Preventing Frozen Plumbing Pipes

January 5th, 2018 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Every year, thousands of homes become victim to frozen water pipes, especially in areas that have milder climates. While colder regions construct their homes with careful attention to insulating water pipes, milder or warmer regions may skimp on the insulation. This can leave unsuspecting homeowners with a burst pipe that can cause thousands of dollars in damage to their home when a cold weather snap hits. Here are some tips to prevent frozen plumbing pipes to avoid damage to your home.

  • Add insulation. While it may be expensive to insulate the pipes under your home, it can be a smaller cost than the damage these pipes can cause if they freeze. Talk to your local plumber about insulation options if you have had frozen pipes in the past.
  • Keep the house warm. A warm house can be enough to stop freezing pipes. Set your thermostat for at least 58 degrees to keep it warm enough to prevent frozen pipes, even if you are not home.
  • Wrap exposed pipes. You can wrap insulating plumbing tapes around exposed pipes in your garage, crawl space or outdoor faucets to prevent freezing.
  • Run a trickle of water on cold nights. While wasteful of water, a trickle of water left running on the coldest nights can help prevent freezing by keeping the water in the pipes moving.

If you do get a frozen pipe (no water coming to your faucet), call in an expert water line repair plumber. A plumber can locate the frozen pipe and often prevent it from bursting. While you will still have a small expenditure for the plumber service, it is much less expensive than the damage a burst water pipe can cause.

Posted on behalf of:
Bynum & Sons Plumbing, Inc.
2120 McDaniels Bridge Rd SW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 884-4678

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Protect Outdoor Water Pipes From Freezing

February 12th, 2014 Posted in Water Line Repair
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One of the most common plumbing issues homeowners face during the winter months is the possibility of frozen pipes. The most vulnerable pipes are those which are located outside the home, like outdoor faucets or those located in an unheated storage building or garage. These water lines are exposed to more extreme cold, typically are not heated and need extra protection to keep them from freezing and bursting under pressure.

Insulating Exposed Pipes

Any pipe exposed to the elements needs insulation to prevent freezing. During cold weather, outside faucets should have the water valve turned off and all water drained before insulating the pipes. All pipes should be wrapped in insulation or heat tape to keep them protected. A secondary precaution is to wrap plastic over the insulation to protect the pipes from moisture.

In addition to pipes which are directly located outside, make sure to protect pipes in garages, out buildings and even those in the home which are on an outside wall. It only takes one cold night to freeze a forgotten pipe, and cause damage to your plumbing. Make sure you check and insulate all pipes that have even the slightest exposure to the cold weather outside.

Even insulation does not always prevent all frozen pipes. If you suspect that a pipe is frozen, you need to shut the water off to the affected pipe before thawing. The pipe may be already cracked, so when it thaws, the water can flow out of the crack unchecked. This can be dangerous if you use an electrical device to thaw the pipe, and can cause severe damage to your home. In such cases, it’s best to have a professional attend to potentially frozen pipes in order to avert the worst of the trouble.

Posted on behalf of Shawn Bynum, Bynum Plumbing

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