Did you know a burst pipe can cost more than $5,000.00, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety? Every winter, Lamunyon Dry Out & Foundation Repair will get several calls as a result of frozen pipes. If not the winter, then spring, when we tend to let our guard down. If this has ever happened to you, you know the mess it can cause as well as the damage! From pinhole leaks in copper lines to the big split of a PVC pipe, it’s a disaster either way. Are there some easy and preventable things you can do?
There are several factors as to HOW this all can happen. Ironically, the better you insulate the ceiling and the floor, the more you put pipes in those areas at risk. So what can you do? The easiest thing to do is insulate with foam sleeves. They slip over pipes easily. The ones you need to worry about the most include:
- Exposed pipes in unheated areas of the home (attic, crawl spaces, garage)
- Pipes are located in the exterior walls.
- Any plumbing on the exterior of the home.
Freeze Proofing Your Pipes
Waking up to a snow-covered picture landscape may be the winter dream, but in recent years, things like polar vortices have made the cold and freezing temps near unbearable. Snowball that with blizzardy conditions so intense they garner their own names-we’re looking at you, Snowmageddon, Snowzilla, and Snowpocalypse-and winter can be a stressful time of year. Making it just a little bit worse? Frozen pipes.
When outdoor temperatures drop below freezing, the water inside your pipes can freeze. Water expands when frozen, which increases the pressure on your pipes, causing them to burst. And that leads to home and property damage-not to mention a whole bunch of headaches you don’t need. Before you pack up your possessions and head south with the geese, the following tips can help prevent bitterly cold temperatures from wreaking havoc on your home.
Frozen Pipe Prevention Tips
- Set the temp: Don’t let your thermostat drop below 55 degrees F in the winter-that includes when you’re leaving town or will be away from home for an extended period of days.
- Shut the door: If you have water lines running through your garage, be sure to keep the doors closed to help maintain warmer internal temps.
- Wrap them up: Make sure pipes are properly insulated, especially those near exterior walls and in attics or crawl spaces or in areas where there’s a greater chance of exposure to freezing temperatures.
- Turn off Eternals: Since you’re likely not using them anyway, detach and store external hoses and shut off exterior water valves to sprinkler systems and exterior faucets.
- Check for leaks: If air is sneaking in around or near pipes, make sure to seal the area to avoid pipes coming in direct contact with the cold.
- Let the heat flow: Pipes are often tucked away behind cabinets against exterior walls, making heating tricky when temperatures are brutally cold; open cabinets and doors to allow more heat into the area.
- Let it drip: If temperatures are going to plummet overnight, turn on faucets (hot and cold) near exterior walls to a small trickle. Running the water through the pipe throughout the night will make the water more difficult to freeze.
- Move it: If you’ve experienced frozen pipes in your home during past winters, work with a professional regarding options for relocating the pipe for future freeze prevention.
- Prevent a furnace breakdown: Make sure it’s in tip-top shape. The best time for pipes to freeze is for your furnace to quit in the middle of the night or while you’re at work. Save yourself a TON of money by having preventative furnace maintenance from a professional.
- Backup generator: Keep a backup generator to ensure the home temperature won’t drop below 32 degrees in case of a power outage.
Even with the best prevention, frozen pipes may still occur. Be prepared by knowing where your water shut-off valves are located. Should a pipe burst, shut the water off immediately and call a professional plumber to help you respond to the situation in a way that creates the least amount of future damage. It is important to get the water damage caused by a frozen pipe cleaned up by a professional restoration company right away. Leaving the damage alone or not properly cleaning it up can lead to mold and mildew growth and a much costlier expense to clean up.
Water and Sewage Damage Restoration in Kansas
Time is critical when responding to damage caused by water or sewage. Whether that water was caused by a malfunctioning dishwasher, water heater, or other appliance, a sewer backup, a leaky or frozen pipe, or even basement flooding during rains, we have likely encountered it all. No matter the source, whether you are a homeowner or business owner it is imperative to call a professional water damage restoration contractor as soon as possible to start water extraction and proper structural drying before mold begins to grow and further property damage occurs. Even if the damage is from a sewage spill, our team can handle the sewage cleanup.
While time is not in anyone’s favor when a property emergency occurs – we always are! We understand your concerns, the intricate process of professional cleaning, and the needs of insurance companies. When you choose Lamunyon Dry Out & Foundation Repair, you can always expect the phone to be answered right away by a local person here in Kansas. Most importantly, we treat your property with the utmost respect and take pride in keeping you informed during the restoration process.
