Each year, as winter approaches and cold weather sets in, there is a chance that your home or commercial building could sustain some damage that is associated with the cold temperatures.
One of the most frequent causes of damage in the winter is due to water, which can become a major concern as the thermometer dips below freezing. Low temperatures can cause your water pipes to freeze, and in some cases, burst.
The following precautions can help you safeguard your home or commercial building from frozen pipes.
*Wrap water pipes that are exposed to freezing temperatures and cold drafts and those located in unheated or non-insulated areas, with pipe insulation. Pipe insulation can be found in local hardware stores.
*During cold temperatures, leave open cabinet doors where water pipes and drains are present, which will allow the warmer air to circulate around the pipes.
*During extremely cold weather, turn faucets to a slow drip or trickle, which will reduce the chances of the pipe freezing.
*Consider installing an automatic detection system that can monitor the temperature of a specific pipe. If the temperature of the pipe drops below a pre-set temperature, the unit will automatically shut off the main water valve. This will not prevent the pipe from freezing, but it will protect the pipes from bursting.
*To determine the best system to install for your home or commercial building needs, contact a qualified plumber.
*If your home or commercial building will be unoccupied for an extended period during cold weather, set the thermostat at 50 degrees or above.
*If possible, have someone check your home or commercial building daily to ensure the heating system is working.
*Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home or commercial building.
*Heat the basement, and consider weather-sealing windows.
*Close all windows near water pipes, and cover or close open-air vents. (Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.)
*Disconnect all garden hoses, and install covers on all outside faucets.
If a Pipe Freezes
Contact a licensed plumbing contractor as soon as possible. A designated licensed plumbing contractor should be listed in your emergency contact information.
If a Pipe Bursts
*Shut off the water at the your home or commercial building's main water valve.
*Contact a licensed plumbing contractor as soon as possible. A designated licensed plumbing contractor should be listed in your emergency contact information.
Because you never know how cold temperatures can affect a home or office building, it's important to follow these recommended tips to prevent water damage from occurring due to frozen pipes.
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1 comments:
We here at GoVaughn.com really appreciate your comments and feed. One individual wrote us a email and made some very interesting points about this issue. We asked the writer to post to the blog comments section. Below are the comments that were made to me privately via email. I found them so interesting I am posting without attribution.
"Your information on Ice-Dams is misleading and inaccurate.
It's not really leaves, etc. in the gutter that are the problem - and gutter guards won't help.
Ice dams are caused by your roof (attic) being hot enough to melt the snow (common in houses with duct work running through the attic). When the weather is very cold, the snow on the surface of the roof melts and gravity pulls it towards the gutter - where the frigid air re-freezes the melted snow. The Ice dam then builds as this process continues. Eventually a dam large enough to hold the melted water is built - and that water makes it's way under the shingles ...
Unfortunately, I have first-hand knowledge. And I have gutter guards ... and clean gutters.
The only solution is adequate air flow in the attic, coupled with a lot of insulation, so as to reduce the temperature in the attic. Very tough ... because a thick blanket of snow is a great insulator.
Up north, you typically see homeowners sweeping the snow off their roof (as far as they can reach with a ladder and broom) to prevent the ice dams. But then they fall and break their legs. Bummer."
A good point!
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