How do you keep pipes from freezing?
3/15/2023 (Permalink)
Frozen pipes can cause damage to your home, and they can also lead to expensive repairs. The best way to prevent frozen pipes is to take precautions during winter months. You may not be able to prevent all freezing, but you can minimize damage.
Take precautions during winter months.
Taking precautions during the winter months can help reduce pipe breaks when the weather starts to warm up. Keeping all unneeded rooms doors closed to keep rooms warm.
Don't leave faucets running for long periods of time--even if you're not using much water at all! Running water causes excess condensation that can freeze inside pipes and cause them to burst when temperatures drop overnight or during cold snaps in springtime.
Avoid using heating pads on pipes--they're notorious for causing damage! If you must use one around your plumbing system, make sure it's only on low settings so as not to overheat anything near where they're located. Also keep an eye out for signs of melting plastic or rubber seals around where these devices are placed because they could leak into other areas nearby if left unattended long enough.
Insulate pipes and keep wrapped in foam or other insulating material.
Use a heat tape to keep pipes warm, especially if you don't have central heating. The best way to do this is to wrap the tape around your main water pipe line, which runs through the basement and into your home's walls or crawlspace. Heat tapes can be purchased online or at hardware stores, but installation requires some DIY skills and may require hiring an electrician if you're unsure of what you're getting into.
Use a thermostat-controlled switch to turn off power when temperatures drop below freezing outside so that no heat is wasted inside your home on non-essential items such as lights, televisions and computers and thus lessening their impact on heating costs.
Turn down the heat thermostat on your water heater
Turn down the heat thermostat on your water heater so it will not be as cold when it is turned on. This can help reduce the chance that water in pipes will freeze and burst.
How do you turn down a thermostat? If your water heater has an adjustable dial, turn it to a lower setting (between 120 degrees F and 125 degrees F). If not, contact a professional plumber who can adjust or replace the unit with one that has an adjustable thermostat control. If your existing unit is already frozen, call SERVPRO for your emergency plumbing service immediately.
You can take steps to prevent frozen pipes and minimize damage if they do freeze. The best way to prevent frozen pipes is by taking precautions during winter months. You may not be able to prevent all freezing, but you can minimize damage by following these steps. Give SERVPRO of St. George a call today!