subject: Prevent Pipe Freezing [print this page] A chilly pipe can possibly burst and the result can be flooding, damaged carpet and furniture, and potentially even rot and mildew. Luckily, you can avoid these with some straightforward precautions that may guarantee you get thru winter safely without any plumbing calamities.
Let's accept it probabilities are there's been 1 or 2 times when you have left the house for one or two days and forgotten to leave the power on. The weather was possibly late autumn and was looking ok when you left, but then while you were away the weather modified and it shot down to freezing. I must admit to it taking place a couple of times, I was so anticipating getting away for a long weekend and when the weather changed on the Sun. evening, I was actually worried by the point I got home the pipes would have not only frozen but burst.
I was fortunate, but resolved to never do that in the future. A broken pipe can make a huge mess and destroy not only furniture and carpet, but can also cause rot and mold as the water dissipates through the floor boards.
There are a couple of steps you can take to guarantee this doesn't happen to you. First, insulate exposed pipes - particularly the ones under the house. This won't only help you stop a flooding disaster, but will also save you significant amounts of money in lost heat from the pipes.
If you live in an area where it is commonly below freezing, over the winter, it's an excellent idea to empty your watering system and hose and coil up your hose and hang it up. Simple enough to empty your hose, but your watering system might be more difficult. Some systems have a draining mechanism, and if you know that you're going to drain it, this is a crucial consideration before purchasing it.
Inside, it is a good idea to always leave a tap dripping slowly. This flies in the face of advice for saving water, but if your pipes are likely to burst from freezing, you must do this since moving water is much harder to freeze that standing water. In the case that you're going to be away for awhile and the weather will go below freezing, you'll have to drain the water from your pipes. However, if you live in an area where the temperatures drop to around freezing, just make sure you keep your heating half on in your house so that the water doesn't freeze, as well as leaving a single tap dripping if needs be.
If you have just moved to the area and you are not sure which option is best, then ask your neighbors and they will be well placed to tell you which of these precautions are needed.
And if you are at home and you're worried that your pipes may be freezing, you can use a heater or a hair dryer to warm them. Also, if you are troubled by the worry that they might have frozen already, but haven't yet burst (this could mean you do not have the proper valves open), call a plumbing professional right away. He'll analyze the situation and determine what's best to avoid the burst. While you wait for the plumbing contractor to come, get buckets and towels ready. If the water has frozen, and there appears to be a weakness in the pipes, warming the water may only cause the frozen water to leak through the damaged pipes and cause a significant problem.
