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Every year winter comes and wreaks havoc on running water systems across the country, but particularly true this year in Texas with the historically low, freezing temperatures have resulted in a lot of frozen pipes.
The water in the pipes ends up freezing, cutting our supply and damaging the pipes itself. Since water expands when it freezes, this puts pressure on the pipelines and even causes them to burst, creating a big problem for your house (and your pocket).
To avoid any complications in your house, here is a quick guide of what to take into account to avoid this problem and keep your running water system in shape!
The first thing to do is to properly drain any water from the lines outside the house. Pipes outside are particularly susceptible to bursting, such as those of the sprinklers and swimming pool lines. While doing this, it is also advisable to remove any hose from outside, drain them, store them for the winter and leave the valves outside open to allow the water to expand without damaging the pipe.
After finishing with the outside part of the house, let’s turn to the interior. A good first step is to insulate all your in-door pipelines. This includes pipes in the attic, crawl spaces, basements and garages. You can also install products made to insulate the pipes even further such as “pipe sleeves” or UL-listed heat tape and heat cables. This will protect your water systems from low temperatures, making it more resistant to freezing.
Nevertheless, you will also have to take some daily actions to ensure your inner pipelines don’t get damaged by the temperature. It is important to close any doors leading to the outside of the house to avoid the heat from escaping- Also, open the kitchen and bathroom cabinets to let the warm air circulate close to the pipelines.
Another good tip, though it might increase your heating bill a little, is to keep your thermostat at the same temperature throughout the whole day. This is particularly important if you decide to go out on vacations during winter, since unsupervised pipelines are more prone to freeze and burst if the heater is not regulating temperature constantly. Just remember that some extra bucks in the heating bill are way better than a bill for a broken or frozen pipe.
It is also good to look for any leakages and reparations to do in the house. Remember that leaking water in the pipe, when it comes in small quantities, is prone to freezing and damaging the pipelines. For more info, read How to thaw your frozen pipes here.
These are just some guidelines to keep your pipelines protected from the harsh winter. You can do many of these things by yourself, but it means time and some procedures like insulating the pipelines are susceptible to human error but you don’t need to worry, in ProTech we are experts in frozen pipes repairing. Just call us at 281-933-3330 to get your frozen pipes repared in Texas and schedule your appointment!