Do I need to be concerned about Frozen Pipes?

Until recently, not many people have been too concerned about freezing temperatures (or their pipes for that matter!), but now that we are seeing temperatures drop below freezing, everybody should be paying attention to it! And simply by taking a few preventative measures, you can save tens of thousands of dollars (and headaches) on bursting pipes. Since winter is just beginning in Billings, let’s take care of eliminating these risks, now!

Where the trouble lies

According to Paul Abrams, spokesman for Roto-Rooter, “Some pipes are more prone to freezing than others because of their location in the home”.

Pipes more to prone to freezing include:

• Exposed pipes in unheated areas of the home.

• Pipes located in exterior walls.

• Any plumbing on the exterior of the home.

Preventative measures for outside:

A frozen garden hose can cause more damage than a busted hose; it can actually burst an interior pipe. When the water in the hose freezes, it expands, increasing pressure throughout the whole plumbing system. As part of your regular seasonal maintenance, garden hoses should be disconnected, drained, and stored before the first hard freeze occurs usually in early October.

If you don’t have frost-proof spigots, close the interior shut-off valve leading to that faucet, open and drain the spigot, and install a faucet insulator. They cost only a couple bucks and are worth every penny. Don’t forget, if you have an outdoor kitchen, make to sure to winterize it too, to prevent damage.

Exposed interior plumbing:

Exposed pipes in the basement are rarely in danger of freezing because they are in a heated portion of the home. But plumbing pipes in an unheated area, such as an attic, crawl space, and garage, are at risk of freezing. I know this personally all too well. I had a home listed last year that had a portion of its plumbing go through the unheated garage and you guessed it. We had a cold snap that wreaked havoc and ended up causing the pipe to burst and flood the basement. This is how we could have better prepared:

-Inexpensive foam pipe insulation is enough for moderately cold climates. For severe climes, opt for wrapping problem pipes with thermostatically controlled heat tape (from $50 to $200, depending on length), which will turn on at certain minimum temps.

-Install a heater in the garage like these. A garage heater might run you several hundred to several thousand dollars, but I promise it is WAY cheaper than spending $30,000 for mitigation of water and reconstruction when your basement floods.

Under-insulated walls

If pipes traveling in exterior walls have frozen in the past (tell-tale signs include water damage, mold, and moisture build-up), it’s probably because of inadequate or improperly installed insulation. It might well be worth the couple hundred dollars it costs to open up the wall and beef up the insulation.

“When nothing else works, say for a northern wall in a really cold climate, the last resort is to reroute a pipe,” notes Abrams. Depending on how far the pipe needs to be moved — and how much damage is caused in the process — this preventative measure costs anywhere from $700 on up. Of course, putting the room back together is extra.

And are you thinking of heading south for the winter?

For homeowners leaving their houses for an extended period of time in winter, additional preventative measures must be taken to adequately protect the home from frozen pipes.

• Make sure the furnace is set no lower than 55 degrees.

• Shut off the main water supply and drain the system by opening all faucets and flushing the toilets.

• If you insist on keeping your water on, have a friend or neighbor check on your home regularly, especially as the weather gets colder.

In extreme situations (vacation home in a bitterly cold climate), Abrams recommends having a plumber come to inspect the system, drain the hot water heater, and perhaps replace the water in traps and drains with nontoxic antifreeze.

Did your pipes burst?!

Here’s a list of trusted plumbers in the Billings area:

• Christoferson Plumbing & Heating: 406-855-2965

• Browns Plumbing & Heating: 406-656-8585

• Roto Rooter Plumbing & Drain Cleaners: 406-252-5146

Source: Houselogic