During a chilly Kentucky winter, frozen pipes can be a serious problem for your home. In addition to disrupting your water supply, pipes freezing can lead to a variety of more serious issues. If the pipes freeze, they may burst, which can cause flooding, water damage, mold growth, and health issues. Here, we’ll take a look at five simple steps you can take to keep your pipes from freezing this winter.
1. Keep Your Home Properly Heated
Perhaps the simplest way to prevent your pipes from freezing is to make sure your home is properly heated throughout the winter. As long as your house stays warm, your pipes should stay warm, too. Even when you aren’t home, keep your heat set to a reasonable level. This will go a long way toward protecting pipes located in your walls, basement, and crawl spaces. If you’re concerned about your home’s heating ability, it may be wise to schedule a furnace tune-up before the cold weather arrives.
2. Open Your Cabinets
Another effective way to protect the pipes in your home this winter is to keep your cabinet doors open. If you open the cabinets in places like the bathroom and kitchen, it will ensure that warm air can reach any pipes under your sinks. This will greatly reduce the chance of those pipes freezing. However, if the cabinets remain closed when the temperature drops, the pipes may not be warm enough even if your home is properly heated.
3. Seal Air Leaks in Your Home
Even if you aren’t aware of them, there may be significant air leaks in your home. These leaks are easy to ignore, but if you don’t address them, they could potentially lead to your pipes freezing. So, before the Kentucky winter arrives, it’s prudent to search your home for any air leaks and make sure to seal them properly.
Usually, you’ll find gaps and cracks in your home around the edges of windows or doors. Even if they’re tiny, they can let cold air in and hot air out, lowering the temperature of your home and your pipes. Periodically inspect the doorways and windows in your house for any openings. They may not be visible, but if you slowly move your hand around the area, you should feel air moving. If you identify any leaks, you can effectively seal them with caulking and weather stripping, which you can buy at your local hardware store.
4. Allow Your Faucets to Drip
Although it may seem strange, allowing your faucets to drip when you aren’t using them can help you keep your pipes from freezing. You don’t want to let too much water run, as that will be wasteful and cost you extra money. However, a slow, steady drip will allow water to continue flowing through your pipes. As a result, even if the temperature of your home drops substantially, it will be much harder for the pipes to freeze. Keeping the water dripping is especially important for faucets that are farthest from the water’s original point of entry.
5. Know When to Call the Professionals
If you know when to call local plumbing professionals, you’ll have great odds of avoiding frozen pipes in your Kentucky home. For one, you should schedule regular plumbing inspections. When you contact us at Pipe Surgeon Plumbing, one of our expert plumbers will visit your home and examine the important components of your plumbing system. If your pipes are damaged or vulnerable to freezing, they will let you know and take measures to prevent a plumbing disaster.
Most importantly, though, you need to contact local plumbing professionals if you notice any issues this winter. For example, if you observe a weakened flow of water, frost on the outside of your pipes, or unusual noises coming from your plumbing system, take immediate action. These warning signs can indicate that your pipes are in danger of freezing. However, our team can address the situation before it becomes more serious and costly.
Your Trusted Local Plumbing Professionals
At Pipe Surgeon Plumbing, we’re proud to offer top-tier plumbing services to residents of the greater Lexington, KY area. Whether you need help preventing frozen pipes or repairing burst pipes, our skilled plumbers will be there to promptly assist you. We offer a wide variety of plumbing services, including plumbing remodels, water heater services, and drain cleaning and repair.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, contact us at Pipe Surgeon Plumbing today!
