, electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, a portable space heater, or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. It is important that you DO NOT use any device with an open flame as this could start a fire.
• Apply heat until full water pressure is restored.
• Call a licensed plumber if you cannot locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you have trouble thawing the pipe.