Tips For Preventing Frozen Pipes

Tips For Preventing Frozen Pipes

Here in the northeastern United States, winter is in full swing. A blizzard is descending upon Philadelphia and it is predicted to be historic. With that, comes extremely low temperatures. When temperatures drop below the freezing point, it’s important to take a few precautions to prevent the freezing of pipes. Despite popular belief, indoor pipes are subject to freezing – particularly if they are against or within an exterior wall of the home, if a problem with the home’s heating or plumbing system develops, or if you’re leaving your home unattended. To prevent your pipes from freezing, here are some handy tips:

Outdoor procedures:

• Detach any garden hoses. An attached garden hose that hasn’t been properly drained can lead to problems in various areas of your plumbing system.

• Consider heating cables or heat tape. If you’ve got any exterior pipes, particularly in a crawlspace, heating cables or tape will ensure their temperature through out the harsh winter months.

Indoor procedures:

• Check your exterior wall insulation. If you’ve got pipes running through the exterior walls of your home (most homes do), it’s important to make sure those walls are properly insulated. If the pipes are inaccessible, we recommend calling your local plumber to come inspect them for you.

• Open your cabinets and doors. If your home has a sink that’s against an exterior wall, it would be a good idea to leave the cabinet doors open so your home’s heat can effectively reach the pipes.

If you’re leaving for more than a day:

• Turn off your main water supply. Now briefly turn on your faucets to drain pipes of any remaining water.
• Set your home heating thermostat to at least 55 degrees.

As always, if you have any questions, need any plumbing or heating services, or want your pipes prepared for the winter weather, please contact Joseph’s Affordable Plumbing and Heating! 267-984-3088