It’s winter, and that means it’s pipe burst season. If it’s never happened to you – or if, like me, it only happened to an outdoor hose water line – you can only imagine the disaster that would result. That kind of disaster takes a restoration professional to resolve, and that’s where iCan comes in, on the spot to house and shelter everything that can be salvaged while the restoration pros dry and restore your home. But you can hopefully save yourself from disaster with a couple of helpful tips:
Keep water moving
It sounds eco-unfriendly, but one of the best ways to prevent burst pipes is to let faucets drip. When valves aren’t shut tight, there’s less pressure in the line, giving relief all around. You don’t have to let everything drip, but if you can figure out the one furthest away from where the water enters your home, it will benefit the whole system.
Check the hoses
Bring them indoors to protect the hoses themselves, and check the hose bibs (those valves on the side of the house). While most are considered “frost-free,” if you have a line running, say, under your deck to the hose bib (like I did), shut the valve on the line before it exits the house and drain the outside pipe. Same for sprinkler systems – have the pros blow out the lines and save a lot of grief come spring.
Keep warm air flowing
If you have pipes running through unfinished spaces (like the basement or the garage) you can go two ways: insulate them with inexpensive foam pipe wrap available at home supply stores, and allow air flow from heated areas, like your furnace room. Even opening cabinet doors under sinks will help, allowing room air to circulate around sink supply pipes.
If you’re leaving for a while – doesn’t that month in Florida sound nice? – see if you can shut the water main completely. Frozen pipes would be even more disastrous if you weren’t around to notice. And if the unexpected still happens, restoration companies have your back, and so does iCan. We’re here for you!
