Don’t Let Pipes Freeze - and Steps to Take If They Do
Atlanta - What’s worse than a major home maintenance disaster? Try several major home maintenance disasters at once. When a house’s water pipes freeze, the situation is not as simple as calling a plumber. A 1/ 8- inch crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day, causing flooding, serious structural damage, and the immediate potential for mold.
Frozen water pipes are a problem in both cold and warmer climates, affecting a quarter- million families each winter, and it can happen in homes with both plastic and copper pipes. It’s all too common, especially considering this damage is largely preventable.
In addition to taking the usual preventive precautions, here are a few steps you can take to keep your pipes from turning frigid nights into inconvenient, and expensive ordeals. When the mercury plummets Even if you’ve taken the right preventative steps, extreme weather conditions can still harm your pipes. Here are a few more steps you can take:
A trickle of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. Let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.
Keep your thermostat set at the same temperature during both day and night. You might be in the habit of turning down the heat when you’re asleep, but further drops in the temperature—more common overnight— could catch you off guard and freeze your pipes.
Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un- insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls. Before you skip town Travelling in the winter months might be good for the soul, but don’t forget to think about your pipes before you leave. What can you do?
Set the thermostat in your house no lower than 55° F ( 12° C).
Ask a friend or neighbor to check your house daily to make sure it’s warm enough to prevent freezing.
Shut off and drain the water system. Be aware that if you have a fire protection sprinkler system in your house, it may be deactivated when you shut off the water. If your pipes do freeze What if your pipes still freeze, despite your best preventive measures? First step: Don’t panic. Just because they’re frozen doesn’t mean they’ve already burst. 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 using 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. Make sure everyone in your family knows where the water shutoff valve is and how to open and close it.