Five Essential Hacks for Winterizing Your Pipes Against Frigid Temperatures
Five Essential Hacks for Winterizing Your Pipes Against Frigid Temperatures
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All homeowners who live in warm climates should do their best to winterize their pipes. It is something you need to do throughout fall prior to deep winter really starts. Failure to do so can mean disaster like frozen, cracked, or ruptured pipelines. If the weather condition outside is terrible, here are some useful winterizing hacks to maintain your plumbing system shielded also.
Activate the Faucets
When the temperature declines as well as it seems as if the cold temperature level will certainly last, it will certainly help to turn on your water both indoors as well as outdoors. This will keep the water moving through your plumbing systems. On top of that, the motion will slow down the cold process. Notably, there's no demand to transform it on full blast. You'll wind up squandering gallons of water by doing this. Instead, aim for about 5 drops per min.
Open Closet Doors Hiding Plumbing
When it's cool outside, it would certainly be practical to open cabinet doors that are masking your pipelines. Doing this small technique can maintain your pipelines warm as well as limit the potentially hazardous results of freezing temperature levels.
Take Some Time to Cover Exposed Water Lines
One cool as well as very easy hack to heat up freezing pipelines is to wrap them with warm towels. You can likewise utilize pre-soaked towels in hot water, simply do not fail to remember to wear safety handwear covers to protect your hands from the heat.
Attempt a Hair Dryer or Heat Weapon
When your pipes are virtually freezing, your reliable hair clothes dryer or warmth gun is a godsend. Bowling hot air directly right into them may assist if the hot towels do not assist remove any settling ice in your pipes. However, do not utilize other objects that produce straight flames like a blow torch. This can lead to a larger catastrophe that you can not regulate. You might end up harmful your pipelines while trying to thaw the ice. And in the future, you might even end up burning your house. Be careful!
When Pipelines are Frozen, close Off Water
Switch off the main water valve instantly if you observe that your pipelines are totally frozen or virtually nearing that phase. You will typically find this in your cellar or laundry room near the heater or the front wall closest to the street. Transform it off right now to stop further damage.
Don't fail to remember to shut exterior water sources, too, such as your hookup for the garden home. Doing this will certainly prevent additional water from filling your plumbing system. With more water, more ice will pile up, which will eventually lead to burst pipes. It is best to call a professional plumber for an inspection if you are uncertain about the state of your pipes this winter season. Taking this proactive method can save you hundreds of bucks out of commission.
All property owners who live in temperate environments have to do their finest to winterize their pipes. Failing to do so can spell calamity like icy, broken, or ruptured pipelines. If the hot towels do not aid remove any type of settling ice in your pipelines, bowling warm air directly right into them may help. Transform off the primary water valve immediately if you see that your pipelines are completely icy or practically nearing that stage. With even more water, more ice will certainly stack up, which will eventually lead to break pipes.
How To Keep Your Pipes From Freezing This Winter
How Cold Does It Have to Be for Pipes to Freeze?
Before we get into what you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing, let’s first make sure that you can answer the question, “When do pipes freeze?”
In general, you should expect your pipes to potentially freeze once the temperature gets close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s also important to recognize that, even if you live in a warmer climate, you’re not immune from having to deal with frozen pipes.
In some cases, you may even be at a higher risk. This is because your pipes aren’t insulated well enough to handle colder temperatures.
Pipes are also at a greater risk of freezing if they’re located in the basement or the attic of your home. This is because they’re not able to get as much heat as pipes in other parts of your home are.
So, when you’re taking precautions to prevent your pipes from freezing, make sure that you pay special attention to pipes in those areas.
Common Signs of Frozen Pipes
Now that you know how to keep your pipes from freezing, let’s talk about a few of the most common signs that it’s too late.
If your pipes have already frozen, it’s important to get professional help as soon as possible. If you know what to watch out for, you’ll be able to act much faster — potentially saving you from serious disaster.
Interestingly, one of the biggest signs of a frozen pipe is a nasty, strange smell from the drain in a sink or even the faucet itself. This is because the smell can’t filter out of the pipe, and instead is forced to come back up towards your home.
You may also see visible signs of frost on the outside of your pipe, which is an almost certain sign that it’s already frozen.
Of course, you may not even be able to get water to run out of your pipe. If you turn on your faucet but no water (or only a few random drips) come out? Then it’s likely that they’ve frozen.
You might also hear whistling and banging coming from the pipes, or even strange bubbling sounds when you flush a toilet.
Finally, take a look at your drywall and ceilings. If you notice any kind of dampness, puddles, or rings, there’s a serious issue.
Remember that, the longer you wait to thaw out the pipe, the more likely it is that it will burst. You don’t want to deal with the expense of replacing a pipe as opposed to thawing it. You especially want to avoid damage to your floors and personal property.
Get in touch with a plumbing professional to get a handle on the situation as soon as possible.
Check out Your Current Insulation
Earlier on in this post, we spoke about the importance of making sure that pipes in less visited areas of your home, like your basement or attic, got enough attention.
Take a look at your insulation in these areas, and determine if it might be smart to add another layer or two.
So, which materials should you use to properly insulate your pipes?
You can’t go wrong with fiberglass sleeves or even foam rubber. If you’re a bit anxious about properly fitting them on your own, then we suggest that you call in a professional to help you.
This is usually an effective solution for exposed pipes. However, if you have more serious concerns, then it may be the right time to re-insulate your walls and ceilings completely.
When in Doubt, Open Your Doors
One final tip on how to keep your pipes from freezing?
Believe it or not, keeping your interior doors open may be the solution you’re after.
First of all, keeping things open will allow the heat to circulate better throughout your entire home. Additionally, make sure that you open up your cabinet door if you have pipes underneath the sink.
This will ensure that they’re able to maintain a proper temperature to keep from freezing.
DIY Thawing Tips for Frozen Pipes
In most cases — and especially if you’re certain that the pipe has seriously frozen — you’ll need the help of a professional to thaw your pipes.
However, if you feel like it hasn’t yet frozen completely, there are a few DIY hacks you can do to speed up the thawing process.
Before you try out any of these tips, make sure that the faucet is completely open (turn both the hot and cold handles if needed.)
Start as close to the faucet as possible to get the most effective and fastest thaw.
If you’re trying to thaw an exposed pipe, you can wrap them in hot towels to slowly bring them back up to a warmer temperature. You can also use a hair dryer, a space heater, or even a heat lamp.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to monitor the pipes during this entire process, as walking away can be seriously dangerous to not only your home but your plumbing as well. In the event that something does burst, know where your main valve water shut off is located and be able to access it quickly.
If the pipes are enclosed, start by turning up the heat in your home. In some cases, this may be enough to thaw them out.
You can also use a small infrared lamp. Hold it up to the area where you know the pipes are located for a few minutes. Sometimes, this will do the trick when it comes to thawing pipes.
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