Top Plumbing Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes
Burst pipes can be a disaster. And you won’t just need a plumber, either. While the plumber desoxyn will replace the pipe-and should ensure it doesn’t happen again-even a small crack can release hundreds of gallons of water into your home each day, destroying possessions, causing structural damage and creating the kinds of conditions that dangerous molds love.
First a Little Physics: Why Do Pipes Burst?
Water expands when it freezes. Think of ice cubes-when you first put the tray in the freezer, the water is neatly contained in its little compartments. If the tray is filled a little too full, however, when you go to add a cube to your drink, you’ll find they’re all frozen together. At some point the water in each compartment expanded, overflowed and fused with its buddy in the next compartment over.
The same principle is at work when pipes burst.
Interestingly, though, it’s not usually the outward pressure of expanding water on the pipe walls that causes the pipe to burst. Here’s why. When a pipe is completely blocked by ice, water gets trapped between the ice dam at one end and the closed faucet at the other. As water expands further down the pipe and freezes, pressure builds up between the blockage and the tap… and the pipe will burst at its weakest point.
Think Prevention: Winterize Your Plumbing
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure… and in the case of frozen and burst pipes, a little prevention will save you whack of cash and some huge headaches, too.
Here are four tips worth taking as winter gets closer.
1. Wrap up to stay warm. Check that any pipes close to the exterior walls or floors in a basement or crawlspace are properly insulated. Insulation value increases with the thickness of insulation you use, so don’t be afraid to wrap to the max. Not sure if you’ve got enough insulation? Call a plumber to do a quick assessment.