Freezing temperatures that occur in the Louisville area throughout the winter season put a home’s plumbing pipes at risk. Water pipes freeze when exposed to low temperatures for extended periods of time, and the pipes inside exterior walls or exposed pipes in unheated crawl spaces, garages, attics, and basements are most vulnerable within the home. Indoor pipes aren’t the only water pipes that can freeze – outdoor water lines including outdoor hose bibs, buried water supply pipes, water sprinkler lines, and swimming pool supply lines are also susceptible.
Louisville homeowners should take measures to prevent frozen pipes, as major damage can result whenever pipes freeze within the home. When water freezes inside a pipe, water expands to form ice, creating a blockage. Behind this point, water is still moving – the blockage of moving water creates tremendous pressure within metal or plastic pipes, stressing the pipe walls until a leak forms or the pipe bursts. It may be necessary to replace one pipe or many, depending on the damage, and your home may suffer extreme damage from remaining water if you do not drain water quickly from a burst pipe.
To help you avoid frozen pipes this season, Jarboe's Heating, Cooling & Plumbing explains the steps to take across your entire home. Our licensed Louisville plumbers detail preventative measures that work to stop pipes from freezing, along with the security practices you should adopt whenever outdoor conditions present the possibility of frozen pipes. Learn about helpful products such as pipe insulation, heat tape, and heat cable, as well as steps such as keeping cabinet doors and garage doors closed.
Measures to prevent freezing aren’t always able to completely erase the risk of a frozen pipe, so our plumbers also share how to quickly thaw frozen pipes if they occur. The thawing process instructs you to apply heat in order to melt ice inside pipes using common household tools such as a portable space heater or heat lamp, or even everyday items like an electric heating pad, hair dryer, or towels soaked in hot water. We explain how to safely thaw a frozen pipe and avoid using potentially hazardous tools such as a charcoal stove, propane heater, propane torch, or other open flame device that has the potential to light flammable materials, melt plastic pipes, and cause a house fire.
The indoor pipes most vulnerable to freezing temperatures are those that are installed along unheated exterior walls and exposed pipes that run through areas like a crawl space, attic, basement, or garage that may be unheated or under-insulated. To safeguard your home’s water supply lines from freezing, there are many home improvements you can easily make in these key areas.
Freezing pipes actually don’t become a risk for insider pipes when outdoor temperatures reach 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though that temperature is technically freezing, the threat of frozen pipes doesn’t start until outdoor temperatures fall to around 20 degrees or lower and these conditions are maintained for six hours or more. The pipes inside exterior walls and exposed water lines are at the greatest risk of freezing pipes as these spaces don’t stay as warm as areas close to the center of the house.
If outdoor temperatures are expected to sit at 20 degrees or below for six hours or longer, use these security practices to reduce the risk of freezing pipes in your home.
If frozen pipes do occur in your home, you need to quickly thaw them to limit the likelihood of pipe bursts and water damage. During periods of extreme cold, watch for the warning signs of a frozen pipe – low water pressure is the most commonly noticed symptom, and frozen pipes may also lead to a lack of cold water supply to fixtures served by affected pipes as well as visible frost or condensation along the frozen area of a pipe.
Before starting the thawing process to thaw pipes, identify the frozen area and open the faucets to affected fixtures. If you find signs of damage to pipes or an active leak, shut off the water supply to the home immediately and drain water from the affected area as quickly as possible.
The thawing process will have you apply heat directly to the pipe’s frozen area as well as the surrounding space.
Normal water supply and water pressure should be restored once the frozen area is completely melted. At this point, close the faucets and inspect for damage to pipes as well as leaks in the home. If a pipe has burst or leaked, remove any remaining water in the area to prevent damage to your home. Have your plumber make repairs or replace affected pipes before turning the home’s water supply back on.
We hope that with the professional advice above, you will be able to prevent frozen pipes inside your Louisville home this winter season. Should you have a problem with a frozen pipe and need help thawing the pipe or replacing damage caused by a pipe burst, contact Jarboe's Heating, Cooling & Plumbing right away.