3 Ways to Prevent Frozen & Broken Pipes During Winter
The cold weather of winter can be one of the most challenging times of year for your plumbing. Falling temperatures will often cause your pipes to freeze, leading to tremendous pressure buildups that have the potential to burst outward. Here’s a guide for how you can prevent ending up with broken pipes over the winter.
How to Avoid Pipes Breaking in Low Temperatures
1. Use Heating Tape
One of the best tried-and-true methods of avoiding frozen and broken pipes is by using heating tape. By wrapping your most vulnerable and exposed piping in heating tape, you’ll be able to control the temperature of the plumbing even when the temperatures continue to drop. The tape carries electrical wiring that spreads warmth throughout the metal.
2. Turn on a Drip
When the weather turns really cold, there’s another trick you can use that’s even simpler. Just locate the nearest faucet to the exposed pipe and switch the water on — but only a trickle. Using any more than that is a waste of water, but that slight stream will make it harder for the pipe to freeze. Since the water will be consistently moving, it will take an even more severe change in temperature to freeze it. In the South, a drip is often enough.
3. Keep the Heat On
Homeowners often end up with broken pipes after fleeing the cold weather for a warm vacation. In the process of leaving, they tend to turn the heat off since they won’t be there. The problem is that the total absence of heat makes all of your plumbing quite vulnerable to the cold. By setting your thermostat to just 55 degrees, you can provide the minimum warmth necessary to prevent freezing.
If you think you have frozen or broken pipes on your hands, reach out to the respected plumbers of Bohannon’s Plumbing & General Repairs immediately. Serving Davidson County in North Carolina for decades, the family-owned and -operated company will quickly stop any water leaks and repair any breakages in your pipes. You can schedule an appointment by calling (336) 561-9444 or by sending a message through the company’s website.
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