Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing This Winter

Prepping your home for winter can be stressful, especially considering all the ways cold weather can wreak havoc. Frozen pipes can lead to burst lines, flooded homes, and damaged goods. Get your pipes ready for winter and keep the water flowing all winter long and beyond.

Why Do Pipes Freeze?

Winter temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or wind chill factors of the same, can cause exposed and vulnerable water pipes to freeze.

Once the temperature gets low enough, ice forms in the pipes. Frozen water expands, causing pressure to build up between the block and faucet. If the pressure gets high enough, the affected pipe will burst. Once the water starts flowing again, the burst pipe causes flooding and water damage.

Get Ahead of the Cold: Prep Your Pipes for Winter

  • Insulate Exposed Pipes: Using pipe insulation is an inexpensive way to protect your pipes from the winter cold, especially when you compare the upfront cost to how expensive a burst pipe can be to repair.
  • Seal any cracks or openings: Check the areas of the house with water pipes running through. Seal any openings or cracks you see that might allow cold air to seep in.
  • Seal off crawl spaces: Use foam and duct tape to seal off any areas of the house that might get drafts of cold air.
  • Consider heating tape for your pipes: Heating tape can be wrapped around your pipes and comes in two varieties: Self-monitoring or manual. Electric heating tape keeps your pipes warm throughout the winter.

During the Winter

  • Close the garage door, but open cabinets and interior doors: Keep cold air out of the garage wear water supply lines are vulnerable. Regularly open cabinets and closets containing water pipes, and keep interior doors open as much as possible to allow the circulation of warm air around the pipes.
  • Keep the faucets set to slow-drip: Leave faucets that are fed by exposed pipes on a very slow drip. The running water, even just a little bit, causes friction in the pipes. Even a small amount of friction can be enough to keep the pipes heated enough to prevent freezing and relieve pressure.
  • Keep the heat on: Even if you aren’t going to be home, leave the heat at 55 degrees or higher.

Signs Your Pipes are Frozen

Even if you do everything right, if the temperature drops down low enough, your pipes can still freeze. Know the signs.

  • Frost on the outside of a pipe
  • Weird smells emitting from your pipes
  • No water supply

Don’t Panic if Your Pipes Freeze

If you think you have a burst pipe, immediately turn off the water and call us for a repair. If a pipe hasn’t burst there’s still time to fix it.

  • Turn a faucet on to help melt the ice blockage.
  • Use a heating pad or space heater to melt the ice.
  • Check the rest of your pipes for signs of freezing.

We’re Here to Help

If you have a burst pipe, turn off the water supply and give J Griffin Heating and Plumbing a call. We’ve been helping the Greater Boston area face the harsh winter cold for over 30 years. We can take care of all your plumbing needs, including preventing and repairing burst pipes. Give us a call at 781-521-2188 or check out our Facebook page to see how we can help you.