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[F916]Frozen Pipes What To Do

by Scott Rodgers, Sco

Let's face it, chances are there's been one or two times when you have left the house for a few days and forgotten to leave the power on. Most likely, you left during the fall and the weather wasn't too bad, but while you were a way the temperatures plummeted down to freezing. I have to admit to it happening once or twice, I was so looking forward to getting away for a long weekend and when the weather changed on the Sunday evening, I was really worried by the time I got home that the pipes would have not only frozen but burst.

I was fortunate, but resolved to never do that in the future. A broken pipe can make a huge mess and destroy not only furniture and carpet, but can also cause rot and mold as ithe water dissipates through the floor boards.

There are a number of things you can do to make sure this never happens to you. The first is to insulate any pipes that are exposed to the elements, particularly those under the house and those located within uninsulated exterior walls. This will not only help you stave off a flooding disaster, but will also save you significant amounts of money in lost heat from the pipes.

If you live in an area where it is frequently below freezing, over the winter, it's a good idea to empty your irrigation system and hose and coil up your hose and hang it up. It's simple to empty a hose, but a whole irrigation system could be more difficult. Some systems have a draining mechanism, and if you know you're going to have to drain it, this is an important consideration before buying it.

Inside, it is a good idea to always leave a tap dripping slowly. This goes against all the advice for saving water, but if you live in an area where your pipes are likely to freeze, you're going to have to do this as moving water is much harder to freeze than still water. In the case that you're going to be away for awhile and the weather will go below freezing, you'll have to drain the water from your pipes. However, if you live in an area where the tempertaures drop to around freezing, just make sure you keep your heating half on in your house so that the water doesn't freeze, as well as leaving a single tap dripping if needs be.

If you've just moved to the area and you're not sure which option is best, then ask your neighbours and they'll be able to tell you which of these precautions are required.

And if you are at home and you're worried that your pipes may be freezing, you can use a heater or a hair dryer to warm them. And if you're worried that they may have frozen, but have not burst, which means that you probably don't have water coming through the relevant valves, ring a plumber immediately to come and assess the best thing to do so as to avoid the pipes bursting, and while you're waiting for the plumber to arrive, lay down some towels and have some buckets at the ready. If the water has frozen, and there appears to be a weakness in the pipes, warming the water may only cause the frozen water to leak through the damaged pipes and cause a significant problem.

Homeowners take note – in addition keeping your fireplace clean and your sidewalks shoveled, take care of your water pipes this winter. Water expands when frozen which means during the cold winter months, the water in pipes could be a potential danger. If that water freezes and expands, it could cause that pipe to burst resulting in thousands of dollars in damages and repair costs.

If you own your home or any building take care to follow these tips:

Preventing water damage caused by broken water pipes

· Know where and how to shut-off the water supply to your home or building.
· If your power goes out and the water does not seem to be running properly, turn off the main water valve that leads into your home. Then turn on all the faucets in your home until all the water is out. This will relieve the pressure in the pipe system making it less likely that they will freeze or crack.
· Make sure the doors to your garage are closed when the temperatures dip – pipes will stay up to 20 degrees warmer if the door stays closed, even if it is not heated space.
· If your family plans to leave for an extended period of time, leave your heat on at a maintained 55°F or higher to reduce the chance of your pipes freezing should the temperatures drop. If the temperatures are expected to be bad, you may also want to have a friend drop by to check on your home while you are gone.
· Additionally, if you will be gone for a long time, open bathroom and kitchen cabinets where the pipes are located to allow the warm air in your home to circulate around the plumbing and let the water trickle out of your faucets.

If your water pipes freeze and break:

· Shut off the main water valve and turn on the faucet to the pipe you suspect has frozen to help relieve pressure and potentially melt anything that remains frozen in the pipe.
· If accessible, safely check the pipe for any cracks, breaks, or leaks.
· If the pipe is clearly frozen, you can try to warm the pipe by blowing hot air from a hair dryer on the spot where the pipe is cracked. This is primarily useful for smaller pipes that are easy to get to.
· Call a restoration specialist to have them assess the damage and take immediate action. A specialist will have experience with different types of water damage issues that may be associated with broken pipes. They should be able to help you assess the damages the broken pipe and water have caused and quickly clean up the mess. Most will give you guidance on how to avoid any future mold damage that may be associated with excessive water, as well.

Ultimately, a broken water pipe is something that can be fixed with some time and know how. The reasons for preventing it from happening are twofold. The first is the simple expense of having to fix plumbing pipes and damages associated with it. It wastes homeowner time and money. The second reason is that a broken pipe has the potential to take much more than that. Most broken pipes occur in basements, garages, kitchens and bathrooms. These places contain valuable possessions – old photographs, financial documents, home movies – things that would break your heart if you lost them. A document restoration service could help you get some of those things back. Advances in freeze drying techniques and document recovery systems make fixing wet documents and photos easier than it has ever been before. But some items may be too far gone to be fixed. And that could be devastating.

So take some precautions to ensure you don't have to battle water damage this winter. Take care of your pipes. Have a restoration specialist at the ready should a problem arise. Enjoy some peace of mind.

~Flora Richards-Gustafson

Article Source : teenage health tips

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Both Scott Rodgers & Flora Richards-gustafson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Scott Rodgers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Kitchen Home Improvement and Health. Scott Rodgers is a plumber with many years of experience in the most effective ways to avoid disasters. For more information visit. Scott Rodgers's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Flora Richards-gustafson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Recreation and Sports, Health and Elder Care. Flora invites you to read more and how Rapid Refile is helping major organizations recovery their. Flora Richards-gustafson's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.