Yikes! Broken Pipes!

When water freezes it expands and if it expands enough, it can cause a pipe to burst. What most people don’t realize, however, is that a pipe doesn’t generally burst in the place where ice forms in the pipe. The ice expansion inside of the pipe causes pressure to increase between the ice blockage and the faucet. Once enough pressure builds, the pipe may burst, which in some cases, can result in a great deal of water damage in the home. To avoid this type of damage, it is best to be proactive and prevent pipes from freezing in the first place.

The following helpful tips can save you trouble, aggravation, and financial burden of frozen pipes:

• For a home under construction, water pipes should be placed in areas that will be kept heated – avoiding attics, crawl spaces and outside walls with openings.
• The thermostat should be kept at a minimum of 55° Fahrenheit.
• If there will be no one home for an extended period of time, the water system should be turned off and drained.
• Pipes vulnerable to cold air should be insulated with sleeves or wrapping.
• All cracks and holes in outside walls should be sealed with caulking to prevent pipes from being exposed to cold air.
• Cabinet doors should be left open when the outside temperature is 20° Fahrenheit or less, to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
• Faucets should be left slightly open (both hot and cold lines) to relieve excess pressure that can build up between the faucet and the ice blockage.
• Outdoor faucets with exposed pipes should be drained and turned off before winter.