Several years ago, our family checked into a hotel while on vacation in early winter. We encountered some other hotel guests and started up some small talk, asking where they were from. We were surprised to discover that they were locals and were in their third week of staying at that hotel, and they anticipated having to stay at least another four to six weeks.
What would cause a local family to have to stay in a hotel that long?
Well, they went out of town, returning to find one of their pipes burst in their upstairs bathroom. When the temperature warmed, it resulted in water flowing out for several days. The damage reached their basement.
The cleanup involved removing virtually all materials from the home, mold mitigation, and reconstruction. The family had lost most of their possessions and many sentimental items.
Frozen water pipes occur all the time during winter months. Water damage and freezing claims are some of the most common made to homeowners’ insurance - almost 2 claims for every 100 house years! Of course, the rate varies by region.
Homeowners in cold winter climates make the most claims. Much of the country is susceptible to frozen pipes when the temperature dips below freezing.
When winter temperatures drop 32 degrees F, the water in the pipes in your home or business can freeze. This can lead to a pipe bursting. It is a common misconception that burst pipes result from the expansion of water when it freezes. While water does expand when it freezes, pipes don’t necessarily rupture only due to this expansion. Instead, the freezing action causes a change in water pressure pressure in the piping system.
When this happens, it pushes water toward the faucet outlet causing an increase in pressure in the area between the frozen water and the faucet. The area does not necessarily contain any ice, but it is where you will find most pipe bursts.
The other side of the ice blockage will see fewer ruptures; the pressure cannot get high enough. Water on this side of the blockage can drain into the water source without causing any bursting.
Pipes located on unheated exterior walls, outdoors, or in unheated/uninsulated areas are most susceptible to freezing (think attic, unfinished basement, garage, or crawl space.) Plumbing pipes inside your home are more susceptible to bursting if they are placed in an outside wall, have defects, or are weaker in some parts than others.
Frozen burst pipes are no small matter. Not only do you need to repair the pipe, but you also have to repair damage the leaking or rushing water has done to your home. In fact, the water damage associated with a burst pipe can be the bulk of the repair costs.
When the flooding continues for some length of time, the costs become extremely expensive. The Insurance Information Institute reports the average homeowner’s claim due to water damage and freezing is $11,098. While many insurance policies don’t cover the cost to repair the pipe, “almost all home insurance policies will cover the resulting damage from a burst pipe,” says Steve Wilson, underwriting manager at Hippo Insurance.
As far as the plumbing issue, if you can repair the pipe yourself, it should only cost around $30. Hiring a plumber will cost more. Many pipe repair jobs costing $300 to $600. Costs climb if the pipe is in a hard-to-access area or if there is more than one broken pipe. In these cases, you could be looking at repairs upward of $1,500 or more.
The first thing you’ll typically see when a pipe has frozen is a lack of water from the faucet. If you open a faucet and no water comes out, you should first check along the pipe run to see if there are any leaks.
Start at the point where the pipe enters your home and check for drips, wet spots, or puddles of water. If you don’t find any escaping water, then your pipes may simply be frozen without any ruptures in the line. Frozen pipes, with or without ruptures, need to be thawed out.
When inspecting your pipes, you may see a bulging area, surface cracks, or condensation. This could indicate that the pipes are beginning to freeze, and the ice inside is putting pressure on the pipe. Pipes can freeze in only a few hours of freezing temperature, especially if they are outdoors.
In this case, any temperature under 32 degrees F can result in freezing. Since indoor pipes have some protection from the elements, it usually takes lower temperatures to cause them to freeze. Typically, indoor pipes begin to freeze within several hours of sustained temperatures under 20 degrees F.
If you have a broken pipe due to freezing, the very first thing you should do is hit the main shut off valve. This will stop the flow of water through the entire house and minimize any further damage. You will then be able to clean up the water using a mop and a wet vacuum.
Be sure to dry everything as much as possible. You may need to rent or purchase a dehumidifier to help prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Plan to repair the pipe quickly, either as a DIY job or with the help of a plumber, so that you can turn your water supply back on.
If your pipes have not burst, you can take some steps to thaw them. You should take care when trying to thaw your pipes. Never use an open flame or a device like a blowtorch or propane heater. Turn off the main water supply before attempting to thaw out a frozen pipe.
Open the faucet that the pipe is connected to, turning on both the hot and cold handles. This helps to release some of the pressure in the system and gives the water a place to go once the ice begins to thaw.
It is best to thaw a frozen pipe slowly. High heat could cause the solder in the pipe joints to melt, leading to structural failure of the piping system. If you can figure out where the pipe is frozen, you can use these techniques to begin the thawing process:
Wrap the heating pad around the frozen sections. Plug in the pad and gently warm the pipe until completely thawed. Take care to keep the heating pad and its cord away from any standing or dripping water.
Use your hairdryer on a low setting for thawing frozen pipes, starting at the faucet end and working down the line.
Soak some towels in hot water. Wring them out and wrap the frozen portion of pipe. Replace the towels as they begin to cool until the pipe is thawed.
A heating cable or thermostatically controlled heat tape is encased with electrical wire. The cable heats up when plugged in and can be wrapped around the pipe to aid in thawing.
A small portable heater can be used to help thaw pipes. Take care not to place it near anything flammable. Do not let it touch the pipe itself. Set the heater on its lowest setting to thaw the pipe slowly.
Place the heat lamp near the frozen section of pipe, but not touching it. The heat lamp should not be placed near any dripping or standing puddles of water.
The best way to handle frozen pipes is to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place. When freezing temperatures set in, take action. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to freezing pipes. Surprisingly, one of the biggest causes of frozen pipes is open garage doors.
Mark Ritterbush, water service manager, explains, “Having your garage door unnecessarily open lends itself to making your pipes more likely to freeze when it is cold, plus it makes it harder to keep your house warm.”
To keep your pipes from freezing, take these proactive steps around your home:
• Make sure exposed pipes are properly insulated in your attic or crawl space using foam or fiberglass pipe sleeves. Poor insulation is a leading cause of freezing pipes.
• Keep all the faucets open and dripping, even just at a trickle, during very cold temperatures.
• Seal cracks that will create air leaks and allow cold air to enter your home.
• Drain outdoor water lines. Disconnect garden hoses and swimming pool supply lines before freezing weather sets in.
• Use space heaters to warm uninsulated or drafty spaces during extreme cold weather.
• Keep basement windows and garage doors closed.
• Open cabinet doors in your kitchen and bathroom to allow warmer room air to circulate around the pipes.
• Close all air vents in the foundation walls of your crawl space.
If you let your faucet drip to help prevent freezing, don’t let that water go to waste. “While you’re letting that water drip, maybe fill up a pet’s bowl or a pitcher of water that you could then use to water plants,” suggests Andrea Lopez, Ute Water external affairs specialist.
Be sure to know where your master water shutoff is located. If you don’t know where it is, take the time before a crisis hits to determine its location and figure out how to turn the water off. It is usually near where the water line comes into your home. Making these efforts to prevent frozen pipes will help keep your family and your property safe and sound during the winter months.
Table of Contents Complications of Medical Waste Disposal How to Dispose of Medical Waste 1. Segregation 2. Storage 3. Transportation 4. Treatment 5. Disposal 6. Documentation Recycling Efforts for Medical Waste From blood draws to throat swabs to surgeries, many medical procedures result in medical waste. Healthcare providers know the risks involved with improper handling […]
Table of Contents Why You Need Storage for the Big Move? Security Organization Convenience Flexibility Cost-effectiveness The Best Storage Containers for Moving 1. 1-800-PACK-RAT 2. PODS (Portable On-Demand Storage) 3. U-Haul U-Box 4. SMARTBOX 5. Zippy Shell Storage Containers are Useful for Big Moves Moving can be a daunting task, especially when dealing with the […]