Preventing Frozen Pipes
Until recently, not many people have been too concerned about freezing temperatures (or pipes for that mater!), but with temperatures dropping below freezing for most of the country, everybody should be concerned about it! Taking preventative measures can save you tens of thousands of dollars on bursting pipes! It is going to be a long winter, Chicago, take care of eliminating these risks, now.
Back home in Alaska, this is something we deal with a lot so I'm a bit of an expert and don't want this to happen to you.
- Turn on all of your faucets and let a trickle of hot and cold water run throughout the night. If it were me I would turn the faucet on Fri and leave them all running with trickles through Sun to be safe.
- Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both the day and night. Ideally it should be at or above 68 degrees (I keep mine between 70 - 72 degrees on days I'm afraid the pipes will freeze). You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but we recommend keeping the heat up over the next few days.
- Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances, especially any plumbing on exterior walls where pipes are most likely to freeze. So open your kitchen cabinet sink doors, any bathroom sink cabinet doors, etc.
First step: Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst which is the concern. Here’s what you can do:
- If you turn on your faucets and nothing comes out, leave the faucets turned on and call a plumber.
- Do not use electrical appliances in areas of standing water: You could be electrocuted.
- Never try to thaw a pipe with a torch or other open flame because it could cause a fire hazard. Water damage is preferable to burning down your house!
- You may be able to thaw a frozen pipe with the warm air from a hair dryer. Start by warming the pipe as close to the faucet as possible, working toward the coldest section of pipe.
- If your water pipes have already burst, turn off the water at the main shutoff valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on then call a plumber. In advance of pipes freezing, make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it.
- If you need the names of plumbers, drywall repair people, etc. just let me know.
Where the trouble lies
“Some pipes are more prone to freezing than others because of their location in the home,” explains Paul Abrams, spokesman for Roto-Rooter.
Pipes most at risk for freezing include:
- Exposed pipes in unheated areas of the home.
- Pipes located in exterior walls.
- Any plumbing on the exterior of the home.
Preventative measures for outside
A frozen garden hose can cause more damage than a busted hose; it can actually burst an interior pipe. When the water in the hose freezes, it expands, increasing pressure throughout the whole plumbing system. As part of your regular seasonal maintenance, garden hoses should be disconnected, drained, and stored before the first hard freeze.
If you don’t have frost-proof spigots, close the interior shut-off valve leading to that faucet, open and drain the spigot, and install a faucet insulator. They cost only a couple bucks and are worth every penny. Don’t forget, outdoor kitchens need winterizing, too, to prevent damage.
Exposed interior plumbing
Exposed pipes in the basement are rarely in danger of freezing because they are in a heated portion of the home. But plumbing pipes in an unheated area, such as an attic, crawl space, and garage, are at risk of freezing.
Often, inexpensive foam pipe insulation is enough for moderately cold climates. For severe climes, opt for wrapping problem pipes with thermostatically controlled heat tape (from $50 to $200, depending on length), which will turn on at certain minimum temps.
Under-insulated walls
If pipes traveling in exterior walls have frozen in the past (tell-tale signs include water damage, mold, and moisture build-up), it’s probably because of inadequate or improperly installed insulation. It might well be worth the couple hundred dollars it costs to open up the wall and beef up the insulation.
When nothing else works, say for a northern wall in a really cold climate, the last resort is to reroute a pipe. Depending on how far the pipe needs to be moved — and how much damage is caused in the process — this preventative measure costs anywhere from $700 on up. Of course, putting the room back together is extra.
Heading south for the winter?
For folks leaving their houses for an extended period of time in winter, additional preventative measures must be taken to adequately protect the home from frozen pipes.
- Make sure the furnace is set no lower than 65 degrees.
- Shut off the main water supply and drain the system by opening all faucets and flushing the toilets.
In extreme situations (vacation home in a bitterly cold climate), Abrams recommends having a plumber come to inspect the system, drain the hot water heater, and perhaps replace the water in traps and drains with nontoxic antifreeze.
Did your pipes burst?
Here’s a list of trusted plumbers in the Denver metro area –
Bernie’s Plumbing: 303.442.7060
Kevin and Tanya | Stead Fast Plumbing: 303.920.1102
Source: Houselogic
