A Frozen Pipe Cracked and Destroyed My Home!
If you ever get a frozen pipe in your home, you will be in for a substantial amount of damage and headache. Frozen pipes can stop the water flow and what’s even worse is that the pipes can expand and crack or burst.
Did you know that a small 8 inch crack can leak up to 250 gallons of water every day? That amount of water is capable of destroying your floors, walls, furniture, appliances, valuables, and can create an environment of mold growth in your home.
Below is a video from one of our properties from one frozen pipe!
There are over 250,000 cases of pipes bursting in homes every year in the U.S. In some cases, the houses are completely destroyed from the damage. The most common time that this occurrence happens is when the homeowners are out of town for a few days. The most common reason this happens is because people turn their thermostat down too low while they are away. Another common reason is that the homeowner’s furnace gives out while they are out of town and they aren’t even aware that it not blowing warm air.
Here are some simple tips to prevent frozen pipes and how to deal with frozen pipes if it happens to you.
Take Action ASAP
If your pipes freeze, you want to turn off the water main to your home and call a plumber right away.
You might be able to thaw out the pipes in the meantime by using a hair dryer or heat gun. You want to start by blowing the warm air closest to a water fixture and then move toward the coldest part of the pipe which will be toward the exterior of your home. Never use a torch or an open flame to thaw a pipe.
Install a Smart Thermostat
You can purchase a smart thermostat that you can remotely monitor for about a hundred fifty dollars. You can check the temperature in your home even when you are on vacation by opening an app on your phone. You can set alarms to be sent to your phone when the temperature falls below thresholds you set so that you can make an appointment for a HVAC repairman even if you are out of town for two weeks. Just make sure to keep a spare key somewhere so that the contractor can get into your house if need be.
Protecting Your Pipes on Extremely Cold Days
- Let the faucets located along the exterior walls to drip. This will provide relief from any excessive pressure that builds up between the ice blockage and the faucet. Even if the water freezes inside the pipes, there will not be any excessive water pressure and the pipe will not burst.
- Open the cabinet and vanity doors to any sinks along exterior walls. This will allow heat from the home to warm the pipe.
Winterize Your Home
- You want to insulate all pipes in your crawl space, attic, and pipes along exterior walls. Insulation will not completely prevent water from freezing in your pipes but it will increase the time it takes for freezing to occur.
- You can use heat tape and heat cables to wrap your pipes. You want to make sure that you are using them for their intended purpose. You want to make sure you follow all the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and use them in the right applications for exterior and interior piping
- Seal leaks will allow cold air in the house. Common places that leaks will come in the house is around dryer vents, piping going outside, and electrical boxes. Fresh caulk in these areas works well for keeping the cold air out and keeping the warm air in.
- Remove the garden hose in the winter time. The faucet will likely drip some and fill the hose. This water will freeze in the span of the hose and the freezing can expand from the hose into the house. This can damage your water fixture and hose.
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