Dealing With Frozen Pipes
Why Does A Plumbing System Freeze?
Those who live in areas where it’s very cold in the winter, must beware of frozen plumbing systems. Pipes can freeze in the winter time, and cause lack of water, or you may be left with burst pipes. Those who have copper pipes instead of plastic or galvanized steel pipes, are at a bigger risk of having their pipes freeze. When the cold weather hits 31°F or below, you are at risk for having your pipes frozen.
Those who have poor insulation around their pipes, or none at all, may also experience frozen pipes in the winter. Many older homes were not built with proper insulation, so if you have a home that has not had the plumbing replaced, and it was built in the 1970s or earlier, you may experience freezing pipes.
How Can I Prevent This?
There are several ways to prevent your pipes from freezing, and the best way is to keep your home warm. If your home is well insulated, turning on the heat during the winter time will help to keep the pipes warm as well, unless the pipes are away from the home. If you plan on going on vacation, make sure to have someone come and visit the house every couple days, and run the water as hot as possible for a while, in order to keep the water flowing through the pipes.
If you are going on vacation, you may want to leave the thermostat at a level where it will keep the heat coming on continuously, in order to keep the home warm while you’re away. Wrapping electrical tape around a pipe, may also help to keep it from freezing in the future. Insulation is also needed in the area where the pipe is, in order to help keep it warm, and prevent freezing pipes.
Why Is It Important To Keep This From Happening?
The biggest reason to prevent broken pipes, is the flooding. The flooding that can be caused by broken pipes, especially if it goes undetected, can reach several feet. If the flooding takes place in a basement, it’s possible for the water to get to several feet deep, before anyone knows that flooding has taken place. It costs a massive amount of money to fix a home after water flooding has occurred. You also will have no use of water, if your pipes freeze.
Is the cold Berkeley winter making you think about the security of your plumbing system? Call Albert Nahman Plumbing & Heating today at (510) 876-9725 for top quality frozen pipe services.
