How To Prevent Frozen Pipes?

The winter months are upon us, and it’s essential to prepare for them. One of the most common problems during this period is frozen pipes. Frozen pipes can cause a lot of damage, so you must take steps now to prevent them from happening in your home. To avoid frozen pipes, here are some quick tips:

  • Keep any outside faucets flowing with water all day or night
  • Insulate hot water lines or pour antifreeze down the drain
  • Consider installing an insulating blanket on exterior faucets
  • Install insulation on exposed pipe runs
  • Install heat tape around vulnerable areas
  • Fill sinks with extra cold water
  • Check your thermostat setting
  • Make sure all exterior doors are closed to keep cold air out.

If you live in an area where it is tough for pipes to stay thawed, you may want to consider calling Plumber Sun City and having them install a system that will prevent your pipes from freezing. These methods can be expensive, but it’s better than dealing with the consequences of frozen pipes. Here are some of the most common systems plumbers will use to prevent frozen pipes.

Seal the Problem Area with Heat Tape-  this system is often called “heat tape.” It’s pretty simple to install, but keep in mind it only lasts for the duration of one season.

Pipe Heating Cable- The plumber will attach this type of heating cable directly to your water pipes. The plumber may have to cut sections out of the wall to run these cables along with your Sun City Plumbing.

Heat Pumps- plumbers will use this system by attaching a coil lengthwise along the section of pipe that goes into or through an uninsulated area. This can be very expensive because it uses electricity 24 hours a day to maintain the temperature at its’ current level when it needs to keep anything from freezing.

Thermostat Heating Cable- plumbers may attach this type of heating cable directly to the water pipes or place it on the insulation. They can also bury a separate wire around an uninsulated area to keep anything from freezing. We are the most trusted emergency plumber Granada Hills CA has to offer.

Frost Blankets & Wraps – plumbers can wrap a blanket or a plastic sheet around your water pipes. This is a temporary solution and only prevents the pipes from freezing for a short time frame.

Wood Boring Hot Application – plumbers, will drill holes into your exterior walls and feed hot cables through them up to about six feet away from where you have any water lines that could freeze. You may also get these same results if you get electric baseboard heaters installed near the area.

Heat Guns & De-Icers – plumbers will use a heat gun to blow hot air on frozen areas of your plumbing system. This is an efficient way to thaw pipes, but plumbers must pay close attention because sometimes the hot air can travel back to where it enters the home, causing scorch marks or nasty smells. You can also get de-icers that run off of electricity and are specifically for piping (not recommended outdoors).

Propane Torches – plumbers can use propane torches to thaw frozen parts of your plumbing system. However, plumbers cannot leave these unattended, or they could cause severe damage or harm to property.

All of these solutions have pluses and minuses. Depending on your situation, plumbers can use one or multiple methods to ensure frozen pipes are thawed safely and effectively.

There is no doubt that plumbing problems seem more frequent during certain months of the year. We hope this article will help to solve your dilemma of how to prevent frozen pipes.