How To Tell if Your Pipes Are Frozen
When temperatures plunge into the single digits and weather is impacting the lives of residents across the Atlanta area, it’s clear that our winters are becoming anything but routine. In fact, the distortion of the “polar vortex” in arctic regions has introduced record-low temperatures for people across the region in recent years. Standard winterization procedures may not be sufficient, as temperatures in the teens continue to be reported in the Atlanta Area.
In case you need to deal with frozen pipes during this frigid winter, here is some emergency winterization help for your home.
How to Tell if Your Pipes Are Frozen
When you turn open your faucets and find there is no water coming through the pipes, you may have a deep freeze on your hands already. Knowing where the different shutoff valves for your water supply are located will give you the ability to respond quickly.
Leaving on your outdoor water system (for watering the lawn and landscaping) throughout the winter is a bad idea. If your outside hose has stopped running when open, the pipes supplying water to an exterior irrigation system are likely frozen.
How to Address Frozen Pipes
The volume of water increases as it becomes colder. At the first sign your pipes have frozen, turn on all faucets to allow a release of the pressure from the increased volume. If the pipes in question are in a garage that is typically unheated, turn up the thermostat so you can begin the thawing process.
The old method of using a blowtorch to thaw pipes should not be attempted, as it usually results in damaging the pipe. You risk starting fires in your home, as well. Instead, use a hair dryer set at a medium heat to release some of the pressure. If the house’s faucets are open, you’ll notice a trickle of water beginning to come out. This sign proves the thaw is working.
Dealing With Leaks Once Pipes Thaw
When an extreme cold front passes and your pipes thaw enough to allow for inspection, it’s time to contact a plumber to check on potential leaks in your plumbing. Frozen pipes often end up with cracks of varying sizes.
No matter how small the crack is in different pipes, leaks will cause your water bill to mount while presenting dangers to the stability of your home’s foundation. In addition, leaks can increase dampness levels in the home, which can present difficulties to anyone in your family with respiratory issues.
Homeowners hoping to identify and address leaks with the naked eye may learn the hard way that some damaging leaks cannot be seen. Plumbing professionals will bring leak detection equipment to your home that can project beyond walls to root out the source of any problem. The equipment relies on sophisticated sensors to do what humans cannot.
Reliable Heating & Air’s plumbers have the experience necessary to address frozen pipes during this extreme winter. Find out how we can get your home back into working order following a deep freeze. Before the next cold front hits from a distorted polar vortex, prepare your home for the worst.