BEST 5 WINTERIZING HACKS TO ENSURE YOUR PIPES SURVIVE THE COLD

Best 5 Winterizing Hacks to Ensure Your Pipes Survive the Cold

Best 5 Winterizing Hacks to Ensure Your Pipes Survive the Cold

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Everybody seems to have their own piece of advice with regards to Winterizing Your Pipes.


How to stop pipes from freezing during the winter
All homeowners who live in pleasant climates must do their ideal to winterize their pipes. It is something you must do during fall before deep winter season really starts. Failing to do so can lead to disaster like icy, broken, or burst pipelines. If the weather exterior is frightful, below are some helpful winterizing hacks to keep your plumbing system safeguarded also.

Activate the Faucets


When the temperature declines as well as it appears as if the icy temperature will last, it will certainly aid to switch on your water both indoors and also outdoors. This will maintain the water moving with your plumbing systems. In addition, the motion will decrease the cold process. Notably, there's no requirement to transform it on full blast. You'll end up losing gallons of water this way. Rather, go for regarding 5 drops per min.

Open Up Cupboard Doors Hiding Plumbing


When it's cold outside, it would be practical to open up closet doors that are camouflaging your pipes. As an example, they could be someplace in your cooking area or bathroom. This will certainly enable the warm air from your heating unit to distribute there. Consequently, you protect against these exposed pipelines from cold. Doing this tiny method can keep your pipelines cozy and also limit the potentially dangerous end results of freezing temperature levels.

Take Time to Cover Exposed Piping


One very easy and also awesome hack to warm up cold pipes is to wrap them with cozy towels. You can cover them first with towels. After protecting them in position, you can put boiling water on the towels. Do it slowly to allow the towels take in the liquid. You can additionally make use of pre-soaked towels in hot water, just don't fail to remember to wear protective handwear covers to safeguard your hands from the heat.

Try a Hair Clothes Dryer or Warmth Weapon


When your pipes are almost freezing, your reliable hair clothes dryer or heat weapon is a blessing. If the hot towels do not aid remove any settling ice in your pipes, bowling warm air straight right into them might aid. You may end up harmful your pipes while attempting to thaw the ice.

Turn off Water When Pipelines are Frozen


If you discover that your pipelines are totally frozen or virtually nearing that phase, transform off the main water valve promptly. You will typically locate this in your basement or utility room near the heating system or the front wall closest to the street. Turn it off immediately to prevent additional damage.
Do not neglect to shut exterior water sources, as well, such as your hookup for the garden house. Doing this will certainly avoid additional water from filling up your plumbing system. Sadly, with more water, even more ice will accumulate, which will eventually result in break pipelines. If you are not sure concerning the state of your pipes this winter months, it is best to call an expert plumber for an inspection. Taking this aggressive method can conserve you countless dollars in repairs.
All property owners who live in warm climates need to do their best to winterize their pipelines. Failure to do so can mean disaster like frozen, broken, or burst pipes. If the warm towels do not help remove any type of clearing up ice in your pipelines, bowling hot air directly right into them may aid. Transform off the main water valve promptly if you notice that your pipelines are completely frozen or nearly nearing that stage. With even more water, more ice will pile up, which will ultimately lead to break pipes.


How To Keep Your Pipes From Freezing This Winter


How Cold Does It Have to Be for Pipes to Freeze?


Before we get into what you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing, let’s first make sure that you can answer the question, “When do pipes freeze?”


In general, you should expect your pipes to potentially freeze once the temperature gets close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.


It’s also important to recognize that, even if you live in a warmer climate, you’re not immune from having to deal with frozen pipes.


In some cases, you may even be at a higher risk. This is because your pipes aren’t insulated well enough to handle colder temperatures.


Pipes are also at a greater risk of freezing if they’re located in the basement or the attic of your home. This is because they’re not able to get as much heat as pipes in other parts of your home are.


So, when you’re taking precautions to prevent your pipes from freezing, make sure that you pay special attention to pipes in those areas.


Common Signs of Frozen Pipes


Now that you know how to keep your pipes from freezing, let’s talk about a few of the most common signs that it’s too late.


If your pipes have already frozen, it’s important to get professional help as soon as possible. If you know what to watch out for, you’ll be able to act much faster — potentially saving you from serious disaster.


Interestingly, one of the biggest signs of a frozen pipe is a nasty, strange smell from the drain in a sink or even the faucet itself. This is because the smell can’t filter out of the pipe, and instead is forced to come back up towards your home.


You may also see visible signs of frost on the outside of your pipe, which is an almost certain sign that it’s already frozen.


Of course, you may not even be able to get water to run out of your pipe. If you turn on your faucet but no water (or only a few random drips) come out? Then it’s likely that they’ve frozen.


You might also hear whistling and banging coming from the pipes, or even strange bubbling sounds when you flush a toilet.


Finally, take a look at your drywall and ceilings. If you notice any kind of dampness, puddles, or rings, there’s a serious issue.


Remember that, the longer you wait to thaw out the pipe, the more likely it is that it will burst. You don’t want to deal with the expense of replacing a pipe as opposed to thawing it. You especially want to avoid damage to your floors and personal property.


Get in touch with a plumbing professional to get a handle on the situation as soon as possible.


Check out Your Current Insulation


Earlier on in this post, we spoke about the importance of making sure that pipes in less visited areas of your home, like your basement or attic, got enough attention.


Take a look at your insulation in these areas, and determine if it might be smart to add another layer or two.


So, which materials should you use to properly insulate your pipes?


You can’t go wrong with fiberglass sleeves or even foam rubber. If you’re a bit anxious about properly fitting them on your own, then we suggest that you call in a professional to help you.


This is usually an effective solution for exposed pipes. However, if you have more serious concerns, then it may be the right time to re-insulate your walls and ceilings completely.


When in Doubt, Open Your Doors


One final tip on how to keep your pipes from freezing?


Believe it or not, keeping your interior doors open may be the solution you’re after.


First of all, keeping things open will allow the heat to circulate better throughout your entire home. Additionally, make sure that you open up your cabinet door if you have pipes underneath the sink.


This will ensure that they’re able to maintain a proper temperature to keep from freezing.


DIY Thawing Tips for Frozen Pipes


In most cases — and especially if you’re certain that the pipe has seriously frozen — you’ll need the help of a professional to thaw your pipes.


However, if you feel like it hasn’t yet frozen completely, there are a few DIY hacks you can do to speed up the thawing process.


Before you try out any of these tips, make sure that the faucet is completely open (turn both the hot and cold handles if needed.)


Start as close to the faucet as possible to get the most effective and fastest thaw.


If you’re trying to thaw an exposed pipe, you can wrap them in hot towels to slowly bring them back up to a warmer temperature. You can also use a hair dryer, a space heater, or even a heat lamp.


Keep in mind that you’ll need to monitor the pipes during this entire process, as walking away can be seriously dangerous to not only your home but your plumbing as well. In the event that something does burst, know where your main valve water shut off is located and be able to access it quickly.


If the pipes are enclosed, start by turning up the heat in your home. In some cases, this may be enough to thaw them out.


You can also use a small infrared lamp. Hold it up to the area where you know the pipes are located for a few minutes. Sometimes, this will do the trick when it comes to thawing pipes.

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Winterizing Your Pipes

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