Frozen Water Pipes

The big freeze has many homeowners scrambling for insulation and space heaters, but some of the most critical areas to examine in the home during the winterization process are the plumbing pipes. When it comes to severe winter threats to your home, frozen pipes pose one of the most dangerous and costly problems.

Water expands as it freezes, putting significant pressure on pipes until they cannot hold the ice any longer. If you turn on a faucet and only get a trickle of water output, you stand a chance at identifying frozen pipes early enough to thaw them. If you’re out of town for the weekend, however, and miss the warning signs, the result could range from a hairline crack to something that spans the length of the pipe.

The types of metal or plastic pipes most susceptible to freezing (unsurprisingly) include outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines and water sprinkler lines. Indoor plumbing isn’t necessarily any safer. Plumbing in unheated areas—basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, exterior walls, or even kitchen cabinets—aren’t well protected from the freezing temperatures, and these pipes can cause the biggest headaches. Frozen pipes that have cracked not only need to be replaced. If they burst indoors, they can also result in severe water damage in that part of the house within hours of thawing out. Untreated leaks in cabinets, walls, or floors can cost homeowners thousands of dollars to clean up and repair and even open the door for mold and mildew growth.

FAST ACTION IS THE KEY TO LIMITING THE DAMAGE
Call us immediately at (509) 361-1986 ( 24 hours a day, 7 days a week )