Prevent Your Pipes from Freezing this Winter

12/5/2017 (Permalink)

During New York winters, our homes can take a beating from the freezing cold weather. It’s important to prepare your home before the winter weather hits. Failing to prep your home for winter, may result in a costly disaster later. Freezing cold temperatures can cause pipes to freeze which causes the pipes to expand and crack or burs which leads to water damage.

Where the pipes in and around your home are, could mean that they are more likely to freeze than others. 

Pipes that are outside your home are the most likely to freeze as they are directly exposed to the cold weather. For these pipes, it’s best to turn off the water to these pipes and drain the pipes. This will ensure that no water can freeze inside allowing for possible cracks to form. 

Pipes located along exterior walls of the home or in areas of the home that are not heated are the next pipes likely to freeze. Consider whether or not areas of your home such as attics, basements, crawl spaces, garages or unused rooms have pipes in and around them. Because these pipes may be important to be left on throughout winter, it is important to insulate them. Special insulation for the pipes can be found at your local hardware store. Thermostatically controlled heat tape will turn on at certain minimum temperatures. This tape keeps the pipes slightly heated to ensure that freezing does not occur.

If you have had pipes that are inside of walls freeze, consider adding insulation in those walls. It’s possible that there is not enough insulation installed as would be recommended in our climate.