Frozen Water Lines Can Happen This Time of Year - Precautionary Measures are Necessary
It's possible to protect yourself from burst pipes if you take a few precautions and you may want to double check matters tonight since it's going to be ZERO in Indianapolis. Temperatures in the teens can freeze pipes if they are not adequately protected. Some houses are built to be safe from freezing pipes with adequate insulation, but when temperatures sink below about 10 degrees, the pipes are still prone to freeze.
One of the first steps you should take to protect your pipes is disconnect all outdoor hoses. If possible, shut off the supply to the outside tap and then turn on the faucet to let any water already in the line drain out.
Pipes usually freeze where they are on an outside wall. The most susceptible to freezing are the ones running through unheated areas such as crawl spaces or inside vanities on outside walls.
Once the water freezes in the pipe, the water flow is cut off. If the blockage is not removed promptly, the ice will expand and split the pipe.
To prevent freezing, it is necessary to keep the pipes warm. Open vanity doors under sinks and raise the temperature in areas with exposed pipes by turning up your thermostat or using a space heater.
If pipes leading to a particular faucet often freeze, turn the cold tap on so water trickles continuously during extremely cold weather.
Insulating wraps for water pipes near outside walls do help, however, a plumber may have to move pipes installed in areas that are too vulnerable to the cold.
If you leave your house for an extended time during the winter, don't turn your heating system all the way off, but instead, set the thermostat around 60 degrees and make sure all the storm windows are sealed tight to keep the heat in. Open the doors to all vanities for warm air to circulate around the pipes under your sinks. Make sure your doors to the crawl space area are tightly sealed.
If your pipes freeze, call a licensed plumber to thaw them out and prevent a burst.
