Frozen Pipes: What to Do & How to Prevent Them

Are you concerned that a sudden cold snap could result in frozen pipes in your home? Winter storms may knock out electricity and trap people inside their houses. With the potential of a weeks-long cold storm, it's essential to take action now to avoid future difficulties, even if your property has evaded harm in the past.

Extremely cold temperatures may cause water in pipes to freeze very quickly. It creates substantial internal pressure, resulting in tiny beaches that allow dangerous leaks to escape into the environment. A ruptured pipe might also cause water to pour down the walls and ceilings, causing hundreds, if not thousands of pounds in water damage.

For individuals who have never seen flooding caused by a burst pipe, it is critical to defrost them immediately upon discovery. If water is allowed to freeze within a pipe, it expands and exerts substantial pressure on the pipe's interior. Regardless of the material or strength of the pipe, there is a finite amount of time available to avert tragedy before it occurs.

Methods for Preventing Pipe Freeze

Exposure to Heat

The most important thing to remember is to keep your pipes adequately heated during the winter. It requires eliminating cold air from your home or supplying warm air to your icy pipes. Take care not to disconnect any interior pipes from the heat source in that dwelling location to achieve this result. The cabinet doors should be closed on both sides to keep plumbing that runs along an exterior wall through a kitchen or bathroom vanity cooler. 

On the other hand, you may leave them slightly ajar so that they will warm up along with the rest of the room while your HVAC system is in operation. This winter, you're putting in space heaters to run on low in trouble spots that aren't going to do any harm.

Recognize the Plumbing in Your Home

Establishing the locations of your plumbing pipes and water shutdown valves is the first step in preparing for a potential catastrophe. Always keep the main water shut down valve handy in case of an emergency. (The placement may vary depending on the age of your property, but start by looking in the garage, basement, or laundry room, as well as perhaps underground in your yard.) A professional should perform annual maintenance of your heating and plumbing systems to ensure that you are aware of and can repair small issues before they become more serious problems down the line.

Keep the Water Flowing via the Pipes

If cold weather is forecast, keeping the water flowing at a steady rate will help to prevent pipes from freezing. It is possible to do this by running water through faucets regularly, especially those exposed, such as those placed outside. Allowing the water in the pipes to drip off and on will help to keep them from freezing.

Again, during a cold spell, it is not a good idea to lower the thermostat at night to save money on your heating cost.

Seal any cracks or holes where pipes go through walls or floors to prevent cold air from entering. Are air leaks present around electrical cables, dryer vents, and pipes? Caulk or insulate to keep chilly draughts out - even a tiny gap may allow enough cold air to enter to cause a pipe to freeze.

Pipes that have frozen should be unfrozen. The main water supply should be shut off. During the defrosting process, it is necessary to limit the water flow. If you live in an older, unrenovated property, this tap is generally found near the water meter, the boiler – either inside or outside – or below the kitchen sink or the bath.

Warm Water May be Used to Defrost Frozen Pipe Joints

A variety of ways may be used to accomplish this, beginning with a hot water bottle filled with warm to hot water and fastened to a frozen section of the pipeline. A second option is to run warm water over the frozen pipe to thaw it. Be careful not to use hot water as this would cause it to burst.