Did you know that it only takes a few hours for a pipe to freeze? Most homeowners don’t realize that, and with plenty of cold weather still ahead for us (especially at night), this isn’t something you should just brush off. First, it’s important to know how to prevent such an incident from happening.
However, if you’ve found yourself already facing this winter plumbing problem and it hasn’t let to a plumbing emergency yet, we still urge you to act quickly and contact a professional plumber in St. Charles, MO, so that it doesn’t turn into an emergency!
Avoid Frozen Pipes
There are a few steps to take that are cited as the best ways to prevent frozen pipes. Of course, these types of preventive measures are best taken before winter begins, but if you haven’t had a problem yet then it’s not too late to prevent a future one!
First, mind your hoses. It’s really tempting as the weather warms to hook your outdoor hoses back up and prepare for spring. However, we really want to stress the importance of not doing this too soon. Your hoses should have been removed and drained before winter began, and they shouldn’t be put back out until temperatures are staying steadily above 30°F. Ensure that your outside hose bibs are open, also, to allow water to drain.
Next, How’s Your Insulation? We encourage you to keep your garage doors closes, first off, if you have any water supply lines running through this space. Also, you might want to keep your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors cracked open a bit so the pipes in this area have access to the warmth from your heater.
Finally, keep your thermostat at a steady temperature. In other parts of the country, you’ll see HVAC professionals recommend that in order to conserve energy, homeowners turn their thermostats down a little bit when they’re not home or when they’re sleep. But it’s not in all parts of the country that temperatures dip below freezing for weeks at a time! Therefore, we encourage you to find a temperature that’s comfortable for the majority of your household, and then stick with that.
“What If I Already Have Frozen Pipes?”
Chances are that if you suspect you have a frozen pipe, you cannot actually access the pipe on your own. And we would not advise you to, as it could be potentially dangerous, and end up doing more harm than good. But, we don’t want you to neglect the problem either—you should be calling one of our pros!
If you turn on a faucet to see only a trickle coming out, and you’ve been dealing with winter weather, then it is very likely you have a frozen pipe. The area where this is most likely to happen includes any pipes that are against exterior walls, or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.
So what can you do? Call in a pro! Trying to thaw a frozen pipe on your own causes the pressure within that pipe to build up, which can and will cause it to rupture. This can lead to thousands of dollars in property damage, and can even potentially injure you. It’s simply not worth the risk.