What Causes Pipes to Freeze?
In the winter months, it’s very common for pipes to freeze, even if they are inside the home. Homes that are kept cold in the winter, or don’t have proper winterization services, may experience frozen pipes. Frozen pipes are also a result of bad material that was used to create the pipes, which can freeze easily. The weather must get to 31°F or below, in order to cause pipes to become frozen. With some preventative measures, you can keep your plumbing system from freezing during cold weather.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes?
If you want to prevent your plumbing system from freezing during cold weather, just keep them warm. There are several ways to keep the pipes warm during the winter:
- The best way would be to keep the home warm during the winter. Not everyone will run the heat during the winter time, as it runs up the electric bill. If you want to keep your pipes from freezing, you want to keep the entire home warm, which in turn, can keep the pipes warm, and keep them from freezing.
- If you don’t want to run the central heating in your home, you can also get a space heater, and run it near a set of pipes that may tend to freeze during the winter.
If this is done in a controlled setting, you can keep necessary pipes from freezing, if you’ve had the problem before.
Insulation
Wrapping insulation or electric heat tape around certain pipes will also keep them from freezing. If insulation is put around pipes, it needs to be done in a proper manner, where it allows the pipes to get warmth from the home. If the pipes are in the wall, wrap the insulation on the outside of the pipes, so the part that is closest to the home will get the warmth.
The Change of a Pipe Leak Is Heightened
It’s extremely important to prevent frozen pipes, because they may not just freeze, they may also break and cause a leak. The leaks from frozen pipes can end up being big enough to flood your home, or your basement, causing extensive damage. Once the damage is done by leaking pipes, the repair costs can be staggering. It’s easier to prevent frozen pipes, and prevent the leaks than it is to clean up the mess after a leaking pipe, that was frozen.
Call a Licensed Plumber to Handle Your Frozen Pipes
Is the cold Oklahoma City winter making you think about the security of your plumbing system? Are you in need of a pipe repair following a frozen pipe? We know this can be costly, that’s why we offer $25 off all plumbing repairs. You can trust Hull Plumbing with your pipe and plumbing needs. Call Hull Plumbing today at (405) 246-9763 for top quality frozen pipe services.
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