How to Protect Your Pipes from Freezing

 

 

As summer draws to a close, you may be thinking about the coming winter. Is your home ready for the first frost? You can learn how to protect your pipes from freezing before it’s too late.

 But, How to Protect Your Pipes from Freezing?!

Over a quarter of a million homes experience frozen pipes each winter. Not only are frozen pipes expensive to repair, but your home and contents may also be ruined. In a matter of minutes, a one-eighth-inch crack can release 250 gallons of water and disrupt your life in ways you may never imagine. 

Sub-zero temperatures and cold winds can wreak havoc on your water pipes if they’re not protected. What can you do now to prepare for that first frost to ensure your pipes don’t freeze and burst this year? 

·         Know where the main water shut-off valve is in your home. This will enable you to shut the water off to the house should one of the pipes freeze and burst. The quicker you can get the water shut off, the less damage will be done. This will also give you time to call the plumber for help. (You can find out many more about fixing pipe leaking, by clicking here!)

 

·         Find out where the water pipes are located in your home. In most cases, they will be in the crawl space under your home or possibly in your attic. Once you’ve found exposed pipes, wrap them with insulation. The more protective insulation you can wrap around them, the less likely they are to freeze and burst. 

·         In extremely cold temperatures, you may also want to use thermostatically controlled heat cables. These can be wrapped around the insulation and should only be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions for installing them. Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. independently tests and approves these cables; be sure to use only those which have been UL approved. 

·         Take the time to seal up any leaks around the pipes, which may be allowing cold air into the area where the pipes are exposed. This could mean checking around electrical wiring, which comes through the walls, dryer vents, and the pipes themselves. Use flexible insulation, caulk, or a can of expandable foam insulation. By blocking as much air as possible, you’ll lessen the chance of the pipes bursting. 

·         Disconnect and remove any garden hoses that won’t be used during the winter. Turn the valve off to the spigot and drain all of the water from the faucet. 

·         If you must leave a faucet active for whatever reason, remove the garden hose between uses. You can also put an insulated cap over the faucet to keep it from freezing. 

·         When the temperatures are expected to get especially frigid, leave a trickle of hot and cold water running, in at least one sink that is on an outside wall. This may be just enough to avoid freezing pipes.

 

·         Allow cabinet doors with un-insulated pipes under them to remain open. This will allow the warm air from the house to heat the pipes and keep the pipes from freezing.

         Keep the thermostat to your home set no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit even if you’re not going to be home. Then ask family or a neighbor to check on your home periodically while you’re gone to ensure the temperature doesn’t fall too low. 

No one wants to experience a burst water pipe. By getting ready for the first frost, you’ll be well on your way to avoiding one.

But what if the pipes still freeze?

    Remember that well-insulated water pipes can freeze if we do not protect them properly, so it would be good to follow these tips.

The first step in defrosting water pipes is to locate the problem. Many times, the problem may be with a faucet, but if you notice that none of them works, then the problem could move to the meter.

Carefully check the pipes near the meter, and if a certain portion feels extremely cold, it is very possible that you have located the problem.

    If there is a portion of the pipe that is not well insulated, there is a high probability that the problem is exactly on that surface. Also, check the pipes in the exterior walls, because the problem can occur there as well.

    Frozen water pipes. Once you have located the problem, our advice is not to try to heat that portion using an open flame or boiling water.

Due to the large temperature difference, the pipe may crack, and the damage you cause will be much greater.

It is advisable to open the valves so that the pressure during the defrosting process is released.

If you turn on the tap and a little water flows, then things are not so bad. In this case, turn on the hot water taps in the house, to create a balance and remove that blockage. The water pipes will heat up, and the blockage will also melt soon.

 The hair dryer is the best way to defrost an ice-water pipe because the temperature difference is not that big.

When you can't find the blockage or when the pipe is frozen on a larger surface because it is not insulated, we advise you to arm yourself patiently with a hair dryer. The operation will take some time, but you will be able to solve the problem.

After defrosting the pipe, use insulation these pipes. You can also use an electric heating strip that is provided with a thermostat, and when temperatures drop below 0 degrees Celsius, the pipes will be heated automatically.

Test it on your hand, and if the temperature can withstand it, then it will be fine for frozen pipes.

 If you have any questions or would like to help with advice, feel free to leave a comment and I will answer as soon as I can. 

Thanks!