A common fear for many homeowners and renters during the winter is the fear that the temperatures will drop below freezing and cause their pipes to freeze. When temperatures drop below freezing, it can make the water that runs in and out of your house freeze within your pipes. This not only causes you to be stuck with water, but can cause untold damage to your pipes and plumbing system if they were to burst your pipes. One of the main contributors to burst pipes is when they freeze, and it can cause significant damage and be classified as a plumbing emergency. Property damage is evident when your pipes burst due to freezing, so it is important to know how to prevent such issues from arising during the long winter months.
Maintain Thermostat Temperature
It may be tempting to turn off your heat if you will be traveling during the wintertime. You may figure that it will save you some money on your heating bill to not worry about heating an empty house but you should not turn off your heating completely. When you turn your thermostat all the way, you run the risk of your home, and your pipes, becoming even more susceptible to the cold outside. If your home does not maintain an even temperature, there is a higher likelihood that your pipes are going to freeze. Having them freeze is detrimental in and of itself, but to not be home when this happens to catch the early signs of frozen pipes is going to lead to even further damage if the issue is not addressed right away. Keep it set around the same temperature even when you are not home.
Close Your Garage Door
Pipes are located in all different places throughout your home and these pipes will be in different locations depending on the home structure itself. The pipes that are at the most risk for freezing are the ears of your home that are not typically heated throughout the winter, or even in general. These spaces often include your:
- Garage
- Attic
- Basements
- Exterior walls
Due to these places being particularly vulnerable, you will want to do what you can to keep them as warm as you can to prevent the piping in their walls from freezing. A preventative measure you can take is being sure that your garage door remains shut. Having your garage door not as exposed to the outside elements will allow it to maintain a certain temperature based on the heat it is able to get from being connected to the house. This will help to keep the pipes in your garage warmer and less likely to freeze during the winter.
Add Insulation
If you are particularly worried about an area of your home that had prior issues with pipes freezing, or you are simply wishing to do more to keep this from happening, you can always add more insulation to the places you feel it is lacking. You can add insulation to your attics or basements or crawl spaces to keep the internal temperature stable. Dealing with frozen pipes is an unfavorable circumstance but if you are looking for reliable plumbers to help you get this situation taken care of, be sure to contact Idaho Falls plumbers for the best possible solutions. Be sure to winterize your home and do what it takes to ensure that your pipes do not freeze this winter.
