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As water freezes, it expands and could cause damage the plumbing in your home.
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Nothing makes a cold morning chillier than waiting for the water to heat up for your morning shower. Things can get downright frosty if the water for that shower comes out as a trickle or not at all. With average low temperatures hovering around 32 degrees in February, frozen pipes can be an annual issue in Clark County.
“It’s not only the temperature, but the air exposure,” Tyler Toivonen, owner of True Plumbing, said. “If you have an east wind blowing on something, it can freeze faster than anything.”
While we haven’t encountered that week-long cold snap yet this season, there are still a few weeks of winter left. When the weather does take a cold turn, there are steps you can take to lessen the chances of frozen water lines.
Everybody knows the “drip, drip, drip” method: opening a faucet or two just enough for a small trickle of water to come out. Protecting exposed features, such as hose bibs, on the exterior of the home is important as well.
“You want to drain them, insulate them, and cover them,” Toivonen said. “The most common thing that happens in our region is broken hose bibs, and you don’t necessarily know until you start to use them them in the spring. (Pipes) start leaking in the walls when they turn the hose on.”
Residential problems are usually top of mind when it comes to freezing weather. But, don’t forget about any out buildings or other exterior pipes you may have.
“I would say turning off the water to the extension buildings, barns, etc. if you’re not going to be using them,” Toivonen said. “Winterize and drain all outbuildings. Some people have seasonal connections, so insulate the pipes if you need the buildings during the winter. Yard sprinklers should be shut off and drained out way before it gets too cold.”
If the proper precautions are taken, the chance of frozen pipes is greatly decreased. There are signs, however, that indicate a possible plumbing problem. Puddles of water appearing on the floor, water not coming out of the faucet at all, or water gushing from exposed pipes in the basement or garage are obvious issues. Others can be a little more nuanced.
Snowbird Precautions
Winters in Clark County aren’t as intimidating as they are on the Michigan Peninsula, but there are those who fly away to warmer locales when the cold weather hits. Even if you’re not planning on leaving for months at a time, a week away during the coldest part of the year without taking proper precautions can spell disaster.
The easiest way to protect the home from possible frozen pipes is to shut the whole thing down.
“Everybody should know how to shut their water off,” Toivonen said. “A lot of people shut the house off, which is the smartest thing to do. Because if you’re not there to shut it off (when a problem happens), there’s not a lot you can do.”
“Be aware of any sudden, low pressure drops that could be caused by freezing,” Richard Rolph, service manager at True Plumbing, said. “A loss of water pressure could mean you have a hole in the system somewhere. The water could be low pressure in the kitchen, but nobody is using anything else. That says a main line break or something froze.”
If you encounter any of these issues, knowing where the main shut off valve is located, and how to turn it off, can limit the amount of damage to your home.
“The biggest thing homeowners need to know is where to shut the water off,” Toivonen said. “Whether it’s in the home or at the street. And if it’s at the street, they should have a key so they can turn it off in a speedy fashion.”
The key is essentially a long bar with handles at one end and a small “U” at the other end. The U fits over the shutoff valve at the street, usually covered by a metal plate in the parking strip, to turn off all water to the house.
“The city prefers you don’t touch it,” Rolph said. “But, in an emergency situation, you should know how to shut it off.”
Toivonen added: “Homeowners should think about having a plumber come in and install a shut off valve inside the home so they can access it in their bathrobe.”
Because, chances are, you’ll be in your bathrobe when pipes that froze overnight are first discovered. Knowing where, and how, to shut the water off is the first step to preventing disaster. If a homeowner isn’t able to shut the water off, and water is spraying from behind a wall, Rolph has another suggestion:
“Have a list of plumbers readily available and call as soon as you can.”
True Plumbing has over 70 years of combined experience, working in residential, emergency, and exterior situations. For information on how to find, operate, or install a shut off valve in your home, call (360) 601-7787 or visit true-plumbing.com
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