Frozen pipes are an unfortunately common occurrence during the winter, especially around our parts. And they can cause quite a bit of damage if they’re not dealt with. This is because as water in the pipes freezes, it expands and puts pressure on the walls of the pipe.

As you can imagine, this can cause openings for leaks, and even ruptured plumbing. To protect your pipes from freezing in this manner, there are a few steps you can take. Read on to learn more, and contact our team for Thornton, CO plumbing services, if you do end up with damaged plumbing, or if you need more information!

Open the Faucets

Your pipes that are most vulnerable to freezing are going to be the ones outside your home. If you have any outdoor faucets that you use for sprinklers or hoses, be sure to turn off water flow to these points. Then, open the faucets, draining any water that’s left, and leave them open. You might also consider picking up insulated caps for your hose and faucet openings.

Disconnect Any Hoses

Disconnect any hoses you used outside during the summer before temperatures dip too low. Be sure that like your outdoor faucets, you let them drain.

Insulate Your Pipes

There are other pipes you use in your home that are sensitive to freezing temperatures, but have to remain in use—in other words, you can’t just open the faucets and shut off the water supply. This usually includes pipes that are under the sink, in crawl spaces, or in basements.

In order to protect these pipes from freezing, the easiest thing for you to do is get some pipe insulating sleeves from your nearest hardware store. This will help keep the temperature of the water in the pipes from dropping too low. You can accomplish this with towels, too, if you’d rather go that route. The most important factor is that you try to keep the pipes as warm and insulated as possible.

Keep Cabinets Open

You may be scratching your head with this one—but think about it. Plumbing fixtures in bathrooms and kitchens are often under sinks, and run behind the walls that lead outdoors—making these pipes susceptible to freezing. However, if you leave the cabinets where these plumbing fixtures exist open, then the warmth from your heating system will reach them, and they may be less likely to freeze.

What if My Pipes Freeze Anyway?

What if you take all of the proper precautions, and end up with frozen pipes anyway? If this happens, it’s very important that you contact our professional plumbers to handle the problem. Attempting to unfreeze the pipes on your own can cause more harm than good to your plumbing system. Additionally, it can cause injury—keep in mind that pipes can burst as they thaw, due to the pressure build-up in the rest of the pipe.

Contact Aurora Plumbing Company for whatever your plumbing needs may be.

We have someone in your neighborhood today!