Unusually cold winter weather can often result in an unpleasant surprise for unwary homeowners: a burst water line. Water expands when it freezes and the outside air temperature gets cold enough, your water supply line or the water lines in your house can burst if the water in the line freezes. The problem is more common in areas that usually don’t experience extremely cold temperatures. In northern states, water pipes are usually installed such that they are not susceptible to freezing since cold weather is the norm.
In warmer climates, less care is taken to protect water pipes against freezing and as a result, a period of unusually cold weather can result in an outbreak of broken water pipes. If you are concerned about your water pipes freezing, there are few steps you can take to help prevent it from happening.
First, if cold weather is expected, leave a faucet running very slowly. Moving water takes longer to freeze than still water so even a trickle of water though your pipes can help prevent the water from freezing. In addition, leaving a faucet slightly open allows any pressure to dissipate in the pipes between your faucet and the frozen spot. This can also help prevent a burst pipe.
Leave kitchen and bath room cabinets open to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes, especially if they are located on an exterior wall. If your water pipes run through an unheated garage, basement, attic, or crawlspace, consider installing pipe insulation or electric heating tape to prevent the pipes from freezing.
Finally, if you have a sprinkler irrigation system, water feature, spa or swimming pool, be sure to properly drain and winterize the system in the fall to prevent water freezing in the pipes and cracking them.
Posted on behalf of Seagraves Plumbing
