7 Essential Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes and Avoid Costly Damage

Winters can be extremely harsh, especially in Colorado, where sudden temperature drops pose significant challenges for residents trying to prevent frozen pipes. According to professional plumbers in Longmont, Co frozen pipes are one of the biggest issues, as they can severely damage your plumbing system, cause burst pipes, and lead to expensive repairs.

To prevent frozen pipes and the costly problems they bring, it’s essential for Colorado homeowners to take proactive measures. In this guide, we’ll discuss the issue in detail and share some of the most effective tips to keep your pipes from freezing and safeguard your home.

Risk of Frozen Pipes

Colorado’s winter temperature can range between 16 degrees to 54 degrees Fahrenheit. This harsh cold climate can be dangerous for pipes. These significantly low temperatures lead to freezing water inside the pipes and expand their overall volume, causing pipes to rupture and burst. The pipes laid outside and are more exposed to outside environments such as basements, attics, or crawl spaces are more prone to damage

Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes and Damages

If you are also someone tired of dealing with frozen pipes every season, then follow these tips to prevent frozen pipes:

1. Insulate Pipes

The first step is wrapping up the exposed pipes with insulation materials such as foam pipe insulations. This is comparatively an inexpensive and most widely used process to protect pipes from freezing. 

Prioritize pipes in unheated areas to ensure all the pipes are insulated properly. In extreme winters the pipes in the kitchen and bathrooms are also vulnerable to freezing. Wrapping them up or treating them with thermostat-controlled heat cables will keep them warm throughout the season. 

It is recommended that you also seal the gaps and cracks around the pipes so that cold air does not reach them.

2. Keep your home warm

Keeping a consistent temperature at home also helps a lot in controlling the freezing of pipes. Set your thermostat to a normal temperature even when you are not around. Keep the cabinet doors under the sinks open so that warm air can easily circulate around the pipes.

3. Let faucets drain

During the extreme cold weather, it is advised to let your faucets trickle water slowly, especially those that are connected to exposed pipes. This helps to keep water moving and minimize the risk of water getting stagnant and freezing.

4. Seal Air Leaks

Properly check all the places for cracks or openings that could allow cold air in. Seal those holes and cracks, especially around the interior piping, exterior walls, and sill plates. Ensure your garage door is always closed as it is one of the biggest ways for cold air to enter the home. 

5. Disconnect Outdoor Hose

Remove the garden hoses from outdoor faucets and store them safely inside your home. It is essential to drain out the water from the hose to prevent it from freezing and damaging the faucets.

6. Winterize the sprinkler system

We recommend calling professional plumbers like Everest Mechanicals to drain your sprinkler system with proper equipment so that they do not freeze in winter and damage the pipes.

What should you do in case of frozen pipes?

If you find a frozen pipe in your home or outside, then you need to act promptly to prevent further damage. The first thing is locating the frozen section of the pipe. Then turn off the main water supply to your home to avoid further water damage. 

Gradually apply heat to the frozen area. You can use your hair dryer or space heater for the same. Wrap the pipe with towels or blankets as it will help retain heat and help thaw frozen pipes. 

If the pipe bursts or you are unable to resolve the issue on your own, then call the professional plumbers in Colorado immediately. Remember, rapid thawing can also damage the pipe as it leads to changing material properties, so be cautious with the process.

When thawing the frozen pipes, consider these things to prevent further damage:

1. Heat gradually and slowly. Rapid heating leads to cracking of pipes
2. Do not use open flames as they might lead to fire hazards and pipe damage
3. Keep a close eye on the pipe during the thawing process. Call the plumbers immediately in case you notice any leaks or cracks.
4. If you find a frozen pipe, then there are chances that there could be other affected areas. So check all the faucets and ensure there is proper water flow.
5. Do not ignore the importance of professional assistance. Though the processing of thawing looks easy, there could be complexions in it. To prevent the worsening of the situation, it is recommended to contact the best plumbers in Colorado.

Turn up to Everest Mechanical

Everest Mechanical has a team of professional plumbers that provide plumbing services all around Colorado, including Longmont, Denver, Boulder, Arvada, Fort Collins, Estes Park and near by places.

Our trained and certified plumbers ensure the safety of your precious property and complete customer satisfaction at an affordable price. So, for all your plumbing needs, contact Everest Mechanical now.