Frozen Pipe Repair in Montgomery County
The beginning of winter brings cherished family traditions. From building snowmen, celebrating the holidays with family, and taking the kids on their inaugural sled ride, winter brings many occasions to celebrate. There’s also one unwelcome side effect of this time of year: frigid cold temperatures make your pipes prone to bursting. Winter can result in costly plumbing issues if you don’t take preventive action. By doing some basic maintenance, you can effectively prepare your home for colder weather.
How Do Pipes Burst?
When temperatures dip especially low, ice can build up in your piping. As water freezes, it expands and creates pressure within your pipes. Too much pressure can split your pipe and create extensive water damage once the water thaws. Just a single burst pipe in a home can leak four to eight gallons of water a minute. This can quickly turn into thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.
The good news is, it’s easy to prevent this from happening to you.
How Can I Prevent Frozen Pipes?
To prevent your pipes from bursting, observe some basic cold weather tips:
- Turn on a faucet and let a very small trickle of cold water run through to keep water moving through your pipes.
- Make sure there is enough warm air circulating around your pipes – open under sink cabinet doors to let warm air through.
- Place a small fan near piping to promote air circulation.
- Make sure your basement doors, windows, and crawl spaces are sealed and weather stripped.
- Insulate exposed pipes as necessary.
- Drain your sprinkler system in the fall.
- Seal and insulate your attic.
- Install storm windows in drafty areas.
The professionals at Mr. Rooter can help you prevent pipe freezing. Call us for a cold weather checkup and preventive maintenance.
