Keep your pipes from freezing (and what to do if you can’t)

Frozen pipes happen because of a very simple phenomenon: as water freezes, it expands. If it freezes in a confined space like your plumbing, it can block or even burst pipes. But that’s not the only reason cold and plumbing don’t mix. Cold-caused leaks inside cabinets and walls and beneath floors can promote the growth of mold and mildew, making even a small leak into a ticking time bomb that, when the thaw finally happens, can end up costing you dearly for cleanup and repairs.

Happily, there are some easy — and inexpensive — fixes that will make it less likely that you’ll have to confront this problem. Read on for some tips on avoiding pipe-damaging trouble when next the mercury drops.

Know where the cold will take hold

Frozen pipes can happen anywhere the ambient temperature drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The places ice is most likely to form in your plumbing are those where low temps are likely to penetrate first, such as outdoor spigots, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines. Even inside the envelope of your house’s walls there can be areas susceptible to freezing, such as indoor plumbing that runs through unheated areas such as basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, exterior walls, or even kitchen cabinets.

Be proactive

As winter approaches, there are a few simple strategies you can employ to keep ice away from your pipes.

Disconnect and drain any hoses you have hooked up to external spigots. If they have internal cutoff valves, use them. Try insulated faucet covers, too.
If you’re going to be away from home for more than a few hours, you might turn on at least one faucet to allow a slow, steady drip from the tap. This reduces pressure buildup in your system, and moving water is less likely to freeze. Choose a faucet on an exterior wall or in an unheated area, as these are usually the first places ice will form. It can be a good idea to use this trick with at least one tap in your house ahead of any spate of severe cold, just as a precaution.
Open the doors of kitchen and bathroom cabinets where pipes may be running along outside walls, and make sure items stored inside the cabinets are moved away from the plumbing to allow the warm air of the interior to circulate. In fact, keeping doors open throughout your house is a good idea. It promotes the flow of warm air from room to room in your living space.
Set your thermostat to at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit, even when you’re away. Maintaining a consistent temperature in your home will help you to avoid the sorts of temperature drops that strain plumbing systems.
Use your phone. A programmable smart thermostat will let you put your home’s heating system on a schedule that you can control with your cell. There are also freeze alarms that will monitor your plumbing system and send a message to your phone if the temperature in your water lines drops below 45 degrees.
Keep things circulating. A hot water circulating pump connects to your house’s water heater and automatically pumps warm water through both the hot- and cold-water lines if the temperature dips below a set level.

Insulate problem areas

Once you’ve identified the places in your home where freezes are likely to happen, another easy and cost-effective solution is to lock the cold out. There are a few ways you can do this.

Seal the entrances where cold air penetrates, using expanding foam or caulk to block cracks in walls or floors near pipes. You should also check places where gas, water, and other utilities enter your home. Service installers are not always as careful as we might wish, and they can leave gaps behind them that let in frigid air. Outdoor faucets and cable TV wire entry points deserve special scrutiny; they’re often poorly insulated, and a little attention here can pay big dividends.
Wrap vulnerable pipes in foam. Insulation sleeves are readily available in most home centers. They’re inexpensive, and easy to install. You can also put blanket insulation in plumbing chases or voids in your walls where pipes have been run. Pay particular attention to areas around plumbing elbows and joints, as these are common freeze points.
Switch to PEX if you have home renovation projects on the to-do list. This flexible extruded plastic product is much less prone to damage from the cold than the older copper, galvanized or PVC pipes your system may currently employ. If you elect to go this way, you could also more easily re-route your pipes, running them in areas less exposed to cold air.

If, despite your best efforts, you conclude there’s an ice-clog in your system, there are a few cards you have left to play.

Raise the temperature

First find out where in your system the ice has formed. You should go to your faucets one by one, testing them by turning them on fully. If at any point you get a trickle of water rather than a gush, you’ve located your problem.

Next, break out your flashlight and do a visual inspection to locate the freeze point. Look for the obvious signs first, such as patches of frost on the pipe, icicles forming around joints, or places where a freeze has created a split. Unless your DIY skills extend to pipe replacement, a ruptured line or damaged joint will require a plumber’s intervention. But if the block hasn’t caused any physical damage, there may be other strategies you can employ.

Open the faucet nearest to the blockage.
Apply a little heat. Start out low-tech by turning up your house’s temperature.
Wrap up frozen water lines in towels soaked in hot water or use a portable heating pad to melt the clog.
Place a portable space heater near the problem area.
Set a blow drier to its highest temperature setting and play the stream of hot air gently over the iced-up pipe.
Keep it from freezing up again by wrapping especially vulnerable runs of pipe in heated tapes or cables. Once tied into your electrical system, these keep ice from forming by applying gentle, constant heat in critical areas.

Sources: bobvila.com; thisoldhouse.com; www.almanac.com

The information included here was obtained from sources believed to be reliable, however Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, SI, and its employees make no guarantee of results and assume no liability in connection with any training, materials, suggestions, or information provided. It is the user’s responsibility to confirm compliance with any applicable local, state, or federal regulations. Information obtained from or via Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, SI, should not be used as the basis for legal advice and should be confirmed with alternative sources.

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