Winter came in with a fury earlier this month in the Twin Cities. And ever since, we’ve been dealing with homeowners who have had their pipes freeze.
Actually, your pipes freezing aren't the problem.
The problem is that when water freezes, it expands, often bursting your pipes and making a horrible mess in the process.
So, with winter just really getting started, what can you do to prevent this? Here’s a few tips.
Some older articles may say to use antifreeze in drains and other systems to prevent burst pipes. Don’t do this! Antifreeze is a dangerous chemical that can harm humans, wildlife, animals and the environment.
If you haven’t already, drain all the water out of your sprinkler system and pool.
Shut off the water to outside hose faucets and then open the valves to let all the water out. Drain and store your hoses.
Both hot water and cold water supply lines in your home’s unheated spaces (garage, attic, basement and/or crawl space) should be insulated. If they’re not, wrap them with foam insulation.
Here’s a quick walkthrough on how to insulate your pipes.
Sometimes pipes inside of exterior walls freeze because there isn’t enough insulation in the wall to keep the pipe warm. This is especially true in older homes that aren’t as insulated as today’s newer homes.
In these cases, it can be beneficial to add insulation to the exterior walls. It’s a lot of work and mess, but it can prevent serious water damage in the future.
If you have pipes in your garage, make sure you shut the garage door at night. This helps hold in the heat from your home and helps prevent the pipes from freezing
When the temperature drops into the single digits at night, take a few more precautions to keep pipes from bursting:
If you do have a pipe burst, don’t put off fixing it. We’re here for you—anytime—in the Twin Cities area. Just call (651) 315-8275 or contact us online.