How to Prevent Frozen Pipes

In our last blog post, we discussed the top four most common plumbing problems homeowners face in the winter. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, check it out so you know what exactly to look for during colder months and how you can prepare your plumbing systems accordingly.

There is one winter plumbing problem that rises above the rest in regard to how often it happens and how much damage it can cause. So, this week, we wanted to take a deeper dive into that particular plumbing issue. This blog post is all about one of the most dreaded plumber disasters, something that keeps our team getting emergency service calls all winter long: frozen and bursting pipes.

When pipes freeze, it can cause them to burst and create all sorts of unexpected damage that can take a long time to repair. These repairs are always inconvenient for homeowners, especially around the holidays or when it’s cold outside, and they’re usually very expensive.

There are ways you can prevent your pipes from freezing and ultimately bursting by taking the time to prepare your home before the winter. Spending this time before emergencies happen will prevent surprises and save time and money in the long run. However, if you find yourself in a pinch and your pipes are frozen, there are steps you can take to unfreeze your water lines before they get to the point of bursting.

By sharing this information and equipping you with the knowledge of how and why pipes freeze in the first place, we hope to save you time, stress, energy and money in the long run. Keep reading to learn all you need to know about frozen pipe prevention and solutions.

How Do Pipes Freeze?

During the winter and colder months, the water that runs through your home’s various water lines is susceptible to freezing. Water pipes that are located in exterior walls or unheated areas of your home, or ones that run through notoriously cold places like basements, attics and crawl spaces, are even more vulnerable to freezing due to their close proximity to the cold outdoors.

In many places, especially northern states like Michigan where Lenox Plumbing is located, It’s common for outdoor temperatures to drop below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius). If outdoor air temperatures are below freezing, that means that the water inside of pipes can freeze, too.

Temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6.67 degrees Celsius) are considered the “danger point” for pipes to freeze; water inside of pipes is much more likely to freeze when outdoor temperatures drop this low. Read this article from Live Science for a more in-depth look at the specific science behind freezing water.

When water freezes, its volume or the space it takes up expands by about 9%. 9% may not seem like a lot, but when you think about all of the water already running through the small space inside of your pipes, the addition of the new volume can slow down water flow, stop it completely or eventually be too much for your pipes to handle. The frequent freezing and unfreezing of water in pipes can also weaken them and make them more susceptible to cracks or bursts in the future.

The additional ice inside of water lines not only displaces water that is already running to your sink, your shower and other home appliances, but it creates much more pressure inside of the pipes as well. If this pressure goes on for too long, your pipes will eventually buckle under the water pressure and burst.

What Happens When a Frozen Pipe Bursts

When a pipe bursts, it will send gallons of water rushing into your home at the bursting point. Floors, ceilings, walls, furniture, personal belongings–every inch of your home can be damaged from being exposed to large amounts of rushing water.

If you’re dealing with a burst pipe, the first thing to do is shut off your home’s main water supply as soon as possible. You can usually find the shut-off valve to your home’s water supply in the basement by the foundation, near the water meter and often close to your water heater as well.

Some homeowners aren’t fortunate enough to be home when a pipe bursts so that they’re able to shut off the water as soon as the emergency happens. This is why the preventative measures that we’ll talk about later are so important.

If you find yourself returning home to water damage from a burst pipe or even if you are able to shut off the water as soon as it happens, the next step is to call a plumber right away. A professional plumber will be able to assess the damage, repair and/or replace the burst pipes and even prepare your pipes so they’ll be better protected against cold temperatures in the future.

When a pipe bursts, it’s likely other areas of your home will be damaged as well. While working with a plumber is the first step, you may need to rope in a contractor or someone who specializes in any sort of interior home work to repair drywall, flooring, fixtures, etc.

As you can imagine, all of these repairs and replacements are not only very expensive, they generally take a long time to tackle. This is why, as we mentioned before, the best thing you can do is prepare your home and do whatever is needed to avoid your pipes bursting in the first place.

Get Ahead of Frozen Pipes

There are a lot of ways you can protect your pipes from freezing. Some of these measures require a little bit of time, and there are different solutions that range from being easily affordable to slightly more expensive. But trust us, taking these preventative measures ahead of cold weather will save you invaluable time and money in the long run.

1. Pipe insulation: whether you live in a cold climate, an old home with poor insulation or you experience frozen pipes year after year, one of the best ways to protect your pipes from freezing temperatures is to insulate them. Insulating your pipes will also help save on heat costs, too. There are many different brands and types of pipe insulation, and a professional will determine the best options to use throughout your home.
2. Outdoor water access: preparing your home’s various outdoor water access points in the fall can play a major role in protecting your pipes when things get cold in the winter. Disconnect outdoor hoses, store them inside for the winter and turn off the valve that controls your outdoor water access if possible. You can also choose to keep outdoor water access on so when things get really cold, you have the option to let water run through these pipes at a slight trickle. Keeping water running, even a small amount, can prevent freezing in the lines. You can also purchase special “frost-free” hose bibs and sillcocks to further protect your outdoor water access from freezing and freezing-related damage.
3. Keep warm air in and cold air out: if there are any exposed pipes in your garage, try to keep the garage door closed as much as possible when it’s cold outside to provide a layer of protection from freezing temperatures. You can also open kitchen and bathroom cabinets and cupboard doors as needed to expose water lines to as much warmth as possible.
4. Thermostat consistency: most people turn down the thermostat before they go to sleep, but keeping it set to the same temperature day and night can provide your pipes with consistent warmth and protection, especially when temperatures drop at night.
5. Prepare before you go out of town: if you go out of town when it’s cold, keep your thermostat at a somewhat warm temperature. It doesn’t have to be as high as you like to keep it when you’re home, but leave the heat on at a fairly warm level. This will prevent the temperatures in your home from dropping to low extremes that can cause water to freeze. Turning off your home’s main water supply and draining pipes is also a good preventative measure to take before leaving your home for an extended period of time.

You can always contact a local plumber for professional advice. Because plumbers are the ones dealing with these emergencies when they happen, they know the best ways to prevent them and protect your spaces. Plus, plumbers in your area will know how the climate you live in generally affects homes from year to year. Therefore, they’ll have the best understanding of how to prepare for local seasons.

Thawing Frozen Pipes

If your pipes are frozen and you want to unthaw them quickly so you can access your water, prevent pipes from bursting or most likely both, follow these steps:

1. Open all of the faucets in your home. Pinpoint where water is running slower or not at all to determine where exactly the freezing has occurred.
2. Keep those faucets running. You want to keep the faucet open and the water flowing (if it’s not completely frozen) so you can tell as soon as things begin to thaw and return to normal. Running water also helps to speed the process along by keeping things moving.
3. Apply heat to the frozen pipes. Work from the inside by pouring boiling water down the drain, or heat up the outside of the pipes using a hair dryer, a space heater (never leave a space heater unattended), a heating pad or even towels that have been soaked in hot water. *Remember to always use caution when working with heat to thaw the pipes, especially tools that use electricity or flammable materials. Do NOT use anything with an open flame like a lighter or blowtorch, or any sort of stove or propane heater.

Pipes Still Frozen?

Did you prepare, take all of the proper precautions, attempt various methods to unfreeze your pipes and they’re still frozen? Call a licensed plumber, and call them ASAP before any pipes burst. Trusted experts will always have additional tools and the knowledge to get the job done.