Tis The Season For Frozen Pipes

11/9/2017 (Permalink)

Tis The Season For Frozen Pipes!

Along with the beauty that winter brings, our homes and buildings can suffer immensely from the icy impact it was on water lines. Frozen pipes turn into broken pipes and broken pipes turn into floods. All around, winter is a heavy season for water damage emergencies and the best thing you can do to help protect your home is take preventative measures that will minimize the amount of water damage that could happen. You are going to want to start by winterizing outside faucets, hoses, and other water fixtures.  Don’t lose out on the fun of the holiday season by having to spend a ton of money and time on water damage repairs – take these 4 simple steps and enjoy the season:

• REMOVE CONNECTIONS – Just because it is sunny during the day does not mean that the area is not going to freeze overnight. Connections to hose bibs can trap water and cause different types of fixtures to freeze and break. Make sure hoses and splitters are removed from the spigot. Many water damage occurrences come from broken and frozen pipes. Take this one easy step and you could save your home from major flooding.  
• INSPECT EVERYTHING – Don’t assume that because there were no major water emergencies during the last few months that there isn’t any leaks or drips now. You will want to do a thorough inspection for leaks in all of the hose bibs and other water fixtures. Even slow drips can cause blockage and a freeze in pipes and fixtures when temperatures drop. Frozen pipes may not become apparent until next season, but you can definitely limit the risk of experiencing frozen and broken pipes by taking precaution now. ?If you find any leaks or drips, contact a professional that can help you repair the problem before it turns into a bigger problem.
• ELIMINATE STANDING WATER – Draining your pipes and hoses is a VERY important part of preventing water damage from frozen pipes and seasonal broken pipes. Even though there are hose bibs that are freeze-proof, it’s not a bad idea to still shut off the water line (if you can) and draining the water out. Not everyone will have the option of cutting the water supply to the hose bib, then you will want to use extra insulation. 
• COVER AND PROTECT – These steps have been easy enough so far. The next thing you want to do is to protect your outdoor faucets by covering them with insulation. There are hose bib covers that you can install on each fixture. Be sure to cover your frost free hose bibs for extra protection. Even though frost-free hose bibs are resistant to freezing, they are not completely resistant to frosting over during  winter. They are convenient and easy to install, fitting right over the top of your faucets. The insulation is thick and great at reducing the temperatures that can affect the valves.     

In the unfortunate event of a water damage, SERVPRO of Oldham/Shelby County highly trained team is available for you 24 Hours a day and 7 days a week! We are passionate about what we do and helping people during a time of need and easing the stress of the situation is important to us… no matter the time of day! 

Water Damage In Your Home Or Business? Contact SERVPRO of Oldham/Shelby County to speak to a Mitigation specialist today. 502.241.6861