Preventing Frozen PipesJanuary and February are the coldest months for Texas.  The near-constant shift in weather is all too familiar for DFW residents as well.  We’ll face off against 20-degree weather today and temperatures in the 70s just a few days later.  With that, it can be easy to forget that we have to keep indoor plumbing defended against harsh changes in weather.

Why You Should Protect Your Plumbing

Pressure in your pipes keeps a constant volume of water inside them.  That way you don’t have to wait a few seconds for water to start running as soon as you turn the tap.  But, since that water is already in the pipes, freezing it can lead to severe damage.  Water, unlike most liquids, expands as it freezes.  With nowhere to go inside the pipe, freezing water will break seals or crack pipes.  You won’t even know this has happened until the water thaws out and starts flowing out of the fresh break.

The problems involved here should be apparent: ruptured pipes mean leaking water.  Leaking water will lead to in-home flooding or water damage in walls, floors, and some ceilings.  The excess water will soak insulation and lead to mold growth and spread throughout your home.  But there are other problems as well.  A small leak may be slow enough to dry out before it causes problems, but that leak can grow, slowly expanding the size of the gap in your pipes.  Even if it doesn’t, one or multiple constant leaks (or dripping faucets) mean wasted water which can add up to gallons of dollars lost every year.  Leaks aren’t easy to find, so it’s best to prevent them in the first place.

Indoor Plumbing

The pipes in your walls should be protected first.  This is where most in-home damage can spring from.  The goal is to keep the water warm and running.  Running water is less likely to freeze during a cold-snap.  Ice takes the shape of a crystal (an orderly crystalline solid).  When water is running, the molecules within it cannot connect into orderly strands, preventing the crystalline lattice from forming.  This is why we advise letting your faucets drip when you know that a cold snap is on the way.  Other tricks, such as opening cabinet doors to give them access to the warmer room air or insulating exposed pipes and hot water tubes with special pipe sleeves and jackets will keep your pipes from freezing.

In short:

  • Leave faucets dripping
  • Insulate exposed pipes and your water heater
  • Open cabinets to expose pipes to warmer air
  • Leave your thermostat set to 60 when you aren’t home

Outdoor Plumbing

The plumbing outside of your home is just as important to protect.  While it’s less likely to cause flooding in your home, leaking outdoor piping can lead to foundation damage or seepage into a basement or underground crawl space.  Look for water that’s pooling around the edges of your home or for damp spots where dry ground should be.

Aside from leaving faucets dripping, it’s difficult to protect outdoor plumbing.  The best you can do is wrap any exposed pipes in a heavy blanket to insulate it against the cold.  Remove water hoses and drain them of any water to prevent the hose from cracking during the cold winter.


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