I came home from a 14-hour drive. It was January and below freezing. I had left my faucets slightly open to prevent frozen pipes. This was a house I was renting. What I didn’t know was that someone had been working on the house while I was gone and closed the faucets.
As a result, a large water filter in the attic had frozen. Shortly after I arrived home, the filter crashed through the attic like Niagara Falls and the pipes started pouring out like rain throughout the house. By the time I could get to the pump house and turn off the water supply, the furniture was ruined. Within two days, the mold was overwhelming.
This is not a pretty story. Fortunately, this scenario can be avoided most of the time by taking basic precautions. If you live in a cold climate, it is important to know how to protect your pipes in freezing temperatures.
Here are 5 simple steps you can take to protect your indoor pipes:
1. Before the cold weather starts, check to be sure your pipes are well insulated. It’s a good idea to check periodically to be sure the insulation hasn’t rotted or broken off. A plumbing professional can help you ensure that your pipes are safely insulated for the winter.
2. When the temperature drops below freezing, open your indoor faucets to allow a slow drip. This prevents pressure from building up inside your pipes that would cause them to burst. Only the tiniest drip is needed – just enough to relieve the pressure in the pipes.
Not every pipe in the house will need this; only those susceptible to freezing.
3. Keep your cabinet doors open around vulnerable pipes when the temperature dips below freezing. This allows warm air to circulate closer to the pipes. Of course, be sure those areas are child-safe if you have young kids.
4. If you have central heating, keep it running, even when you are out of the house for the day. It is not necessary to set the thermostat as high as when you are home.
Choose a setting high enough to keep your pipes from freezing. A setting of 55 degrees F is most often recommended.
5. If you will be out of town during freezing weather, and you don’t have a caretaker or house sitter, you might need to take additional precautions to winterize your house. A professional plumbing service can help you complete this process safely and effectively.
As long as you take the right steps to care for your plumbing, there is no reason you can’t enjoy the winter season, safely, warmly, and with plumbing that works well.
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Janet Eriksson 