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5 Tips for Preventing Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes have the potential to turn into a costly problem. Water expands when it freezes, and even the sturdiest of pipes can break under the pressure. If you live in a cold area, avoid steep plumbing replacement costs and all the added hassle by taking the right steps to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place. Call our technicians for more helpful tips.
Insulate pipes. Any pipe that may be exposed to the cold should have an insulating cover to prevent freezing. You can purchase pipe sleeves designed for this purpose at your local hardware store. But there are many ways to insulate pipes; you could even wrap layers of newspaper around them.
Close the garage door. This is an easy one! Keep the garage door shut in colder weather to prevent the cold from reaching your pipes. This also helps to reduce your energy bills.
Leave the heat on when you leave for vacation. Keep the thermostat set to no less than 55. The effect on your energy bill is nothing compared to the potential cost of replacing your pipes.
Allow water to drip from the faucet. A little trickle from the faucets gets water flowing through the pipes, which can keep them from freezing on a particularly cold day.
Open up cabinets underneath sinks on cold days. When temperatures reach extremes, it’s also important that you open up all of the cabinets so that heat can get to the pipes underneath your sinks. Make sure that your heating equipment is in good condition. Schedule maintenance visits once each year, for your comfort and safety and to make sure that your pipes stay warm!
Need help dealing with frozen pipes? Call the friendly folks at Air Mechanical, Inc. for plumbing services in Andover, MN and the surrounding areas.
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