Keep Your Water Pipes From Freezing

The weather is freezing, but your pipes don't have to be! Keep your water flowing with these preventative steps to stop your pipes from freezing. They will also help your home be more energy efficient since you will be fixing areas in the home that cause heat and energy to be lost. 

Outside your home:

Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.

Home Insulation:

The insulation is your home is the number one thing preventing frozen pipes. Assess the insulation in your home in the areas where plumbing pipes are located. Good insulation keeps the warm air inside your home.

Air Leaks:

It's important to stop any flow of cold air into your home if you want to prevent frozen pipes. Check out our previous article, How To Detect and Seal Air Leaks for tips. 

Your Plumbing Pipes:

Adding insulation to your plumbing pipes is a great way to prevent them from freezing. There is specially designed insulation available for this purpose. Be sure to insulate the pipes in colder areas, such as an attic or basement. 

If all else fails:

When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe helps prevent pipes from freezing.

Frozen pipes can break and cause water leaks, flooding your home and causing significant damage. Hope our tips will help you prevent your pipes from freezing this winter!