Frozen Water Pipes
As we all settle in for the upcoming Winter, it is worthwhile to consider one aspect of the new season that is not pleasant--frozen water pipes. Whether you are new to our climate or a "seasoned" veteran, a review of the potential danger may be in order. If your home is susceptible to freezing pipes, here are some strategies to prevent the problem, or mitigate the damage.
Assuming that your home's heat system doesn't fail, it is the water pipes located in outside walls, or in floors over unheated spaces, such as garages, that are in danger. Bathrooms over a garage are a common source of trouble. If you have an attached garage, keep your garage door closed. Unheated garages can be twenty or more degrees warmer than the outside temperature, and even if you don't have water pipes over the garage, keeping it closed will keep the adjoining rooms of your home warmer too. Get in the habit of checking that the door is closed before you retire for the evening!
A contractor friend in the Chicago area related a pertinent story just last week. His clients had recently moved into a new home he had built. They had a large contingent of friends and family over for Thanksgiving dinner, and were in the Dining Room about to offer thanks, when their silence was punctuated by the sound of dripping water. Not intending to use their new exercise room for awhile, the new homeowners ignored by friend’s advice and turned off the heat zone that served the room, resulting in a little more holiday excitement than they had bargained for.
If you’re leaving town for the holidays, never turn your furnace off, or set the thermostat below about 55 degrees. Regardless of how well walls are insulated, unless there is a source of heat for the pipes, they can freeze when the temperature of the room drops low enough. Every year I see problems in unused rooms whose heat registers have been shut off, and from vacant homes and commercial buildings whose thermostats have been turned down or off. Arrange to have someone check on your home frequently when you are out of town during the winter.
If you have a pipe that freezes every year, try insulating the space between the pipe and the outside wall, and then installing a louvered grille between the pipe and the heated room (be sure not to insulate between the pipe and the heated room). This will allow some heated air to get to the pipe and keep it warm. When insulating, look especially for small holes to the outside that let cold wind blow on the pipe. Some expanding foam caulking will do a nice job of sealing out the breeze.
Learn how to shut off the water supply to your house. If you don't know where this valve is, find out now, before your furniture is floating. When you find the correct valve, actually close and open it to make sure it will operate. This way, if you have a water emergency, you will be able to minimize the damage by shutting the water off quickly. If you can't find your shutoff valve, you can use the valve inside the water meter pit. This pit us usually located somewhere in your yard, probably near the sidewalk or street, under an iron cover plate.
If the temperature is forecast to be near or below zero degrees Fahrenheit, try to get heat to the water pipes by leaving sink cabinet doors open, and maybe placing a fan to blow under the sink. This will help keep pipes in outside walls warm enough to avoid freezing. In some cases, it may be necessary to leave the water trickling from the faucet, allowing the relatively warm water to keep the ice at bay. This should be a slow stream, but not just a drip. Be sure to turn on both hot and cold faucets. If you have a single-lever faucet, set it for warm water.
Remove hoses from outside faucets! Even "frost-proof" sillcocks can freeze if water is left in the throat. Removing the hose is your best protection, even if your sillcock is the self-draining kind. If your sillcock freezes, you may not know it until the next time you turn the water on.
Make sure that heat registers are open in all rooms with water in them. If you have forced air heat, leave the door open. This will usually allow for better heat flow into the room.
As an added precaution, consider buying an inexpensive water alarm, (about $15), and locating it under susceptible pipes to give you early warning in case of a leak. These are battery operated, sold at hardware stores, and sound a loud alarm when their sensors get damp.
If your pipes freeze in spite of your best efforts, be careful how you go about thawing them out. NEVER use a torch. According to Cathy Sorter, Assistant Fire Marshal with the Boulder Fire Department, fires are started in Boulder every year by people being careless with heat sources while thawing frozen pipes.
If you can tell that the frozen pipe is split, shut off the water and call your plumber. You may have to be patient--if your pipe froze, you are not alone. Chances are your plumber has received dozens of calls.
If the pipe appears undamaged, the safest way to thaw it is to use a hair dryer or space heater blowing on or near the frozen section UNDER CONSTANT SUPERVISION. Open the related faucet or valve while thawing the pipe, and leave it open until the water runs at full flow--the running water will help thaw the pipes. Remember to review the location of your main shutoff valve BEFORE you thaw the pipes, because when they thaw out, the water might not come out where you want it to!
Remember the old saying about an ounce of prevention, and be prepared. Here’s hoping you have water this Winter only when you want it.
