Frozen Pipes
Southwest Missouri doesn't always get the extreme winter weather that others experience in the northern half of the country, but when Mother Nature acts up in the Ozarks, it can still be very stressful for homeowners. Rest assured, at United Plumbing we are available 24 hours a day at no extra cost for emergency services and are happy to help when the time arises.
Even the most up-to-date plumbing can freeze if the weather conditions are severe enough. Most often we don’t see frozen pipes on the first day of a deep freeze. It typically takes 2-3 days of consistent freezing for some of the pipes in a home to start freezing up.
Here are some tips to help prevent frozen pipes in the winter:
• If your home has a crawl space, be sure the crawl space door is closed and secured.
• Be sure that any vents to your attic and/or crawl space are closed. Open vents allow a drafty breeze of freezing air through the space. If pipes are located within that space, they have a higher potential to freeze.
• Insulate any pipes that are common trouble makers in the winter. If you have noticed that the same area notoriously freezes in the winter, it may be time to have those pipes insulated. It’s a common misconception that insulating pipes is costly. It doesn’t have to be. If you can isolate the pipes that are prone to freezing, you can insulate those pipes individually at a very reasonable amount. These pipes are typically located on exterior walls.
Another problem that can arise from frozen pipes after the thaw is water leaks from broken pipes. When a pipe freezes, the water expands and will often split the pipe open. Every winter we thaw hundreds of frozen pipes and more often than not, we discover a water leak from a freeze break.
Sometimes, a homeowner will choose to “wait it out” and allow their pipes to thaw on their own as the outside temperature rises. If you recently had frozen pipes and are now experiencing little to no water pressure in some or all of your home, it is likely that you have a freeze break and will need to contact a plumber for a professional repair.
If you feel you may have frozen pipes, don’t hesitate to contact your professionals at United Plumbing. We promise to be fair, consistent, and prompt in handling your frozen and/or broken pipes.