If you live in an older home or poorly insulated one, you may find that you have problems keeping your water lines from freezing. This is especially true for any pipes near an outside wall or doors. When water freezes, it expands and can cause the pipes to separate at the joints and crack. When it thaws out, the result can be major water damage in the home.
You can use thermostatic heating tape around the pipes to keep the water inside from freezing. Plug the tape into a receptacle and it will keep a constant temperature for the pipes. You can also wrap the pipes in foam insulation and tape it to keep it in place. Another option is to add insulation to the wall near the pipes and keep the area warmer.
If it is safe to do so, you can keep a space heater in the room that gets cold enough to freeze the pipes. Sometimes just leaving the doors to the cabinets open will prevent the air from getting cold enough to reach freezing. You can also keep the faucet running at just a steady drip to prevent freezing. Moving water does not freeze as easily and that is often a resolution for bathrooms and kitchens where water freezes. Another more expensive option is to turn the temperature up in the house to warm the area where the freezing pipes are located.
If you have problems with freezing pipes in the winter, you may want to get help from your plumber to determine the best fix for the situation and prevent costly repairs.
