Close your eyes and imagine that one of your water lines gets frozen on a cold day. First, your water pressure slows to a trickle and then you’re dealing with a frozen pipe that will turn into a burst pipe when it thaws. The clock starts ticking and all of a sudden your entire day is ruined!
First, you can always stay calm by calling our team when you notice the signs of a frozen pipe. Since we don’t get extremely cold winters here in Tennessee, homes can sometimes lack insulation or the preparations that homes further north have, which makes them more susceptible to freezing. An exposed pipe or a crack in your insulation that leads to sub-freezing temperatures can cause some pretty serious issues for your home.
Here’s what you can do about a frozen pipe, and a few tips to mitigate the issue. And just remember, instead of searching online for “plumbers near me,” you can always just call our team!
A Quick Tip for Preventing Frozen Pipes
Let’s start with prevention, the best way to deal with frozen pipes. Sure, if your pipes are currently frozen and you’re stressed out about what might happen next, feel free to skip this section. But for everyone else, there are some great ways to avoid this problem for the entire winter season.
The easiest and most common way to prevent this issue is by allowing heat to circulate through areas where your pipes are. This means leaving cabinets open in your kitchen so heat can reach your sink pipes, and even making sure there’s enough heat in your basement or bathroom, especially if it has a wall that’s exposed to the elements.
Also, make sure to invest in good home insulation to keep the heat inside where it belongs. If you have any pipes that are outside of your house, we’d recommend shutting off their access to water during the winter season, since these pipes are harder to keep warm than the ones inside your house.
When Disaster Strikes
So, what happens when your pipes have already frozen? What if you’re unsure?
Frozen pipes will severely impact your home’s plumbing system. Sinks won’t work properly, showers will run strangely, and you’ll have a drastic change in water pressure. Sometimes the water won’t work at all.
Also, you might start noticing small leaks as the frozen pipes thaw slightly with temperature fluctuations. This could signal that your home’s pipes are freezing.
Don’t Panic
Whatever you do, don’t panic. This kind of problem affects thousands of households every year. First, turn off your home’s access to water. This will ensure that when the pipe finally thaws, it won’t continue to leak water for as long as possible.
Then, make sure you call our team so you can have a specialist on hand to replace the pipe and mitigate the damage. Only a licensed master plumber has the tools and experience to deal with and replace a burst pipe, while helping you keep your pipes from freezing in the future.
Contact Busy Bee Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning Inc. for help with your pipes.