Frozen pipes can be a hazardous and costly concern possibly requiring an emergency plumber to come out when least expected. If you aren’t careful, your pipes could freeze during a unexpected cold wave and you may not even notice until it is far too late. The worst thing about frozen pipes is that you may not even see the worst of the damages until they have thawed.
What Temperature Do Pipes Freeze?
If you live in an area with cold winter months, when nighttime temperatures start dipping below freezing, you probably should worry. The fact is that weather forecasting is not a precise science, and as soon as the weather turns cold, an unexpected storm could always see temperatures go down below twenty degrees fahrenheit, which is the danger point for your pipes to freeze over and cause you to need to call an emergency plumber.
Prevent Pipes From Freezing this Winter
Frozen pipes not only damage your plumbing but they can also cause water damages that can be much more considerable as well as costly. This is why if you notice an issue, no matter the time, you should call an emergency plumber. The very best thing to do is help prevent the pipes from freezing to begin with. Listed below are some ways that you can do that.
Insulation: Among the very best, quickest, most convenient and least expensive techniques to prevent your pipes from thawing is to insulate them. The cost of the insulation is surprisingly low and it simply fits into place around the pipes for the most part. Pay special attention to cellars, garages, crawlspaces and any other unheated areas.
Seal Cracks: Sealing cracks is a vital part of home winterization as a whole because it helps to keep the cold air out and your heating bills down. Make sure to seal up any cracks in basements and crawl spaces that will permit lower temperatures around your water pipes.
Heating Tape: If your water pipes are easy to gain access to, heating tape can be an exceptional choice. It is easy to apply directly to the surface of the pipes. You can go with a self-monitoring or manual type of the tape, but either way, be careful. There is always a risk of danger when you use any kind of heat to a pipe directly.
Crawlspaces: Make sure to seal or cover any crawl spaces as this will certainly help to keep the temperature levels around your pipes warmer.
As soon as the temperatures begin to go down, there are some other things you can do to help keep your pipes warm. These things consist of:
Leave the heat on.
Keep the temperature consistent.
Open up interior doors.
Open cabinet close to or containing pipes.
Shut your garage doors.
What to Do If Your Pipes Freeze
If your pipes have already frozen over, you should turn on a faucet. Often the flow of water will help to dislodge the ice plug created from the freezing. You can try using a hair dryer or space heater to warm the pipe.
Bear in mind that if you have located a frozen pipe, you may find many more. It is also essential to be looking for leaks. In many cases, the freezing process will have expanded the pipes triggering loosened joints, cracks and even burst pipes.
Do Frozen Pipes Always Burst?
Every pipe that freezes does not burst. Nonetheless, any time a pipe freezes it is far more at risk of bursting. The extremes of freezing and thawing take a toll on the stability of the pipes and also leave them much more vulnerable to leaks and failing. If you have pipes you think are at risk of freezing, calling and emergency plumber may be a wise decision to stop the problem in its tracks!
Should I Shut off Water If Pipes are Frozen?
If you realize that a pipe has burst you need to shut off the water. The sooner you shut off the flow of water the less property damage you will need to contend with later on.
Emergency Plumber in Broken Arrow, OK.
If you have a burst pipe you really need to turn off the water source right away. Next, you need to call an emergency plumber who can fix the burst pipe for you. If you need an emergency plumber in Broken Arrow, OK call Murray Electric & Plumbing at (539) 233-5080 today!