If your home gets too cold, the water in your pipelines can freeze overnight and then burst in the day when it warms back up. If it doesn’t work or water is simply a drip you might have frozen water in your pipes. Apply heat till complete water pressure is brought back, then consider going to your neighborhood hardware shop to purchase insulation for the areas of the pipe that froze (to assist avoid it from taking place again).
A blow torch or other device will cause the water to boil, and boiling water trapped in the middle of a frozen pipeline has no place to expand- so it blows up.
How to keep it from taking place …
– Your home should have inside valves on your outdoor outside supply lines.
Cold weather is a big issue for home and property owners- specifically if you’ve moved and your home is setting empty. Why? PIPES!
If your house gets too cold, the water in your pipes can freeze over night and then burst in the day when it warms back up. This leaves the potential for extensive flooding and water damage to your house. The pipes you need to be most concerned about are those that have the most direct exposure to the cold– outdoor pipe faucets, swimming pool supply lines, underground sprinkler systems, and plumbing in unheated basements, crawl spaces, attics and garages. Pipes that run versus exterior walls are also at risk.
What to do …
When it’s cold outside, you must occasionally examine all the faucets in your house. If it doesn’t work or water is just a drip you might have frozen water in your pipelines. Attempt to find the frozen location by looking in the location most likely to freeze- i.e. the coldest. Utilize a heat lamp, space heater, hair clothes dryer or electrical heat pad to begin to thaw out the pipelines. Keep in mind to keep the faucet open as you work. That’s because running water will help melt the ice quicker. Apply heat up until full water pressure is restored, then consider going to your area hardware store to acquire insulation for the locations of the pipeline that froze (to assist prevent it from taking place once again).
DO NOT use any sort of blow torch or open flame to warm the pipelines. I can not stress this enough, so let me say it again. DO NOT utilize an open flame. First off, an open flame is a fire threat and if you are operating in a restricted area there is a danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year there is a story in the news of some person burning down their home or suffocating themselves to death while working on frozen pipelines.
The second reason not to utilize an open flame is if it gets too hot you can melt your pipelines (particularly PVC plastic pipes). Third, too much heat too rapidly creates the potential for an explosion. That’s due to the fact that water broadens as it fumes. A blow torch or other gadget will cause the water to boil, and boiling water trapped in the middle of a frozen pipeline has no location to expand- so it blows up.
The last piece of guidance is constantly the best … If you stop working to unthaw the pipe, call a licensed plumbing technician before the pipeline breaks.
How to keep it from happening …
– During extreme winter, let the faucets drip. Although it’s no warranty, even a drip of water can help avoid pipelines from freezing and an open faucet provides the water someplace to run when it starts to heat up.
– Drain and shop outside garden hose pipes.
– Your home must have inside valves on your outside supply of water lines. Close them, then open the outside faucet and let the water drain. Leave the outdoors faucet open all winter season.
– Keep the house temperature level set to no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I understand it’s appealing to turn the thermostat down when you leave town for a couple of weeks or if you have an unsold home that is setting empty, however the higher heat expense is rapidly offset by the expense of fixing a pipe and cleaning up water damage.
– If you have not already done so, drain the water from your swimming pool and sprinkler system system. As discussed above, insulate plumbing that’s most vulnerable to freezing. You can discover materials at your regional hardware store, Home Depot, or Lowes.
– Lastly, if you experience flooding or water damage from a damaged pipeline, be sure to view the house for mold or mildew. Black mold can be a severe after result to a flooded home that’s far worse to handle than the actual water damage.
