Southern Illinois is getting ready for another round of COLD WEATHER with ice and snow expected in most parts of the region. As you work your way through your checklist of things to do, like filling up your car with gas and making sure your have bread, milk, and eggs, add checking for frozen pipes in your home to the list. Cold can cause pipes to freeze, not only leaving you without water, but potentially causing a very large, expensive mess if they burst. As water freezes, it expands causing pipes to leak or burst often times inside your home. So what can you do to protect your home from potential damage? Read on to see some tips from Dynamic Restoration, your local source for restoration and construction needs.
1. Keep The Heat On! It's very common to turn the heat off or down very low if you are leaving on vacation or just aren't going to be home for a few days with the intention to save money on energy bills. however, this can cause a big problem if temperatures drop and it's cool enough for your pipes to freeze. Keep the heat at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above and it should provide enough heat to keep pipes flowing freely.
2. Add Extra Insulation. Some pipes are located in areas that don't have proper insulation, such as under your home in a crawlspace, above your home in the attic, or in a basement. The temperatures in these areas are often too cold to keep pipes from freezing on their own. You can add extra insulation to the pipe with a foam or rubber sleeve found at your local hardware store.
3. Keep Interior Doors Open. Keeping the doors open allows heat to flow from room to room in your home and maintaining a more even temperature.
4. Allow Faucets to Drip. If you have tried the above steps and are still afraid the pipe will freeze, turn it on and allow it to drip slightly. This relieves the pressure on the system and usually will keep the pipe from freezing and bursting.
What should you do if your pipes still freeze and burst leaving you with a very big mess? Call a local professional to assess the situation and call your insurance agent. Dynamic Restoration is a locally owned and operated restoration company, which specializes in fire/flood restoration services and mold remediation. If you have a water emergency you can call Dynamic Restoration's 24/7 emergency line, where you will speak directly to one of our owners, guaranteeing a quick response. Their main goal is to help you recover from disaster faster!