Every homeowner’s worst dread during the winter months is frozen pipes. Worse yet, you may not be able to do much about frozen pipes, especially if they are located within your home’s walls. Here are some tips for avoiding frozen pipes in your house or company, as well as what to do if you do have them.
Common Causes of Water Damage
- Broken, leaking, or frozen pipes
- Water overflow (from sinks, toilets, tubs, etc.)
- Sewer backups
- Faulty household appliances
- Roof leaks
- Clogged gutters and drains
- Storms and heavy rain
- Snow and ice melt
- Flooding events
Frozen Pipe Prevention
There are some ways to prevent pipes from freezing before the temperature drops dramatically.
- Keeping the heat in is essential; it is important to keep plumbing in the unheated areas of the home properly insulated, such as in the basement and garage.
- To allow warm air to circulate around pipes in the kitchen and bathroom, open cabinet doors but ensure that chemicals are kept out of children’s reach.
- Let the faucet drip if the weather is very cold outside.
- Lastly, set the thermostat to the same temperature both day and night and set it to a temperature no lower than 55° F if you will be traveling during winter.
How to Deal With Frozen Pipes?
In case freezing has not been prevented ahead of time, here’s what a homeowner should do.
- 1. Turn off the water supply to reduce pressure on the frozen pipe and to minimize flooding in case the pipe bursts.
- 2. Warm the pipe with an electric hairdryer, an electric heating pad, or hot water-soaked cloths wrapped around it. The ice inside would melt as a result of this. It would be preferable if the frozen area could be identified so that the heat could be concentrated there.
Open flames should not be used to heat the pipe. If the ice cannot be thawed or if the frozen area is not accessible, call a licensed plumber to inspect it.
A garden hose can be pushed through the pipe if it is large enough and accessible. After that, carefully pour hot water through the garden hose until the ice melts. When the garden hose is overfilled, the hot water can back up on your end, causing a problem.
- 3. Inspect the pipe for leaks since water can run through them after the pipe has been thawed.
Frozen Pipes? Get Water Damage Restoration from ServiceMaster by LoveJoy
There’s no telling when a frozen pipe will burst, so if you find yourself in the middle of a winter water damage situation, call the experts at ServiceMaster by LoveJoy to immediately remove it.
Contact us at (678) 293-0297 for Conyers clients or (770) 983-6665 for Roswell clients, or connect with us online to schedule an appointment.
- IICRC-certified firm
- Licensed and fully bonded technicians
- State-of-the-art equipment and cleaning solutions
We are servicing Atlanta, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Marietta, Decatur, Stockbridge, Conyers, McDonough, Stone Mountain, Covington, Social Circle, Dekalb County, and Fulton County, Georgia and the surrounding areas.
