With the recent cold snap we’ve been having, many home owners are finding that their pipes aren’t protected as they should be and they end up with frozen pipes in West Bloomfield Michigan. If your home has frozen pipes it’s important to take steps in order to minimize water damage to your home. Once the water starts flowing in the pipe again it can lead to all sorts of problems and what’s even worse is that many home owners don’t even realize they have frozen pipes in their homes. We’ll go over some tips that can help prevent frozen pipes and help you minimize damages to your home if you already have frozen pipes.
Be Better Prepared for Frozen Pipes in West Bloomfield Michigan
Winter in Michigan can be brutal to say the least. And it seems like with the Polar Vortex this year the weather continues to dip well into frigid cold temperatures. Most homes in Michigan have insulated pipes that help to prevent them from freezing but when the temperatures drop to extreme lows sometimes there just isn’t enough protection in place to keep the pipes flowing freely. There are a few things you can do during these times of extreme cold to help prevent frozen pipes in your home. We’ll go over some of these tips below:
Preventing Your Pipes From Freezing
Don’t Leave Garden Hoses Connected – Garden hoses which are left on is a major problem when temperatures drop below freezing. As the water freezes in the hose it can rupture the hose or crack it. During the day when the hose thaws it can start to leak. This can lead to large water bills because it’s usually not noticed immediately.
Be Aware of Cold Rooms in Your Home – If you’re like many Michiganders, you may have a few rooms in your home that you don’t use. While many times this isn’t a problem, when you shut off heating to those rooms it can cause problems with frozen pipes. Even if the room doesn’t have plumbing it may have plumbing pipes in walls which may freeze and burst.
Keep Cabinet Doors Open – Having the cabinet doors open can allow for heat to better penetrate and keep pipes from freezing. If there is no heat in the room however, the cabinet doors should remain closed.
Drip Faucets on Colder Nights – While this tip may cost you from more water usage it can help to prevent freezing pipes. Moving water will be less likely to freeze and dripping a faucet will also help to relieve some pressure off the pipe which can help. This should only be done on more extreme cold nights.
Allow Heating in Your Basement – Typically there are plumbing pipes and components in the basement such as a washer or water heater. These pipes can also freeze if your basement is not heated. Monitor the temperature in your basement and if it’s too cold consider adding heat to prevent frozen pipes in your home.
Turn Off The Water – Making sure you turn off the water to your home if you plan on leaving the home unattended for an extended period of time. It is difficult to return home to realize you have a water leak that has damaged many areas of your home. Turning off the water and relieving pressure from the pipes can help to prevent water damage disasters.
If You Have Frozen Pipes or Burst Pipes in Your Home
If you already have frozen pipes in your home there are some things that you can do to minimize the water damage that may occur. Initially, when a pipe freezes there is usually no water damage yet. Only when the pipe thaws and water starts leaking from the pipe is when water damage will occur in your home. If you notice a frozen pipe it’s best to turn off the water in that area of your home and if you are unable to do that you may need to turn off the main water supply to your home. Failing to do so will lead to water damage when the pipe thaws. It’s also important to call a home restoration contractor in West Bloomfield Michigan as well. At Michigan Restoration Pros we can help with frozen pipes and water damages caused by broken or frozen pipes. Call us today to learn more or get assistance with your frozen pipes.
Leave a Comment