Learn how to avoid freezing pipes in your home this winter

Updated: Dec 19, 2022

Freezing pipes are among the most common and expensive problems any homeowner faces come wintertime. If pipes freeze and break, it can cause a lot of water damage to your property and possessions. This disaster is avoidable and in this article, we share with you 5 ways to prevent freezing pipes in the winter.

How Freezing Pipes Happen

When the temperature drops, the water inside the pipes starts to freeze. When this happens, it creates a lot of pressure inside the pipe and often results in pipes bursting. This leads to more serious issues like flooding especially when you’re away on a winter break and there is no one to turn off the water.

Ways To Avoid Freezing Pipes

The best way to prevent freezing pipes from happening is to keep them warm enough to stay above the freezing point. To do so, consider these 5 easy ways to prevent pipes from freezing in the winter.

Seal cracks and any openings
Air gaps don’t only allow cold air in, they also help heat to escape. Before winter, it is best to inspect your home thoroughly for any holes or cracks and have them fixed. Any gaps or openings may cause drafts that will freeze your water systems.
Leave the heat on
If you will not be leaving your house or there will be someone staying in the property, it is best to keep the heat on (at least above 50 F is enough) to keep the pipes warm and prevent the water inside from freezing.
Keep your interior doors open
Even when you leave the heat on, there will always be some parts of the house where there is an uneven distribution of heat. The solution to this is to open all interior doors including the cabinet doors where your pipes are located. This will help keep the heat evenly and consistently distributed around the house and keep the pipes warm.
Let the faucet drip
When the water freezes, it creates a blockage inside the pipe. Allowing the faucet to slightly drip will prevent any pressure from building up between this frozen blockage and the faucet. This will then keep the pipe from bursting and flooding your home.
Add extra insulation
Another preventive measure for frozen pipes is to add extra insulation to your water system especially in areas where drafts are most likely to develop, such as your attic, garage or basement. There are insulations specifically designed for pipe insulation that you can purchase and install - but as always, it is best to seek professional help.
Have Fans Blow Heat Into Cold Rooms
You would want to find a way to supply the rooms or spaces with heat that do not have access to the heaters, especially when it is freezing cold outside. Make use of fans to blow warm air from rooms with heaters into the colder rooms. You can even buy a separate small heater to place inside the room. It helps, especially when there are rooms in your house that have pipes running through them.

Dangers of frozen pipes

Water expands dramatically when frozen, and the sudden expansion is what causes them to burst. This expansion can, at times, lead to some serious water damage all around your home. Here are a few dangers of frozen pipes to be aware of:

Leaks into the foundation

In the event a frozen pipe bursts, it may not be apparent for hours, days or weeks after the occurrence, especially when it leaks into the foundation of your home. You may find out that your foundation has begun to suffer damage due to constant water bombardment. You will need to address this immediately with both a plumbing professional and a foundation specialist.

Leaks into a wall or cavity

Unlike your foundation, it should be obvious quite quickly you have a leak in a wall or cavity; often homeowners see evidence from a floor flooding, or water coming through a ceiling. Immediately turn off your water at the source, or at the main connection for your house as soon as possible.

Basement flooding

Basement flooding can be an expensive and frustrating experience. Basement flooding often occurs from frozen pipes bursting when running between the foundation from exterior locations. If you have an un-insulated crawl space, or unfinished basement with no heat access, keep a routine maintenance check on your water pipes.

Property damage (furniture, appliances)

When you have a flood from frozen pipes, you may encounter ruined furniture, appliances or other property damage.

Structural damage

Combined with foundation leaks, or wall/cavity leaks, you may have signifiant structural damage to your home. Our pro-tip is to ensure you adequately heat your home while away, on vacation, or turn off the water to ensure it does not freeze and burst when turned on later.

Even the broken pipe can freeze back over, which causes the hole to enlarge over time. Keep your eyes wide open and be aware of whats going on around your house, and if you find any reason to suspect that if a pipe in your house has burst, hire a professional assistance right away to find and fix the burst.

However, you would only have to worry about burst pipes when the temperature falls below freezing temperatures. Nonetheless, being vigilant about the same during the months of winter is crucial, especially if you live in a colder climate. If you have not made yourself pre-prepared for the situation and the temperature drops suddenly during the night, you might be in for an unpleasant surprise in the morning.

What To Do If The Pipes Break

If your pipes burst or break, do the following immediately:

Turn off the main water supply

Turn off the main water supply immediately. Do not turn the water back on until advised by a licensed plumber.

Call a plumber

Call your plumber as soon as it is safe to do so. Your plumber will be able to diagnose and help plan to help fix the issue at hand.

Clean up the water

Clear away and clean up any water that is present. The longer water sits the more damage it will cause to your property and structure. Especially on wood, clean up and attempt to move water away from structural areas.

Drain sinks, faucets, or other appliances

Drain all your pipes from your faucets and appliances to remove pressure from the pipes, along with eliminating the possiblity for a future leak while diagnosing the problem.

Warm up the home

Turn on the heat in your home, or if safe to do so, use a hair dryer in specific circumstances to warm up the pipes affected. This is a slow process that will help the pipes without causing a second burst.

Circulate air by opening your windows and doors

Open the doors and windows to your home to move air around -- this will help dry the area affected faster. The warmer the air, the better.

Use a repair sleeve to temporary fixes

In some situations, you can use a sleeve on to the pipe to clog the hole. This may allow you to use water again but is only a temporary fix.

Again, when worse comes to worst and the pipes burst, the first thing to do is to turn off the water source and immediately call a professional to fix it as soon as you can.

Home Mechanics has decades of experience in providing plumbing repair services and other home repair solutions such as HVAC and electrical.

Are you looking to work with an experienced team of HVAC Technicians ? Call Home Mechanics for your heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical needs or email us directly at info@homemechanics.com. We are always ready to provide you with the best HVAC solutions.

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