How to Prevent Frozen Water Pipes

10/18/2019 (Permalink)

Water damage during a winter storm usually happens when your pipes freeze. When water freezes, it turns into ice. As it turns into ice, the space that the water takes up in the pipe gets bigger. The bigger the expansion, the more pressure that is created inside the pipe. Some pipes may just get bent out of shape, but others will eventually break. Pipes that are most likely to freeze are those outside the home that are exposed to the cold air. Other vulnerable pipes are those indoors that don’t have access to heat, like those under your kitchen cabinets or in the garage.

How to Keep Pipes from Freezing

The best way to handle water damage is to do your best to prevent it from every happening. Although we have seen some pipes still burst even after precautions were taken, the damage that resulted was considerably less. You can’t always prevent things from happening, but you can always be prepared.

• Insulate exposed and vulnerable pipes. You can do this by installing pipe sleeves or even wrapping the pipes with newspaper.
• Keep the garage door closed to prevent cold air from coming in.
• Allow warm air to circulate around the pipes by opening kitchen and bathroom cabinets.
• Keep your home heated about 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Keep an eye on the weather forecast. Are below freezing temperatures coming your way? If you notice that the weather is going to be getting a bit frigid start taking precautions now.

Our crews are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. SERVPRO of West Concord is available to help! We can be reached anytime at (925) 681-9093.