Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes: Important Homeowner Tips

As experienced local plumbers, we’ve helped homeowners across the community manage challenges with their pipes. One of the most common is frozen pipes, which can occur at any point throughout the wintertime.

In this latest post, we’ll present several important tips for thawing frozen pipes in the home and for preventing the problem from recurring in the future.

The Risks Associated with Frozen Pipes

By learning more about the risks associated with having frozen pipes in your home, you can begin to see the importance and value of addressing the issue at the earliest possible time. Below are several risks associated with frozen pipes:

The cost of burst pipe repair

When a frozen pipe bursts in your home, you may spend thousands of dollars repairing the home structure. The costs could also extend to any water damage in the home and the replacement of furniture and home appliances.

Loss of water use

When a frozen pipe issue takes place in the home, those inside the home may be without access to water for several days while any repair work takes place. This might mean you have to book the family into a hotel for a day or two while the maintenance work is completed.

How to Safeguard the Home Against Frozen Pipes

Now that you know the risks associated with frozen pipes in the home, it’s important that you actively work to prevent the problem from arising. In preventing pipes from freezing, consider the following tips:

Wrap pipes in heating tape

Have a plumber wrap your home pipes in heating tape. This will help prevent the water in the pipes from freezing and ensure water flows effectively throughout the wintertime. The addition of heating tape to home pipes is inexpensive and offers protection for many years to come.

Keep hot water running

A leading reason behind the freezing of pipes in the winter is a lack of water movement. To ensure your home pipes remain warm throughout the season, run your hot water regularly. Just running the hot water for a few minutes every few days can help mitigate freezing problems.

Prevent cool air moving inside the home

Don’t let the garage door stay open too long this winter. You’ll allow cool air inside, which can then lead to frozen pipes throughout the winter. Remember to keep the doors closed and resolve any sealing problems before they impact temperatures inside the home.

Our trusted plumbers at Guardian Plumbing and Drain are here to guide you in preventing your pipes from freezing this winter! To discuss the issue with an expert in the Cobourg, ON area, call us today at 289-251-1626.