As the calendar turns to a new year, the frosty months of January and February rear their ugly heads. Harsh conditions such as freezing wind chills and inches of snow remind us of an issue that some homeowners may not be thinking about: freezing pipes. While it’s easy to forget about this issue, as most pipes are hidden in the walls of your home, one slip-up could cost you thousands of dollars in damage. But we’re here to help! Let’s take a look at four ways to prevent freezing and what to do if freezing does occur.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes:
Here are some bonus tips regading frozen pipes:
How to Tell If a Pipe Is Frozen: The best indicator of a frozen pipe is if little to no water comes out when you turn on a faucet. Lower water pressure is typical in the winter, however, if there is only a trickle, there may be a problem that requires immediate attention. Just because a pipe is frozen doesn’t mean immediate disaster, but if not tended to quickly, that pipe could burst and cause serious damage.
What to do if a Pipe is Frozen: Some websites provide DIY solutions to help thaw pipes but we do not recommend this. Like many other DIY solutions around the home, one small misstep could be disastrous and leave you with a problem even worse than the problem you started with. If you suspect that you have a frozen pipe, please call a licensed plumber. They will be able to properly locate the problem area, thaw the pipe quickly, diagnose what led to the freezing and provide maintenance tips moving forward.
Winter is far from over, so keep yourself and your home prepared. If you’re away from your home this winter and are concerned about burst pipes and flooding, don’t forget that Doyle Security provides Sump Pump Monitoring to help keep track of water levels in your home. Call us at 1-866-GO-DOYLE (463-6953) for more information on this valuable service.