My pipes have frozen! Now what!

9/13/2021 (Permalink)

As we get deeper into winter, one of our most common calls is water damage from frozen or burst pipes.  As temperatures drop outside, it is important to ready your home for the changes that are coming so that your home and its contents don’t face this messy and unfortunate outcome.

How can you prevent frozen or burst pipes? A special consideration is plumbing that supplies outdoor spigots. Often times these pipes freeze inside wall cavities. A good solution is to cut a hole in the drywall and then cover it with a vent cover (a return vent for HVAC can be used for this) so that heat from the room gets into the wall cavity where the pipe is. Similarly, it’s a good idea to keep cabinet doors that hide pipes (under kitchen/bathroom sinks) open to facilitate warm air flow.

On the outside, it is imperative that hoses are disconnected from spigots. Even if water is turned off to the spigot and it is a “freeze proof” spigot, leaving a hose connected will trap water and freezing can still cause it to crack. A final step would be to attach a Styrofoam insulation cover over the spigot. This covers the entire spigot and fits tight to the house with a foam gasket which will prevent cold air from getting in and around the pipe. (These can only be installed with the hose detached).

Keeping pipes insulated are very important.  Any exposed pipe is subject to freezing at the right temperature. Keep your garage door closed in winter to maintain heat inside the home.  Frequently inspect your pipes for any cracks and leaks and repair as soon as possible.  You don’t want to find out at 2am on a frigid February morning that your tiny crack caused the basement to flood and ruin all your furniture.

Keep your thermostat at the same temperature, day and night, and never lower than 60 degrees.  This is not the time to be worrying about your utility bill.  Maintain a proper heat level in the home to avoid disastrous surprises.

But what if after all this, your pipes freeze anyway?

Firstly, KEEP the faucet open.  As the ice starts to melt, water will flow and any running water will help melt the ice in the pipe.  You can apply direct heat to a frozen area using a heating pad wrapped around the pipe, a hair dryer, or towels soaked in hot water.

A space heater can be used, as long as it kept away from flammable materials and you are there to supervise its use.  Heat should be applied until full water pressure is restored. 

If you cannot find the frozen area, or if you cannot reach it or thaw the pipe, called a licensed plumber.

NEVER use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove or other open flame device…or you will be calling SERVPRO for fire damage cleanup instead of water damage cleanup!

Hopefully, these tips were beneficial and will help you get off on the right foot for 2020.  However, should you be struck with burst pipes, a flooded basement or anything in between, call us here at SERVPRO and we’ll make it "Like it never even happened."