Preventing Frozen Pipes

Boise & Meridian Area, Idaho

Cold nights could often bring more trouble than just having to use an extra blanket. In cold enough conditions, water can freeze in your pipes and expand to the point of breaking. In these circumstances, having to replace your pipes can be an expensive and stressful occurrence. Preventing frozen pipes and stopping a potential disaster requires a few precautions.

When water freezes, it expands. This expansion can create an unusually high amount of pressure. Regardless of the strength and durability of your pipes, frozen water can reach a point where they crack and break. These breakages most often happen with pipes that are subject to limited or no insulation. Usually sprinkler systems, hose bibs, or any piping that runs on the inside of your home.

Things You Can Do

Have any existing breaks or cracks in your pipeline caulked to prevent these cracks from spreading and becoming more costly. If you need assistance in caulking your pipes, contact All Star Plumbing & Restoration. We’ll make sure you won’t have bigger piping problems in the future. Make sure to seal the pipes prior to a winter freeze. It is much easier for cracks to spread when the water in your piping freezes.

Drain water from your pool’s, sprinklers, or outdoor piping system. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure it empties properly. You can also place heating electric strips along your pipes. You can easily purchase these strips at your local hardware store. There are also pipe sleeves and cabled heating systems that work to prevent your pipe from freezing as well. Also, remember to disconnect your water hose from the spigot. Water in your hose can freeze, causing pressure to run up your hose into your pipes. Making them more susceptible to freezing.

Letting the water run frequently is another method often taken to easily prevent your pipes from freezing. Letting each faucet drip may rack up a couple bucks on the utilities bill. But can save a lot more in the long-run. Even if it is the slightest movement, running water makes it much more difficult to freeze and cause damage. Make sure that the faucet(s) you let drip are only attached to pipelines that are at risk of freezing.

Keeping your pipes heated is yet another method you can use to prevent them from freezing. Once again, this may cost a little extra but can save you money overall. Keeping the thermostat to a certain temperature in your home can prevent the piping in your crawl space from freezing. This applies especially if you have a cabin or home that may be left empty in the winter. Keeping your thermostat around 50 degrees can prevent your pipes from freezing, thereby preventing the costly damages that can follow.

These advised precautions may help prevent your pipes from freezing. Unfortunately, extreme weather conditions can freeze your pipes to a point beyond your control. If you have frozen pipes or are unsure and just want to be cautious, contact us. Whether you need new piping from breakages, sealing from cracks, or just need your pipes thawed, All Star Plumbing & Restoration is here to assist you with all your plumbing needs.