As we move into the winter months and cooler temperatures, make sure to keep an eye on your water pipes and plumbing. Frozen pipes that break or burst can cause expensive water damage. Even a small tear in a water pipe can pour hundreds of gallons of water each minute into your home or residence. As many homeowners take time over the winter holidays to visit family and travel, it’s important to know what preventative measures you can take to help prevent frozen or burst pipes. Here are just a few tips to prevent frozen pipes.
When temperatures are consistently at or below freezing:
- If you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing, turn water off at the source and empty the pipes of residual water.
- Open cabinet doors to expose pipes to warmer room temperatures to help keep them from freezing.
If your pipes freeze:
- Shut off the water immediately. Don't attempt to thaw frozen pipes unless the water is shut off. Freezing can often cause unseen cracks in pipes or joints.
- Apply heat to the frozen pipe by warming the air around it, or by applying heat directly to a pipe. You can use a hair dryer, space heater or hot water. Avoid the use of kerosene heaters and open flames, and do not leave space heaters unattended.
- Once the pipes have thawed, turn the water back on slowly and check for cracks and leaks.
Frozen Pipes
