When winter brings chilly air with freezing temperatures, ice storms, or seasonal snowstorms, protecting your home from your plumbing entails some pretty important steps. Frozen pipes can create major water damages that can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs to your home. Knowing how to keep your pipes from freezing will not only reduce your risk of these damages but also eliminate the need for emergency restoration service.
Why Do Pipes Freeze?
To prevent your pipes from freezing in the first place, you’ll want to know how pipes freeze. Water inside a pipeline goes from liquid (32 degrees Fahrenheit) to frozen ice (0 degrees). This change creates a significant amount of pressure inside the pipeline, which is strong enough to crack or burst even metal or PVC pipe. Pipes that are located outside or in unheated spaces, such as basements, crawlspaces, and attics, are particularly vulnerable to being frozen.
One thing you may not have known is that hot-water pipes can freeze before cold-water pipes do. Why? Because hot-water pipes generally have less volume in them (after use), plus some of the hottest pipes will pass through cooler spaces in your home and therefore be more prone to a rapid decrease in temperature.
Essential Steps to Prevent Frozen Pipes
1. Insulate Your Pipes
To prevent pipes from freezing, insulation is essential. Visit your nearest hardware store to purchase pipe insulation (foam sleeves or fiberglass wraps) as they both work well to help prevent pipe freeze-ups.
Where to Install Exposed Pipe Insulation:
– Exposed Pipes In Unheated Areas
– Water Lines In Crawls Spaces/Basements
– Exterior Pipes – Outdoor Water Lines
– Any Plumbing Against Outside Walls
Winter Pipe Insulation Will Be One Of The Most Cost-Effective Things You Can Buy For Your Home! Wrapping Pipes With Foam Sleeves Or Heat Tape Will Create A Barrier Between The Cold Air And The Pipe. You Can Find Step-By-Step Instructions For The Best Ways For Insulating Outside Water Pipes On The Internet.
2. Let Your Faucets Drip
If you are worried about losing water to cold temperatures or excessive drought conditions, you may want to consider the following:
Use a Drip Faucet
Although dripping faucets may seem like a waste of water, they can actually keep water pipes from freezing. By relieving pressure in the plumbing system, water will be less likely to freeze when it is in motion, even if it is moving slowly.
To do this you need to:
Turn on both the hot and cold taps to have a steady drip coming out.
Make sure you are only using faucets that have pipes connected to exterior walls.
If there are extreme frost conditions, it is a good idea to keep some water flowing through the vulnerable pipes at night while the temperatures are coldest.
You should not be concerned about how much this will add to your monthly water bill; the cost of running a dripping faucet is minimal compared to the expense of having to replace burst pipes or having to fix flood damage.
3. Keep Cabinet Doors Open
By opening both kitchen cabinet and bathroom cabinet doors, you allow warm air to circulate around the pipes that are located under the sink in each location. This is very important for:
- Cabinets that sit on outside walls.
- Bathrooms that are located on the frozen side of your home.
- Kitchen sinks that have plumbing against the outside wall.
By opening these cabinets and allowing the warm air to circulate, you will create a much warmer temperature around your water lines and decrease the possibility of freezing.
4. Maintain Indoor Heat
As a reminder, when leaving the city for an extended period of time during the winter months, never allow your thermostat to drop lower than 55°F. By keeping your home at a warm temperature, you can keep your interior pipes warm enough so they won’t freeze.
Suggestions may include:
Maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the day and night on your thermostat
Keeping garage doors closed if any part of your water supply line is housed there
Opening all interior doors to allow for maximum airflow through your home.
5. Seal Cracks and Gaps
If you have cold air coming in through gaps or cracks near your plumbing, it can lead to freezing of your pipes. Check the following areas of your home for openings:
- Gaps where the water supply pipes enter your home.
- Cracks in your basement or crawlspace walls that allow air to enter.
- Spaces between your dryer vent and your basement wall or between your electrical wiring and your basement wall.
Seal any of these gaps/cracks using caulking or spray foam insulation to prevent cold air from entering into these areas.
6. Protect Outdoor Pipes and Faucets
Properly learning how to keep outdoor water pipes free from freezing will help maintain functional outdoor pipes during the winter months. Before winter arrives, ensure you complete the following actions:
- – Disconnect your garden hoses and drain the hoses prior to storage.
- – Turn off your outdoor spigot valves from inside your house.
- – Put pipe insulation covers or molded insulative faucet cap covers onto your outdoor faucet spigot.
- – Drain your sprinkler systems and outdoor water features (birdbaths, ponds, fountains, etc.) of all water.
If you have outdoor spigots you cannot shut off, consider using freeze-resistant spigot covers or insulated spigot sleeves.
7. Use Heat Tape or Heat Cables
Heating Tape/Heat Cables help keep pipe systems free from danger by giving them a steady source of warming them as they cool down. Furthermore, the heating tape/heat cable is powered by electricity, which activates the device automatically when the temperature drops below a set level.
Where to use heating tape/heat cables:
- Exposed piping located in an area not heated
- Water lines running through a crawl space
- Pipes that have been frozen in past winter seasons
Follow your manufacturer’s instructions closely, and always use heating tapes/heat cables that are rated for the specific application.
What to Do If Your Pipes Do Freeze
Despite your best prevention efforts, pipes freezing in house situations can still occur. If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, you likely have a frozen pipe. Here’s what to do:
- Keep the faucet open – As ice begins to melt, water and steam need somewhere to escape
- Apply heat – Use a hair dryer, heating pad, or warm towels (never an open flame)
- Work from the faucet toward the frozen area – This allows melting ice to flow out
- Check all faucets – If one pipe is frozen, others may be too
- Call a professional – If you can’t locate the frozen area or can’t reach it safely, call a plumber
When to Call for Emergency Help
If your pipes burst, you need immediate assistance. Water damage spreads quickly and can destroy flooring, walls, furniture, and personal belongings within hours.
Have your plumber’s number handy. Have Blue Chip Restoration’s number handy.
If disaster strikes and your pipes burst, call us immediately at 1-615-832-5300. We provide 24/7 emergency response for water damage restoration. If you call and we don’t pick up immediately, we will get back to you within 15 minutes. Time is critical when dealing with burst pipes and flooding.
Frequently Asked Questions
How cold does it have to be for pipes to freeze?
Pipes can freeze when temperatures drop to 20°F or below, especially if the cold spell lasts several hours. Pipes in unheated areas can freeze at higher temperatures.
Do PVC pipes freeze?
Yes, PVC pipes can freeze and burst just like metal pipes. While PVC has some flexibility, frozen water expansion can still crack or split these pipes.
What is the best pipe insulation to prevent freezing?
Foam pipe sleeves are the most popular and affordable option. For exposed outdoor pipes, consider fiberglass insulation with a weatherproof jacket or specialized heat tape for extreme conditions.
Should I drip hot or cold water?
Drip both! Running both hot and cold water helps prevent freezing in both supply lines and ensures pressure relief throughout your plumbing system.
How do you keep pipes from freezing in a vacant house?
Keep the heat on (at least 55°F), shut off and drain the main water supply, open all faucets to drain pipes, and add antifreeze to toilet bowls and drain traps.
Can I use antifreeze in my pipes?
Only use RV or marine antifreeze designed explicitly for plumbing systems, and only in drains and toilet bowls—never in water supply lines you’ll drink from.
Take Action Before Winter Arrives
Preventing frozen pipes should begin before the first major freeze of the season. By taking proactive measures like insulating any exposed piping, sealing gaps around plumbing pipes inside the house, and/or getting your outdoor faucets ready now, you will avoid a lot of headaches down the road by preventing frozen or busted plumbing systems.
You do not need to know anything about this field to keep your water supply lines from freezing. Protecting your plumbing all season long, from now until the end of winter, can be completed by properly installing pipe insulation, by performing simple maintenance on your own house, and lastly, by becoming educated about where to look for those vulnerable spots within your home.
If you live in an area with cold weather, do not wait until temperatures drop below freezing to start your plan to prevent frozen pipes; begin taking these steps today!