Risk & Business Magazine Gifford Associates Fall 2017 | Page 25

PREVENTING PIPE BREAKS
Prevent Pipes From Freezing And Breaking
W
hile we know in
winter to bundle
ourselves up to keep
warm, many people
forget to make sure
their pipes stay warm as well.
When ice forms in a pipe, it does not
typically cause a break where the ice
blockage occurs. Rather, following
a complete ice blockage in a pipe,
continued freezing and expansion
inside the pipe causes water pressure to
increase downstream—between the ice
blockage and a closed faucet at the other
end. Usually the pipe bursts where little
or no ice has formed.
will freeze and break if the hose is
left attached.
•
•
During severe cold weather, resist
the urge to lower your thermostat
to save money while you are gone
for the day.
Open the doors to kitchen and
bathroom cabinets under your sinks
so heat from the room will help
warm the pipes.
• Running water doesn’t freeze very
readily. During severe cold weather,
keep a stream of water trickling
out of faucets or spouts attached to
vulnerable pipes.
Here are some tips to help avoid this
common cause of winter property
damage: • If you have a sprinkler system, drain
all outdoor pipes and turn off the
water supply to the system.
HOW TO PREVENT FROZEN PIPES
• Pipes that have frozen in the past
or near exterior walls are obvious
candidates for special attention. WINTERIZE IF YOU’LL BE AWAY FOR
AN EXTENDED TIME
• Turn off the water supply at the
main shutoff valve by the street.
• Insulate areas where vulnerable
pipes are located. • • When insulation isn’t enough,
consider pipe wrappings embedded
with electrical coils (heat tape) that
provide an outside source of heat. Remove garden hoses from outside
faucets and open these faucets to
drain them.
• Drain the water heater. Turn off the
pilot light on gas water heaters and
be sure to turn off the electricity
to electric water heaters before you
drain them.
•
Remove hoses from outside yard
faucets. The faucets can’t drain
properly with a hose attached and
•
Use an air compressor to blow
any trapped water from the water
pipes. Open all faucets and leave
them open. This will help keep
condensation from freezing and
bursting the water lines.
• Flush all toilets (to empty the
tank) and every faucet (to drain
water from the pipes) in the home,
including outdoor faucets.
• Empty all toilet bowls by siphoning
or bailing and sponging. Pour a
mixture of food-grade antifreeze
and water into all toilet bowls and
the traps of all sinks, showers, and
bathtubs. Don’t drain these traps.
The water in them keeps sewer
gases out of your house.
• If your water supply is from a well,
switch off the pump and drain it
along with the above-ground pump
lines and the tank.
WHAT TO DO IF A PIPE FREEZES
• To prevent a frozen pipe from
bursting, open the faucet it supplies
water to. Then add heat to the area
where the pipe is located.
• Turn off the water supply to that
line.
• If a pipe does burst, immediately
turn off the water to your home.
• Know where your main water
emergency shutoff valve is located. +
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