If you reside in a region that might get a lot of freezing weather such as ice and snow, then you are likely to be used to what frozen water lines in your house can do. A quick or prolonged drop in temperature, more so in the night time hours, may catch you unprepared when you have not winterized your home water pipes.
Freezing water in the lines on the exterior or in the crawlspace of your residence will be disastrous enough, but when you have water pipes freeze and rupture inside the residence, it can be even more damaging. While water is inside pipes and the temperature drops enough to begin freezing, the frozen water grows bigger and will crack a pipe or cause it to come lose where there is a joint. This is not an issue as long as the water remains frozen. After the temperature gets above freezing and the frozen water becomes liquid again is what creates the real problem.
If you have not realized that a line has frozen and is busted, as the frozen water thaws adequately to let the water flow return, this is when certain flooding will happen. If you are away from the house, then you know what that means.
If you have a line to explode suddenly, cut off the valve to that pipe if there is one, but more than likely you may need to shut off all the water to your home. The faster you can turn the water off, the less flooding you will have to clean up. When appliances or any electrical things are getting soaked, turn off the electricity first, then the water. After you get the water off, clean up the flood as fast as you possibly can to prevent harm to your floors, walls, appliances, cabinets, and furniture.
If being a plumber is a skill you do not possess, then you must engage one. When you are lucky, you will only have a single pipe that has frozen and burst, but many times there could be more than one. Examine all of the pipes before turning any water back on and especially under the residence and in attics and basements.
Stopping frozen pipes is the solution to not having this issue. Pipes that are exposed to very cold temperatures similar to those in the crawlspace of the residence, in your attic, or outside faucets, need to be wrapped with special insulation or heat tape that will prevent the lines from getting frozen. Inside the home, opening cabinet doors so that warm air can get to pipes should help as well. Disconnect water hoses and sprinklers outside and shut off their water supply. Drain the lines of any water that remains in them.
This is all too common in the dead of winter time when people do not prepare the way that they should to avoid this situation. A little work ahead of time and a little money well spent can save you everything from some slight aggravation to a really big disaster.
It is always a good thing to have a check list that you can use on a regular basis to keep your home safe guarded against sudden water damage. This should include making sure anywhere inside or outside your home that has water coming in or going out is kept in good repair. All pipes, appliances, spigots, the roof, windows and doors. All of these things have potential to allow water damage if things go wrong.
Winter time is an especially risky time for water damage due to pipes freezing. People who have owned homes for a long time probably already know about safe guarding against pipe freezing. This kind of water damage usually occurs during the night when temperatures dip to their lowest degree.
While you are sleeping, pipes can be freezing, which causes the water to expand resulting sometimes in busted pipes. When the water thaws is usually when you find out there is a busted pipe somewhere. Sometimes it can be inside, sometimes outside.
Most commonly it will be in the crawl space under the house, a basement, or spigot outside. They can also burst under sinks, toilets, and tubs, and appliances. What a mess, especially if it takes time to get the water turned off.
Being prepared for freezing weather is the best solution to avoid this particular water damage. Copper and PVC pipes are prone to burst when frozen while holding water. A crack as small as an eighth of an inch can spew out up to 250 gallons of water in a day.
This can be prevented by pipe insulation in the crawl space of your home and also the attic. The more they are insulated the more they are protected. Thermostatically controlled cables or heat tape can be used also. Follow manufacturer's directions carefully with the cables. Sealing any place where cold air can seep in is essential.
Caulking, weather stripping, and insulation are all helpful things to use. Remember to disconnect garden hoses and turn off any water valves possible that lead to pipes going into the house. Using these precautions can prevent some really nasty water damage.
Both Dror Klar & Jim Corkern 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.
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