Although it might be late in the season to think about frozen and bursting water lines, water bursting through frozen pipes is a common sight in homes during cold weather. With the temperatures dropping into the 30s during the day and into the low 20s and teens during the overnight hours, this week, it is better late than never to remind residents and businesses to take steps to prevent frozen water pipes.
Taking steps at the onset of colder temperatures can help protect yourself from both repair costs and higher water bills in the winter. To prepare, know the location of your main water shut-off valve. Eliminate sources of cold air near water and protect exposed pipes by wrapping them with some sort of insulation.
When temperatures stay below freezing, keep water moving through the pipes by allowing a small trickle of water to run. If your pipes do freeze, shut off the water immediately. Thaw the pipes with warm air, not direct heat. Avoid leaving space heaters unattended and avoid the use of kerosene heaters or open flames and turn the water back on slowly once the pipes have thawed.
How Cold Does It Have to Get for Pipes to Freeze?
Many homeowners believe that because water freezes when the air temperature reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit that their pipes are in danger as soon as the thermometer dips to that number. Well, you may breathe a sigh of relief to learn that’s not the case.
You need to be concerned about your faucets when the weatherman forecasts temperatures of 20 degrees or less. At that point, how well-insulated your pipes are will dictate whether your pipes are sufficiently protected. With a reasonable amount of insulation, even pipes in an unheated area could take as long as six hours to freeze. On the other hand, if you have little or no insulation, your pipes could freeze in as little as three hours.
How to prevent frozen pipes
- Drain water from the swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following the manufacturer’s or installer’s directions. Avoid putting antifreeze in these lines if possible (keeping in mind that antifreeze is environmentally harmful, and is very dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, and landscaping).
- Drain your plumbing system thoroughly. If water lines sag or bow, there may be low spots that are difficult to drain completely. To be most effective, use compressed air to blow out the lines. If not properly done, some amount of water will remain in the low points of the lines that can freeze.
- Disconnect, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Remember to keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
- Check in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets where water supply lines are located in unheated areas.
- Insulate both hot and cold water pipes in these areas to help prevent freezing. Use specific products for insulating water pipes like a “pipe sleeve” or installing UL-listed heat tape, heat cable, or similar materials on exposed water pipes.
- Allow a faucet in your home to drip slightly. Moving water (even a drip) will help prevent pipes from freezing.
- During cold winter weather, keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children.
When leaving home for more than a few days
If you plan to be away from home for an extended period during cold weather:
- Leave the heat on in your home. Set it to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
- Shut off the water supply and drain pipes or appliances.
- Leave all taps open once you’ve shut off the main water supply. If the home loses power, the open valves will help prevent pipes from bursting. Also, shutting off the master valve will ensure that even if there is a break, the result will be minor, compared to an open line running wild!
- Even if you do all the above, arrange for a neighbor to walk through your home once each day – just to help monitor against unforeseen events.
- Have emergency numbers handy such as a plumber, electrician, roofer, and PuroClean in case something does go wrong.
- Have your HVAC system serviced by a professional.
- Before leaving, turn off your water heater. (See owner’s manual for procedures.)
- Install storm windows and/or close shutters to keep in the heat.
- Clean gutters and downspouts to ensure proper water drainage.
- Service your sump pump to ensure proper operation. Adding a backup power source is prudent.
- Unplug all nonessential electric appliances.
- Inform local police if you will be out of town.
How to unfreeze pipes
- Locate the Frozen Pipe – If you’re not sure which pipe is frozen, turn on all faucets in your home. Check which faucet isn’t releasing water at all or just a trickle. The pipe leading to that faucet is likely frozen. Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.
- Turn on the Faucet – Once you’ve located the frozen pipe, open the faucet leading to the frozen pipe. Open both the hot and cold handles. This will allow water to flow once you start thawing the pipe.
- Start Thawing Near the Faucet – When thawing a frozen pipe, the best practice is to start closer to the faucet then work your way down to the frozen section. If you start closer to the blockage, the melting ice could get stuck behind the blockage. This creates more pressure in the pipe and increases the chances of the pipe breaking.
- Thawing Exposed Pipes – There are several ways to thaw pipes that you can access:
- Point a hairdryer at the frozen pipe, starting near the faucet. Follow proper safety precautions for the dryer and don’t come in contact with water when using the dryer.
- Wrap hot towels, which have been dipped in hot water, around the frozen pipe. This method is slower but potentially safer than the ones above.
- Apply electric heat tape directly to the pipe. This tape insulates the pipe, defrosting it. You can leave the heat tape on the pipe and turn it on/off when you need to.
- Thawing Enclosed Pipes – You can thaw pipes that you don’t have direct access to in different ways:
- Turn the heat up in your home and wait until the increased interior temperature thaws out the frozen pipe.
- Position an infrared lamp in front of the portion of the wall where the frozen pipe is located. The heat from the lamp could penetrate the wall and help the pipe defrost.
- As a last resort, cut out the section of the drywall in front of the frozen pipe to easily access it. You can then use one of the methods for thawing exposed pipes.
- Know the Risks:
- When trying to thaw a frozen pipe yourself using a heat source, you run the risk of injury and fire.
- Make sure to take proper safety measures when using electrical equipment.
- In addition, if you don’t start thawing near the faucet, the pipe could burst and cause water to flow into your home.
- Also, do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame devices!
- After the pipes have thawed, turn off all water to faucets and the icemaker, and monitor the water meter for any unseen leaks.
