Be Prepared: Cold Weather Can be a Threat to Your Water Pipes

Be Prepared: Cold Weather Can Be a Threat to Your Water Pipes

Frozen water can put a tremendous amount of pressure on plumbing lines. These pipes will burst at there weakest point which is usually at corners. Pipes that are in attics, exterior walls, crawl spaces, and poorly insulated areas, are key places where pipes will normally freeze. Other areas that also have potential to freeze are underground sprinkler lines, swimming pool supply lines and exterior faucets. This usually does not happen unless temperatures become severely cold and is expedited when air blows directly onto them. There is potential for severe water damage when pipes burst, and this can be devastating to your home and belongings. For example, a 1/4” crack in a pipe can leak out over 500 gallons of water per day. So, it is very important to remove or expel any possibilities of this occurring in your home.

If your home is an older home that was built before the energy crisis, in the seventies. There is a good possibility that it is not properly insulated. If it is a newer home, it could be that it wasn’t insulated properly. Within the past several years many towns now require that newer homes be inspected for proper insulation placement and the R-Factor of that insulation. The R-Factor is a measurement of the ability for the insulation to retard heat flow as opposed to transmitting heat flow. Therefore, when purchasing insulation, the greater the R value, the better the insulation will retain the heat in your home.

First, if you currently have running water, and think there is a possibility that the pipes will freeze, let the water in these areas trickle lightly. The water flowing through the pipes will be warmer than the area where the possibility of freezing can occur, thus keeping the water flowing. The next place I would check, before tearing any walls out, is on the exterior of your home, underneath the overhang. I would want to see if somehow air is penetrating through the soffit vents and onto a pipe. If this is possible, it may be a little less messy and a lot quicker to resolve. It may be possible to remove the vinyl soffit, insulate the area, install pipe insulation, and put the vinyl back into place. You may also want to wrap UL-listed “heat trace” tape around the pipe, keeping it warm when the temperature drops. This tape is electrical and senses a drop in temperature, automatically warming up and keeping the pipe from freezing.

Secondly, if it is impossible to access the overhang, then the next thing to do is to climb into your attic to see if there are any pipes that may be exposed in the area above the bathrooms. Again, if you come across potential areas of exposure, repeat the steps I mentioned regarding the insulation and UL-listed “heat trace” tape.

The last thing you want to do, if you have not found the problem, is to carefully cut out the drywall to see where the pipes may be exposed to cold air. I recommend that you call a professional at this point to perform the work, since, it can become messy and requires the ability of a trained professional to replace the drywall and subsequent finishes properly.

Sometimes you are better off calling a professional if you need to access areas that can be difficult to maneuver through or when there is an electrical connection involved. In most cases, an evaluation by a licensed professional will not cost you.

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