What to do if water pipes freeze when the weather is cold We tend to take it for granted that water pipes will always carry water around our home with no problems. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. During spells of cold weather, it’s possible for the water in the pipes to freeze.
When water freezes it expands,, often causing the pipe to crack. Of course, the water does not stay frozen once the temperature increases. As soon as it starts to melt, it can leak through the cracks in the pipe. Sometimes the pipe bursts, and a considerable amount of damage is caused.
This is not a situation that you want to happen. The best thing to do is to try and stop the water in the pipes freezing in the first place. What to do to prevent pipes from freezing The most obvious place for pipes to freeze is outside of your home.
You may have pipes that lead to a sprinkler system or a swimming pool. You do not need to supply water to a pool or a sprinkler system during cold weather, so it’s a good idea to drain these pipes.
Even though these pipes are the most likely to freeze, you still need to pay attention to water pipes inside your home; especially those in areas which are not heated. Making sure that you insulate these pipes can help to stop the water inside them from freezing.
What to do if the water freezes in a pipe If you are unlucky enough to experience problems with water freezing in the pipe, there are steps that you should follow and how to thaw your pipes when they freeze this winter.
- Make sure you turn on the tap before you start to thaw the pipe. Doing so helps to make the process quicker.
- Find out where the water is frozen.
- Put a heating pad in place, to thaw the water. If you do not have a heating pad you can use a hairdryer.
- Make sure that water is not frozen in any other pipes.
You should be able to thaw the water in the pipe, but you may need to be patient. If you struggle to solve the problem, you can seek professional help; learn more here. The most important thing is that you do not ignore the problem.
If you do, there is more likely to be serious damage to the pipe. It’s vital that the water pipes in your home are kept in good order. This includes draining unused external pipes when the weather is cold, and making sure vulnerable pipes are insulated.
Make sure that you check for any issues with frozen pipes, and that you ensure the thawing process is commenced as soon as possible.
If you take care of water pipes, you should be able to avoid issues with freezing, but if they do happen, and you cannot deal with them yourself, you should call a professional, as soon as possible.
Have you ever had your pipes freeze in the winter? What did you do? I would love to hear! Please share below!
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Kim Avery says
November 22, 2017 at 5:37 pmLiving in a trailer was the worst for frozen pipes!!! Even having those heating elements wrapped around them didn’t help! Or having straw bales going all around the bottom! My ex husband would always go out with a huge torch to thaw the pipes!
Mary Songer says
November 22, 2017 at 6:37 pmWe have to worry about frozen pipes at some point every year. One of the tricks we use to help them from freezing is to open the faucets to just a trickle and let them run. Helps to keep the water moving in the pipes.
Sarah L says
November 23, 2017 at 3:34 amI’ve lived in my townhome for 30 years and it is well insulated. Have never had a problem, thankyouverymuch. Makes me glad I don’t live in a really cold place.
mycraftingworld says
November 23, 2017 at 6:52 amI leave the water dripping in the faucet furthest from the tank. That helps us. Cover those outside faucet taps too.
Rosie says
November 24, 2017 at 12:55 pmI’d be scared to tackle it myself, but I don’t have any experience with it. I’m considering getting a fixer upper, so I better get used to these kind of things!
Mary Songer says
November 24, 2017 at 10:53 pmI am so not looking forward to this time of year again. Every year in late January my husband would have to leave on business and invariably something would go wrong with the heat or the pipes. I have a hot air gun for frozen pipes.
Dana Rodriguez says
November 25, 2017 at 12:02 pmWe have had it happen a couple of times so I try to remember to leave the water dripping when it gets real cold.
Mary Songer says
November 26, 2017 at 11:52 pmA good tip is to have heated cord available and wrap it around the pipes. It will help keep the water flowing. I’ve used it and it worked on pipes that were exposed to the elements
Irene Lirette says
November 27, 2017 at 2:20 pmGreat idea! We rarely have to do this living in South Louisiana lol but will keep in mind if the occasion ever arises. Thanks for sharing!
Cynthia R says
November 27, 2017 at 9:23 pmI’m terrified of a burst pipe. Luckily doesn’t happen that much in NC.
Deborah Caudill says
November 27, 2017 at 10:22 pmThanks for all of the good tips on not letting your pipes freeze and what to do if it should happen. Even though we live in North Carolina, it gets cold here in the winter. I always turn my faucets on in the sinks to a slow trickle when it’s really cold outside. I really hadn’t thought about my outdoor hose faucet until I read your post, so I will be wrapping it this winter.
Sarah L says
December 3, 2017 at 10:38 pmGood reminders for people. It was 65 degrees here today, snow tomorrow…
mycraftingworld says
February 3, 2018 at 7:34 amI had a pipe freeze once. Luckily it was in the garage where it burst. We had turned the water off so damage was minimum. I have taken so much better care since then.
cheryl larimer says
April 15, 2018 at 7:18 pmLiving in Minnesota, freezing pipes can be a problem. We love to travel in the winter and have a smart thermostat to help us monitor any furnace/heating issues while we are away. We shut off outside faucets, blow out sprinklers and drain hoses in the fall. When it gets really cold we also leave under sink doors open to help warmer air get to the pipes especially those that are on an outside wall.