Winter in Utah means that residents have to be ready for just about anything. One year, we can enjoy milder winters, with a pleasant dusting of snow. Other years, snow can fall thick, heavy, and the temperatures can plunge.
Most of the time, the cold outside isn’t much of a problem once you’re safely inside, but for some people, especially in older homes with heat efficiency or insulation problems, colder temperatures can seep right into the residence and go straight for the water pipes, freezing them. Now you're stuck dealing with the chance of having burst pipes.
If you want to prevent the nightmare of waking up after a cold night to find you’ve got no running water, we have a few important suggestions for you to follow.
Mind Your Exterior Plumbing
If you have any plumbing that runs outside your home, you’ve got to be especially careful about it, because it is the most at risk. The rest of your plumbing benefits from the “heat bubble” that protects your home. External plumbing doesn’t.
Keep Garage & Attic Doors Closed
The laws of thermodynamics state that cold will always try to move into where it’s warm. If you have an attic space without the same insulation as the rest of your home or an attached garage, make sure that windows and doors in these areas are closed. Cold will always use these areas as opportunities to “bleed” into the rest of your home which may affect your pipes.
Run Your Hot Water Periodically
Water in motion is always harder to freeze than still water. One way that you can help to keep your water pipes in good shape is to sometimes run your hot water for a short period of time. It can help to melt any ice that may be forming within the pipe.
Use Heating Tape on Pipes
If some of your pipes, like external plumbing, are unavoidably exposed to the cold, heating tape is a fantastic option. Contrary to the name, heating tape is actually more of a cord, but it runs an electrical current through it to generate heat. When it’s wrapped around a pipe, it can provide the necessary heat to keep the water in its liquid state.
Thaw the Pipe
Sometimes, it’s just going to happen, and your pipe may freeze. If this occurs to you, you can take care of the problem yourself.
Depending on the access you have to the pipe, and your own patience, you can thaw a frozen pipe by either moving a space heater, a heat lamp, or, for fastest results, blowing a hair dryer at the highest setting directly on the pipe. Do not, under any circumstances try to use a torch, candle, or other flame directly on the metal.
When all else fails, or if the pipe is in an area that’s difficult to get to, professionals are always just a phone call away to help.We know how important it is to get plumbing problems like this resolved, which is why we pride ourselves on same day service, personal attention to your specific problems and needs, no mess left behind, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
You can reach us right here at Apple Valley Plumbing by calling (612) 387-1207. Contact us and let solve your plumbing problem for you.