How Can I Prevent My Home’s Pipes From Freezing?

With winter on the horizon, winter weather problems are just around the corner as well. One issue that freezing weather can cause for homeowners is frozen pipes. When your home’s pipes freeze, it can cause all kinds of issues, including causing your home’s pipes to burst. To avoid experiencing such problems, homeowners should know how to prevent their home’s pipes from freezing and understand how to thaw their home’s pipes if they do freeze.

Tips for Preventing Your Pipes From Freezing

When the weather drops below freezing, if your plumbing isn’t prepared to handle it, it can be a disaster that will cost you a lot of money and put you and your family in a horrific position. This is because it can lead to your plumbing not working and/or your home’s pipes freezing and bursting. The following are tips for preventing your pipes from freezing:

• Insulate pipes – Insulating your pipes can help protect them from the cold weather and help prevent heat from escaping from the pipes. In addition to insulating your pipes, you should also ensure that your home is well insulated. This includes your garage (your garage door especially) if there are any pipes that run through there.
• Drip faucets – In some cases, running even a trickle of water through a pipe can help prevent it from freezing.
• Open cabinets – Keeping the cabinets under your kitchen and bathroom sinks open will allow those areas to be exposed to the heat in your home. This can help keep the pipes under your sinks warm and prevent them from freezing. If it is particularly cold, it may also be a good idea to place a space heater a safe distance from your open sink cabinets to keep the pipes even warmer.

How to Thaw Frozen Pipes

If your pipes do freeze despite your best efforts, this is how you can thaw them:

• Heat the pipe – Use heating pads and space heaters to warm the frozen pipe or pipes. You can also use a hairdryer or even try wrapping the pipe with towels soaked in hot water. However, don’t use anything with an open flame, such as a blowtorch or charcoal, kerosene, or propane stoves or heaters. These items can damage your pipes and pose a fire risk.
• Run the faucet – Running water through the pipe as you heat it can help the ice in the pipe melt faster.
• Contact a plumber – Before you try to thaw the pipe yourself, if you can’t thaw the pipe yourself, or if you can’t find the section of pipe you need to thaw, you should discuss your situation with a licensed and experienced plumber. A plumber can guide you through the process of thawing the pipe or come to your home and take care of the issue for you. Plus, a plumber may be able to help you thaw your pipes without damaging your pipes or plumbing system.

If you’re worried your pipes may freeze this winter, you need to do what you can to prevent it from happening before it’s too late. Winters® Home Services can help. Our experienced plumbers know how to help homeowners prepare their plumbing for the harsh cold weather that winter brings. Since 1995, we have been the go-to plumbing services provider for homeowners and businesses in Boston and throughout its surrounding areas.

For more information about Winters® Home Services, check out our customers’ reviews.

To learn more about frozen pipe prevention and repair, and to discuss winterizing your plumbing with our experienced plumbers in Boston, call us at 617-221-5899 or reach out to us online today. Discounts available!