Avoiding Frozen Pipe Water Damage

February in Colorado brings perfect powder, amazing animals, and a winter wonderland in nature. However, the inside of your home could face some serious risks due to frozen water pipes and broken water lines. Homes left unoccupied without regulated heating face even more risk.

Frozen pipes are a problem for a couple of reasons:

Any lack of running water is inconvenient for the homeowner but it can also wreak havoc on your appliances that require a flow, such as ice makers.
Once the actual water in the pipe freezes, a pressure is created between the closed faucet and the blockage that can build up to a point that causes the pipe to explode.
If the pipe bursts outside, this could also create dangerous slippery conditions while the temperatures are below freezing.

When the water starts to thaw out, your home could be facing massive damages.

Some Signs Of Frozen Pipes

The most obvious sign is a lack of running water. If a mainline is frozen, it can cause minimal or no water to run through your faucets. When you see wet or frosted pipes, it is an indication to turn off your faucets to prevent them from bursting. Damp walls and ceilings can be from water leaking from frozen pipes in basements or attics. And lastly, rely on your nose. If your sinks, toilets, bathtubs, or drains have a bad odor, it can be the result of poor drainage due to a broken pipe.

Precautions To Prevent Freezing Pipes:

Clean your gutters so melting snow and ice can flow freely
Turn on your faucets and allow them to drip slowly. Moving water will prevent freezing.
Heat your house to a minimum of 65 degrees in the winter
Open cabinet doors below sinks. It will help allow warm air to circulate.
Drain your water system if you’re away for an extended time.
Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater.
Wrap pipes nearest to exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape.
Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents.
Heat your basement and seal your windows.
If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.
Seal air leaks surrounding or near pipes.
Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.

Tip: Unheated attics were the most common cause of burst pipes so inspect your space for vulnerabilities.

If A Pipe Freezes

If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.

If A Pipe Bursts

You have no time to waste, take these steps immediately:

Shut off the water at the main valve.
If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed.
Call Team K Services for immediate response. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.
Take proper precautions to avoid an electrical shock from being in or near standing water.

Water Damage Restoration In Arvada

Team K Services is Arvada’s top choice when it comes to residential flooding, pipe bursts, or water leaks. Team K has live managers on call all the time, you will never deal with an answering service. They offer direct insurance billing to facilitate the relationship with the insurer and promote timely payment. And most importantly, they will arrive at your door in 90 minutes or less when you suffer from a water or fire disaster. For 24 hour service, call 720-605-5183.