Don't Let Frozen Pipes Catch You & Your Family by Surprise

Bitter Cold Can Lead to Frozen Pipes

As Old Man Winter begins his work, many people throughout the world are faced with bitterly cold temperatures. Luckily, people are able to keep their homes nice and toasty while the cold stays on the other side of the door. However, during some of the coldest nights, most homeowners might forget how fragile their pipes can be. Pipes can freeze and rupture, leaving homeowners in a world of trouble. Let’s look at some tips to make sure your pipes never freeze this winter.

Apply Heat Tape

The first trick that you could use to stop pipes from freezing is to apply heat tape. Heat tape is a unique way of tackling the problem, but it can be effective. Heat tape should not be used for an entire piping system, but rather, should be used in small areas where there is a higher chance of seeing frozen pipes. Heat tape will supply heat to the affected area to reduce the chances of your pipes freezing.

There are two different kinds of heat tape that you can use. One needs to be plugged in and turned on whenever you want to have heat applied to a certain piping area. When this happens, you want to make sure that you are home while it is happening so you can keep an eye on the situation.

The second type of heat tape will automatically turn itself on or off depending on the temperature. It controls itself and will activate whenever it believes the pipes are getting too cold. Since heat is being applied to an area, you also want to be able to monitor this situation as well.

Insulate and Insulate Some More!

A more obvious trick to preventing your pipes from freezing and needing a burst pipe repair is to apply insulation. There are many areas where the pipes are openly exposed and that’s where insulation could greatly be used. Many places like the attic or basement tend to be the coldest places and least insulated.

Insulating these open areas won’t completely solve the problem, but it will certainly help. Pipes that are behind walls and under floors could also be susceptible to freezing, but this could be a very costly procedure if you have to rip apart walls and floors.

Another option is to use piping sleeves. These sleeves come in foam rubber or fiberglass. The sleeves go right over the exposed pipes. When piping sleeves are added, their main function is to try to keep the pipe at the same temperature as the water inside of it. With that in mind, pipes that are exposed to frigid temperatures for an extended period of time (even with a sleeve on) are susceptible to freezing.

Let the Water Flow

One final tip that could help your piping system is to let your faucets drip water. When overnight temperatures are expected to plunge, turn your faucet knobs on just enough to allow a drip to occur.

Many times pipes burst because of the pressure that builds up between running water and the blockage that occurs when the faucet is turned off. When it builds up that match, it can rupture.

By letting the water cycle lightly, you are reducing the pressure inside of the pipes and helping to prevent any possible pipe burst. This should be done with every faucet in the house. And because it’s such a limited amount of water at a time, you never have to worry about seeing a significate impact in your utility costs.

About Guardian Plumbing and Drain

Guardian Plumbing and Drain is available 24/7 for their customers who expect nothing short of top-notch workmanship and service. Same-day service is available to help get people out of difficult jams as well as upfront pricing to ensure the customer is aware of all actions that are taking place.

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