Lots of snow and winter weather offers a fun day sledding down the neighborhood hill or snowball fights in the back yard. However, winter weather can be difficult on your home. Severely cold conditions can encourage the water lines in your home to freeze and burst, which can result in significant water damage and enduring negative effects.

Once your pipes are covered in ice, you may want to hire a plumber in Cottonwood & Verde Valley to handle the problem. However, there’s multiple things you can attempt to prevent this from happening – and even minor prevention can go a long way.

What Pipes Are at Risk of Freezing

The pipes at the greatest risk of freezing are uninsulated water lines. Frequent locations for exposed pipes are in attic crawlspaces, near exterior walls, in the basement or even running beneath a modular home. Water lines that are not appropriately insulated are at the highest risk.

How to Stop Pipes from Becoming Frozen in Your Home

Properly insulating uncovered water lines is a good first step to keeping your pipes ice free. You’ll likely find lots of these materials from your local plumbing company, and might also already have some somewhere in your home.

Be mindful not to wrap other flammable insulation materials where they can catch fire. If you don’t feel confident insulating the pipes by yourself, call your local plumbing services professional in Cottonwood & Verde Valley to handle the job.

If you do decide to insulate the pipes by yourself, good insulation materials for pipes consist of:

  • Wraps or roll insulation: Lots of plumbers, hardware stores and national retailers sell insulation – commonly fiberglass, foam wraps or pipe sleeves – that you can wrap or fit around your pipes. They are sold in different lengths and sizes to satisfy the needs of your home.
  • Newspaper: In a pinch, newspaper can be used for insulation. If the weather is getting colder and you aren’t able to buy insulation soon enough, wrap uninsulated pipes in this.
  • Towels or rags: If you miss the opportunity to add insulation and don’t have any newspaper handy, wrapping particularly vulnerable pipes with towels or clean rags as a final effort may be just enough to keep the cold air from freezing the pipes.

Another preventative step you can try to stop pipes from becoming frozen is to seal up any cracks that can let cold air inside your home. Focus on the window frames, which can allow in surprisingly powerful drafts. Not only will this help to prevent your pipes from freezing, but it will have the added benefit of making your home more energy efficient.

Five More Ways to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing:

  • Open the cabinet doors. Opening the cabinet doors underneath the sinks and other spaces of your home that have pipes will allow more warm air from the rest of the room to reach the pipes.
  • Letting water drip. Keeping a flow of water by letting your faucets move even just a little can help thwart frozen pipes.
  • Open interior doors. By opening doors in rooms or hallways, your home can be heated more consistently. This is especially important if there's a room that is frequently colder or hotter than the rest of the home.
  • Close the garage door. The exception to the open doors advice is the garage door, which you should keep closed – namely if your water lines can be found near or under the garage.
  • Keep the heat flowing. Experts recommend setting the thermostat at a stable temperature and leaving it in place, rather than letting it get colder at night. Set it no cooler than 55 degrees.

How to Stop Pipes from Freezing in an Unused Home

When you’re in your own home, it’s not difficult to know when something goes wrong. But what additional steps can you take to stop pipes from freezing in a vacant home or vacation home when the damages from a frozen pipe might not be discovered for some time?

As with a primary residence, insulating any exposed water lines, opening interior doors in the home and winterizing the vacant home are the best steps to attempt first.

Other Steps to Prevent Pipes from Freezing in an Unused Home:

  1. Leave the heat on. Even though you aren't currently using the home, it’s best to keep the heat on – even if you switch the thermostat down colder than you would if you were there. As with a primary residence, experts suggest keeping the temperature at no lower than 55 degrees.
  2. Shut water off and drain the lines. If you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time or are winterizing a rustic cabin or cottage, switching the water off to the house and draining the water out of the water lines is a good way to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting open. Remember to flush the water out of your appliances, including the hot water heater, and the toilets. Make sure you empty all the water from the plumbing. If you're uncertain of how to clear out the water from the pipes, or don’t feel confident handling it yourself, a plumber in Cottonwood & Verde Valley will be delighted to offer support.