There’s nothing worse than losing water due to frozen pipes in the winter. Well, except maybe a frozen pipe that bursts on you. Stop frozen pipes from interfering with your holiday season with the following tips.
Insulate Exposed Pipes
Make sure that you insulate any exposed pipes before the temperatures drop this winter. This will keep your pipes protected from the cold air and help prevent freezing on the coldest days. You can use pipe insulation tubing, foam spray, or insulating tape, all of which are inexpensive and easily found at any hardware store.
Let Faucets Drip Overnight
If you know that there is going to be a particularly cold night, prep for it by leaving your faucets on just enough that they drip slightly overnight. Having a small amount of water flowing through your pipes during a cold snap helps to prevent the pipes from freezing and reduces your risk of waking up in the morning to a burst pipe.
Open Cabinet Doors
Another thing that you can do when you know a cold snap is about to hit is to keep cabinet doors beneath sinks open. This allows the warm air from your home to enter the cabinet and keep the pipes under the sink warmer, preventing any freezing on an especially cold day.
Close Garage Doors
If you have exposed pipes in your garage, make sure that you keep your garage doors closed to reduce the amount of cold air that comes into your garage. If you leave your garage doors open, cold air will enter the garage and increase the likelihood that those pipes will freeze.
Seal Cracks
Seal up any cracks around your house to stop drafts from coming into your home or garage. This will not only help to prevent your pipes from freezing this winter, but it will keep you and your family more comfortable, too.
We hope your pipes don’t freeze this winter, but if they do, we’re here to help. Give us a call anytime at 604-349-7591 to book a plumber.
