As the winter chill sets in, it’s time to think about protecting your home from the elements. Take the necessary steps to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting during the cold-weather months. A burst pipe is almost always temperature-related. When the water inside a pipe freezes, the ice causes an increase in pressure; when the pressure gets too high, it ruptures.
Here a few tips to prevent your pipes from freezing:
- Let cold water trickle from faucets, particularly for pipes along outside walls.
- Wrap pipes in insulation or layers of newspapers.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks along outside walls to circulate heat. If there are stored chemicals, keep them away from kids & pets.
- Planning to escape the frigid cold for a warmer climate? Always set your thermostat above 55 degrees.
If pipes do freeze:
- Open a faucet & let water drip as it melts.
- Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.
- Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you can not thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber or call 9-1-1, Sudbury Police will contact and dispatch our emergency “after hours” on-call staff.
- Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.