Prevention of Water Pipe Damage After a Long Winter

Prevention of Water Pipe Damage After a Long Winter

Months of chilly and extremely cold temperatures, snow, and ice leads many homeowners to escape to a sunny beach or a great ski resort. If you are planning to go on a long vacation, be warned that you may have a nasty surprise when you return home.

Water is known to be a unique property because when it freezes its molecules expand, which puts huge pressure on the object, such as metal or plastic water pipes, where the water is contained. Due to this pressure the container (in this case a pipe) that holds the water, no matter how hard and sturdy that container (or pipe) may be, is at risk for breaking when the water expands. Water pipes that freeze most often are those that are exposed to severe cold such as outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets. A water pipe that is extended against the outer walls of a house have very little insulation, if any insulation at all, and are more susceptible to freezing resulting in the breaking of the water pipe.

Power outages are very common in the winter, especially during storms and hurricanes. If a power outage occurs at your home or your furnace stops working for another reason, the temperature inside your house can decrease very quickly and can cause your pipes to freeze and split. Later, when the power is restored or the furnace is fixed, you will see that the water pipes have defrosted and has started to gush water.

When the water pipes of your house freeze, the fix is more complex than simply calling me – Tim Dean 610-942-3865. A half inch crack in a pipe can waste up to 300 gallons of water a day leading to severe flooding, critical damage to the structure of your house, and the potential for mold and mildew growth. Frozen water pipes are a problem in both cold and warmer climates and affects more than one-million families every winter. It is beneficial to note that frozen water pipes can occur in both plastic and copper pipes.
Here are some tips for detecting and thawing out frozen water pipes:

It is essential that you take preventive steps to protect your home from any damage and danger, especially when you have homeowner’s insurance. If you do not abide by the regulations of the policy, you will have to pay the full cost of the damage for your home and you will not receive anything from your insurance policy. Here are some ways you can prevent pipes from freezing during cold weather.