Frozen pipes are the most preventable plumbing emergency there is. And yet every winter, Connecticut homeowners deal with burst pipes and the water damage that follows.
Why pipes freeze. Water expands when it freezes. If that expansion happens inside a pipe, the pipe cracks or bursts. The pipes most at risk are in unheated spaces — crawl spaces, attics, exterior walls, and garages.
The simplest prevention: keep heat on. If you're leaving your home for more than a day in winter, keep the thermostat at 55°F or above. The heating cost is far less than the damage from a burst pipe.
Insulate exposed pipes. Foam pipe insulation costs about $1 per foot at any hardware store. Any pipe in an unheated space should be wrapped. Pay extra attention to pipes near exterior walls.
Let a faucet drip. When temperatures drop below 20°F, letting a cold-water faucet drip slightly keeps water moving and relieves pressure if a section does freeze.
Know where your main shutoff is. If a pipe does burst, you need to shut off the water immediately. Walk through your home now and locate the main shutoff valve. Make sure it turns freely.
If a pipe freezes but hasn't burst: apply gentle heat with a hair dryer, moving it back and forth. Never use an open flame. If you can't locate the frozen section or the pipe has already burst, call us immediately.
W.B. Dickenson handles frozen and burst pipe emergencies throughout Connecticut. We're available for urgent calls seven days a week.
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W.B. Dickenson handles plumbing, heating, and remodeling throughout Hartford County and Tolland County.