Learn How to Prevent and Thaw Frozen Pipes
As far as plumbing problems go, complications from a frozen pipe are right up there. It is highly recommended to take extra special care with some preventative work to make sure that your home and your possessions aren’t at risk of flood or leak damage from a burst frozen pipe.
Similarly, if you do discover that you’ve got a frozen pipe on your hands, don’t panic. Some quick thinking can help you avoid disaster. Here are some of our best tips:
Extra Insulation, Extra Protection
One handy tip to keep your pipes from freezing is to keep the warmth inside them by insulating them. You can use foam insulation, but your best bet is to wrap the pipes in heat tape. If you are handy, you might be able to do this yourself, but it does require some precision work. You may want to call your plumber in for this one.
Warm Pipes with Hot Water
Simply letting the hot water flow regularly through your pipes on a regular basis is a great way to keep frozen pipes at bay. Just doing that can trap a little bit of extra heat within the pipe. Another good trick is to leave the faucet to exposed pipes running- just a trickle. That water flow can stop frozen pipes.
Keep Them Closed
Leaving your garage door open during the winter is an invitation for the cold air to come in your home and threaten your pipes, especially those located in the garage? It’s an easy fix. Just close the garage door!
The same goes for the attic. Leaving the attic window open, even just a crack, is letting that much-needed warm air escape up and out of your home.
Remember Your Exterior Pipes
Although all your pipes are prone to freezing if it gets cold enough, it is the ones that are in most contact with the elements that are the most worrisome.
Do a walkthrough of your home and determine which pipes are located in exterior walls. Make sure that warm air has direct access to these pipes. It’s helpful to leave cabinet doors open for sinks that are installed against exterior walls.
What to do With Frozen Pipes
If you’ve got a frozen pipe, it is all about getting heat where it needs to be. Some simple household items, like a heat lamp, an electric space heater or even a hair dryer may be all you need to thaw that frozen section.
These are good items to use because they raise the temperature evenly and safely. They also don’t pose the same kind of fire hazard that using something with an open flame (like a blow torch, for instance) does.
Don’t trouble yourself with plumbing woes, because we are here to help. All you need to do is call Jim Wagner Plumbing, serving the Chicago area. You can reach us at (630)-577-9241.
