Frozen Pipe Awareness

11/22/2019 (Permalink)

This is what a pipe looks like after it has frozen and broken

The most common place we see frozen pipes occur is the outside faucet. These faucets are designed to drain which prevents them from freezing, however for them to drain properly the hose must be disconnected. If the hose is left attached the faucet will not drain which can cause it to freeze. If this occurs it will likely not leak until the faucet is turned on. Pay close attention to these faucets the first use after cold weather to make sure water is not leaking inside the house. The second most common place for pipes to freeze is where the pipes are running in the exterior wall of the home, particularly on the north and west sides, as those sides have less sun and more wind exposure. If you have pipes running in the exterior walls the best way to prevent them from freezing is to expose them to the heat from the interior of the home. Sometimes all it takes is leaving the cabinet or vanity doors open to allow heat to get into the cabinet. If you can't expose the pipes to the heat from the home you can let the faucet drip which will keep the water moving through the pipes making it less likely they will freeze. 

If you turn on a faucet and water does not come out you may have a frozen pipe. If this occurs turn off the water supply. These frozen pipes will not leak until the pipe thaws. When the pipes have thawed turn the water back on and check for leaks. If you can catch a broken pipe at this point you have greatly reduced the damage that the water would have caused. You may still have to open up a wall to repair the pipe but you have saved yourself from the hassle of mitigating the water damage.