When the winter season rolls around and temperatures begin to drop, the risk of frozen pipes becomes more significant. And of course, frozen pipes are never a problem you want to deal with. The good news is that there are precautions you can take to safeguard against the possibility of your plumbing system freezing over. Let the pros at Sweetwater Home Services walk you through five quick tips to avoid frozen pipes.

What Makes Frozen Pipes Such a Significant Problem to Deal With?

It almost goes without saying that a frozen pipe can cause some significant damage to your home’s plumbing. As water freezes in your pipes, it will expand. The result could be as much as 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, which is enough to cause most pipes to rupture.

That’s bad on two fronts. A burst pipe can release gallons upon gallons of water per hour, which can cause thousands of dollars worth of water damage. Beyond that, burst pipes can also be exceptionally costly to repair even if you get lucky enough to contain the water damage. So, it stands to reason that you’d be looking for tips to guard against frozen pipes. Luckily, we have you covered.

5 Tips to Keep In Mind When You’re Looking to Prevent Frozen Pipes

It’s important to know that as a homeowner, you have the ability to properly protect your pipes against freezes when cold weather season comes around. If a freeze is imminent in your area, take these five suggestions into account so that you can keep your pipes from freezing:

Invest in Insulation for Your Pipes

Insulating all visible pipes with “foam-sleeve” insulation can also do the trick, as it will protect your plumbing from reaching the point where they’ll be cold enough to freeze.

Maintain Consistent Indoor Heating

If you keep the heat on in your home during a freeze, that can both keep you warm and help to keep your pipes warm as well.

Let Your Faucets Drip

Moving water has a hard time freezing, so if a freeze is in the forecast for your area, let water drip from one or two faucets inside your home. That should be an effective way to keep your plumbing from freezing up.

Shut Off Exterior Water Sources

You’ll want to make sure all outdoor spigots are turned off before an anticipated freeze, plus you’ll want to make sure your water lines are drained. With sitting water in your lines, that can lead to an easy freeze-up, which can cause problems.

Have Solutions On Hand In Case Your Pipes Do Freeze

This is a last-resort tip, but if your pipes do freeze, it’s important that you know what to do to handle the situation. You can unfreeze frozen water pipes with a hair dryer, electric space heater, or heating pad. Now, if you can’t locate or access the frozen area of your pipes or you have a pipe burst, do your best to turn off your water and call up a licensed plumber.

Reach Out Today

If you have water problems at your home in the Central Texas area or you just want more expert advice on how to avoid frozen pipes, Sweetwater Home Services is here to help. Contact us today to learn more.