Cold weather months in the Broken Arrow area pose a serious risk of frozen pipes. With just a few extra precautions, though, you can protect your pipes and prevent damage to your home.
Why Frozen Pipes are a Problem
Any time the outdoor temperature falls below freezing, the water in your pipes is at risk for freezing, too. When water freezes, it expands. Pressure from expanding ice inside the pipes can cause frozen pipes to crack or even burst. When the damaged pipes finally thaw, they'll leak water until you turn off the water supply. If you're asleep or away from home when the pipes freeze and leak, you could end up with extensive flooding and water damage.
How to Protect Your Pipes
Keep your thermostat set no lower than 60 degrees, even when you're not home. Insulate pipes in unconditioned spaces, such as the basement, with foam pipe insulation or fiberglass batts.
To keep cold drafts off the pipes, seal air leaks in these spaces with caulk and weatherstripping as appropriate. Insulate your basement rim joists and your crawl space walls with rigid foam insulation. You'll protect your pipes, keep your floors warmer, and improve your home's energy efficiency.
Disconnect your garden hoses and put them in storage for the winter. If your outdoor faucets aren't frost proof, shut off the water supply to them and open the faucets to drain the remaining water.
When the temperatures fall below freezing, open the doors to your sink cabinets to let warm air reach the pipes. Open your taps to let a thin stream of water flow. Flowing water is less likely to freeze.
Learn the location of the shutoff valve for your home's water supply. If your pipes do freeze and crack, shutting off the water will prevent leaks until the pipe can be repaired. For pipes that have frozen solid, contact a plumber. Incorrectly thawing frozen pipes can damage them.
For more pro tips on preventing winter damage to your home, contact us at Air Assurance in the Broken Arrow area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Fulcanelli/Shutterstock”