Frozen Pipes St Louis
When the weather gets cold, both home and business owners may discover that pipes with running liquid or gas will freeze. This happens due to poor insulation and can lead to very unfortunate consequences if not handled immediately. When fluid gets frozen inside a pipe, it will expand and can potentially cause that pipe to burst. If a burst pipe is involved in sewage transportation, suddenly a home or business may find themselves with a very gross, unsanitary mess on their property. Has your home or business had its plumbing and pipes checked for winter? Winterizing your home or business is a key component in avoiding these types of disasters. Call Pride Cleaning & Restoration @ (314) 668-1223 as soon as the weather starts getting colder or if you think frozen pipes may be a concern!
Frozen Pipe Prevention St Louis
Pride Cleaning & Restoration specialists have encountered and repaired thousands of plumbing disasters over our many years of servicing the St Louis area. Our specialists use the latest detection equipment and achieve better inspections – We take Pride in all we do! We have comprised a list of 8 helpful tips you can do today to prevent pipes from freezing (Some suggestions are excerpted from Red Cross):
- Apply heat cables, heat tape, or heat wrap for extensive protection against the cold.
- Check if there are any breaks or tears on the pipe or in the insulation.
- Shut off and drain all sources of water leading to outdoor faucets, including any hoses or irrigation lines. This is a crucial step to winterizing your pipes.
- Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
- When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe – even at a trickle – helps prevent pipes from freezing.
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
Locating Frozen Pipes
You may be wondering – where might frozen pipes be located in my home or business? The most susceptible areas in your home or business where pipes may freeze would include pipes crossing any of the outer walls of the home or building, pipes below sinks that are adjacent to those exterior walls, and any poorly insulated crawlspaces. Frozen pipes are easy to spot because they will have ice or frost on them. A frozen pipe may also seem to be heavier or sinking in some places rather than other places on the pipe. If the pipe is bulging 0r 0ddly distorted, it is probably close to bursting.
Thawing Frozen Pipes
Once the frozen pipe is located, it’s time to thaw the pipe out. Start by turning the heat up high. If the pipe is difficult to reach, please do not start tearing up any floors or walls. It is best to let a professional get to a pipe that is difficult to reach. If you haven’t already, call Pride Cleaning & Restoration and wait for the plumber to arrive. While you wait, you may use an IR lamp or small heater to heat the area nearest to where the frozen pipe is located if you have either available.
If the frozen pipe is reachable, here are some great ways to start thawing:
- Try using a hairdryer on the frozen area of the pipe.
- Try using boiling water. DO NOT POUR BOILING WATER DOWN THE DRAIN. This can actually cause the pipe to burst. Instead, wrap a thick towel around the frozen pipe and slowly pour boiling water over the towel, pausing briefly in between small pours.
- Try insulating the area where the frozen pipe is located better and turning up the heat.
Prevent Frozen Pipes
Pride Cleaning & Restoration suggests marking times during September and October months on your calendar to prepare your home/business for the colder months ahead. In order to avert the frustration of frozen pipes during the winter, it’s ideal to take a few preventative measures. Read our list of 8 helpful tips to prevent freezing pipes above!
Even after taking preventative measures, if your home has had issues in the past or if you want to be sure the home will not have any issues – consider scheduling a professional plumber to come for an inspection. Our certified experts are trained to handle all types of plumbing problems and can make sure that any frozen pipe problems you have are resolved quickly and with great care.
Frozen Pipe Repair St Louis
If you forgot to perform the proper maintenance checks this year, do not worry! Sometimes even when some maintenance is done, frozen pipes bursting can happen. If you find yourself with a burst pipe problem, time is of the essence. Contact Pride Cleaning & Restoration for a speedy and proficient repair. When it comes to repairing frozen or burst pipes, it is always best to call a trusted and professional pipe repair service to protect your home from further damage.
Pride Cleaning & Restoration is your professional frozen pipes repair expert.
Our team can handle any piping problem you may have – big or small! Call us at (314) 668-1223 and our team of specialists will be on the job today!
