While frozen pipes are a bigger issue in northern states, residents in California still need to be cautious. Homeowners in San Marcos, Orange, Murrieta, and Temecula can take simple precautions to prevent their pipes from freezing during the winter. If you do encounter winter-related plumbing issues, you can reach out to We Care for plumbing maintenance and repair services.
How to Keep Your Pipes From Freezing
If your pipes end up freezing in the wintertime, it can lead to significant damage. When water freezes, it expands in volume. This puts added pressure on the sides of your pipes. Eventually, frozen pipes can burst because of the increased pressure. Once this occurs, it can cause extensive water damage and mold. Additionally, replacing the pipes can easily add up to hundreds or thousands of dollars in added costs.
While any pipes can freeze, there are a few situations where this problem is more likely. Water pipes that run into unheated areas, like basements and attics, are more likely to freeze. If the pipes are exposed to severe cold, they may become frozen. For instance, sprinkler lines and outdoor hose bibs frequently freeze.
Additionally, any pipes that run along exterior walls may freeze if your home doesn’t have adequate insulation. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways you can prevent your home’s pipes from freezing.
1. Insulate Your Pipes
Exposed pipes are more likely to freeze. To keep your pipes from losing heat to the surrounding air, you need to insulate them. There are specific types of pipe insulation you can buy that you can place around your pipes. This type of insulation is especially useful in attics, basements, and outdoor areas where there isn’t a lot of insulation in the building’s structure.
2. Seal Leaks
Another important way to prevent frozen pipes is by sealing up gaps, cracks, and leaks. Often, there are gaps around windows and doors. These can easily be sealed with caulking.
Additionally, you can tell if there are air leaks around your outlets by standing next to them. Next, place your hand a few inches away from the outlet. If there is any cold or moving air, it indicates that you need to seal gaps around the outlet.
3. Secure Outdoor Faucets and Hoses
If your outdoor hoses and faucets frequently freeze, you may need to consider an upgrade. There are newer models that are resistant to freezing. Additionally, you should carefully insulate any outdoor pipes and faucets before the weather turns cold.
To protect your hose, disconnect it. While this isn’t possible in every home, some homes allow you to shut off and drain the water lines that connect to your outdoor faucets. Unfortunately, many homes aren’t designed with this convenient feature. If you want this feature installed in your home, one of our plumbers can help.
4. Turn a Faucet On
Another way to prevent your pipes from freezing is by turning your faucets on. Once the water is flowing, it can’t freeze. To avoid wasting water, turn the faucet until just a trickle of water comes out.
5. Open Cabinet Doors
If you want to keep your pipes from freezing, one solution is to open your cabinet doors. For instance, you should open the cabinet doors underneath your kitchen sink. This allows the heated air in your home to warm up the pipes, which prevents freezing.
6. Adjust Your Thermostat
While you may want to save money on your power bill, you shouldn’t let your home get too cold. In general, your home should be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the winter. If the air temperature falls below this level, your pipes may freeze.
7. Consider Heat Cables
For added protection, you can try wrapping your pipes in heat tape or heat cables. These products can warm up the pipe, so you don’t have to worry about it freezing. Because these cables may be installed in many different ways, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when you install them.
8. Update Your Home’s Insulation
During the winter, your home’s insulation helps to keep warm air inside of your home. Besides lowering your energy costs, insulation also reduces the odds that your pipes will freeze. If you have poor insulation, it may be time to invest in an upgrade.
9. Shut off the Water
During the holidays, you may want to go somewhere on vacation. If you know that you will be gone and unable to keep an eye on your pipes, turn your water off. After switching the water supply off at your water main, turn on all of your faucets so that any leftover water in the pipes can drain from your system.
Once this is done, you don’t have to worry about your pipes freezing. There simply isn’t any water left in order to freeze. After you get home from your vacation, you can always turn the water back on again.
What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze
If your pipes do end up freezing during the winter, you don’t have to panic. There are a few steps you can take to prevent your frozen pipes from bursting. First, turn up the heat in your home. Make sure your cabinet doors are open so that warm air can get close to the pipes. You can even point a portable fan at the pipes so that the warm air blows in the right direction.
Homeowners should never use a flame to thaw pipes because flames can potentially start a fire. While you can use a hair dryer to thaw pipes, you must be cautious to avoid any standing water and flammable materials.
If you are concerned that the pipes may burst, turn off your water supply. You should also turn off the water supply whenever there is a leak. Then, turn your faucets on so that the water can drain out of the pipes as soon as the pipes thaw.
You don’t have to deal with frozen pipes on your own. A professional plumber from We Care can inspect your pipes and unfreeze them. If there is a leak, we can find and repair it quickly.
How Do I Know if My Pipes Are Frozen?
It generally isn’t difficult to tell if your pipes are frozen. When you turn a faucet on, water should come out. If it doesn’t, the pipe has frozen. During the winter, you can try checking different faucets in your home to see if they are frozen.
Once this problem develops, you should listen carefully to see if you hear the sound of running water. As your pipes thaw, the sound of running water indicates burst pipes and a leak. Unless you are actively using a sink, shower, or similar plumbing fixture, you should never hear the sound of running water in your home.
Prepare Your Home for the Winter
At We Care, we have years of experience in helping clients prepare their plumbing systems for winter. Besides providing plumbing maintenance and repair services, we can also help with garbage disposals, showers, repiping, sewer line services, and sump pumps. To learn more about how our team can help, reach out to us today.
