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Tips for Preventing This Common Winter Plumbing Problem

frozen pipesOf all the obstacles you can face as a homeowner during the winter, there’s one plumbing problem that trumps them all: frozen pipes. Unfortunately, frozen pipes can cause a good deal of damage if they’re not properly addressed. The reason for this is because as water in your pipes freezes, it expands and puts pressure on the walls of the pipe, causing breaks that could lead to leaks and even more severe pipe rupture.

To protect your pipes from freezing in this manner, there are a few preventive steps you can take. Keep reading to learn more, and when you do have a problem with your plumbing system, don’t hesitate to contact a Layton, UT plumber on our team.

Tip 1: Open Your Faucets

The pipes within your home that are most susceptible to freezing include the ones outside your home, naturally. So, if you have any outdoor faucets you use for sprinklers or hoses, be sure to turn off water flow to these points. Then open the faucets and drain whatever water is left. Leave the faucets open, and consider purchasing insulated caps for your hose and faucet openings.

Tip 2: Disconnect Hoses

If there are any hoses you use outside during the summer, be sure to disconnect them and drain them before temperatures dip too much lower. Draining them is particularly important if you’re going to store them somewhere like an outdoor shed.

Tip 3: Insulate Your Pipes

There are some pipes you use within your home, versus outdoors, that are still vulnerable to freezing temperatures. These are pipes that need to remain in use. Therefore you can’t simply open the faucets and shut off the water supply. This usually includes pipes that are under the sink, in crawl spaces, or in basements.

In order to best protect these pipes from freezing, the easiest thing for you to do is purchase some pipe insulating sleeves from your nearest hardware store. These help to keep the temperature of the water in your pipes from dropping too low.

You may be able to accomplish the same effect with towels, if you choose to go that route. The most important factor is that you try to keep the pipes as warm and insulated as possible.

Tip 4: Keep Your Cabinets Open

We imagine this might sound like a strange tip, but hear us out. Plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens are often under sinks and run behind walls that lead outdoors. That means these pipes are vulnerable to freezing. However, leaving the cabinets open where these plumbing fixtures are located allows the warmth from your heating system to reach them.

Tip 5: Don’t Try to Thaw Frozen Pipes on Your Own

What if you take all the necessary precautions, but end up with frozen pipes anyway? If this occurs, then it’s very important that you reach out to our professional plumbers right away.

Attempting to defrost frozen pipes on your own can end up causing more harm than good to your plumbing system, and can cause injury. Pipes can easily burst as they thaw, due to the pressure build-up that occurs.

Contact your HVAC and plumbing experts at Rentmeister Total Home Service today!

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