When winter weather arrives, your pipes are at risk of freezing, which can lead to bursting. Bursting pipes is one of the most common causes of property damage during winter storms. In some cases, it can cause thousands of dollars in water damage.
The most at-risk pipes are ones found in unheated interiors spaces like:
- Attics
- Basements
- Garages
However, pipes running through cabinets or exterior walls can also freeze. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent pipes from bursting.
Why Do Pipes Burst?
Pipes don’t burst from ice forming in them. There’s typically not a break where ice an blockage happens in pipes. The continuous freezing and ice expansion in the pipes cause water pressure to build in other areas. Your water pressure can build and lead to pipe failure between the blockage and a closed faucet.
When the weather drops to around 20 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, you should take precautions to keep your pipes from freezing.
How to Keep Pipes From Freezing
You should start taking steps toward frozen pipes prevention once the weather drops to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Some measures are essential but may go against your instinct to conserve water and heat. However, the extra cost will be far less than any repair bills.
Keep garage doors closed. If you have water supply lines in your garage, you’ll want to keep the doors closed to maintain as much warmth as possible.
Drain excess water for winter. If you have a pool and/or sprinkler system, drain the water before cold weather hits. Be sure to follow manufacturer instructions, and don't use antifreeze unless the directions say to do so. You should also remove, drain, and store any outdoor hoses.
Open cabinet doors. Let warm air circulate in and around your plumbing by keeping kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open. This is especially important if your sinks are on an exterior wall.
Let cold water drip. Running water through the pipes at a small trickle can help prevent your pipes from bursting.
Set the thermostat. You should keep your thermostat at the same temperature, day and night, during harsh winter weather.
Use heat tape. There are products made specifically to help insulate your water pipes. Heat tape is used to wrap exposed water pipes. You can also use newspapers to stuff around your lines. It provides some amount of insulation.
Long-term prevention includes:
- Adding insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces.
- Seal cracks and openings around windows, doors, and other areas to prevent drafts.
What Temperature Should You Keep Your House?
Remember, a consistent thermostat is important in protecting your pipes from freezing. Don’t lower the temperature at night during extreme winter weather. It even could be beneficial to raise your heat slightly to help prevent frozen pipes.
Make sure warm air is circulating in any area with water pipes. This includes garages and other unheated parts of your home.
If you’re going to be away from your home, you should set the heat to no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Other steps to take if you're away include:
- Ask a friend or neighbor to check on your house daily.
- Shut off and drain water systems.
Keep in mind: If you shut off water systems and have a fire protection sprinkler system in your house, it will be deactivated.
Do You Need to Turn On All Faucets?
You might think letting the faucet run is counterproductive to conserving water. But just a tiny trickle can keep ice from building up in your pipes.
You don't need to turn all faucets on in your home, but at least one should be running a small trickle of hot or cold water. If you have a large, two-story house, let a small stream run from an upstairs second faucet in addition to one on the main floor.
Some utility providers may offer a slight billing adjustment for people who run water to prevent their pipes from freezing. You could talk to your provider, especially during harsh winter seasons, to see if they offer this discount.
Where to Stop Running Water to Prevent Bursting Pipes
If your pipes have frozen and busted, you'll need to know where to turn off all your water. Most houses have a main shutoff valve that turns off all the water. This is usually found at your water meter or where the main water pipe enters your home.
Sometimes the main water valve is located in your basement, garage, or outside by your foundation. It’s important to find where this is located before harsh winter weather rolls in.
How to Unfreeze Pipes
There's a good chance your pipes have frozen if you turn on your faucet and no water comes out. If you notice this, you can take steps to unfreeze your pipes and protect your house against burst pipes.
Turn on the faucet. You'll want water to flow through as the pipes begin to unfreeze. Even if it's cold, running water will help melt ice in the pipe.
Apply heat to the frozen section of the pipe. If you can determine where the ice blockage may be, then you can take steps to heat the pipe carefully. You could use:
- An electric heating pad
- An electric hairdryer
- A portable space heater
- Towels soaked in hot water
Remember: You should never use an open flame, kerosene, propane heater, charcoal stove, or high heat.
When using a space heater to warm the area up around your pipes, you should take precautions. Make sure you don't overload the circuits. Don't plug your space heater into an extension cord. Make sure it's plugged in directly to a wall outlet.
If you have a gas oven, don't leave the door open to try and help warm pipes. This can produce large amounts of carbon monoxide, which may go undetected and be deadly. You should also ensure all of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are working properly ahead of a winter storm.
Wait for full water pressure. Once your pipes start to unfreeze, you'll want to ensure there's no blockage in other lines. Take the precautions listed above to make sure no other pipes freeze.
Call a licensed plumber. Once the winter weather has passed and it’s safe to travel, you should call a plumber to inspect your pipes. They’ll be able to check for damage or anything that could cause problems down the line or during another winter storm.