Snow-covered winter weather offers things like sledding down the highest hill or snowball fights in the front yard. That being said, winter weather can be difficult on your home. Severely cold conditions can cause the water lines in your home to freeze and burst, which can result in significant water damage and enduring negative effects.

When your pipes are frozen solid, you should hire a plumber in McKinney and Frisco to resolve the issue. That being said, there’s a lot you can try to stop this from happening – and even just a bit of prevention can go a long way.

What Pipes Are at a Higher Chance of Freezing

The pipes at the greatest risk of freezing are uninsulated water lines. Prevalent locations for uninsulated pipes are inside attic crawlspaces, near exterior walls, in the basement or even running under a modular home. Water lines that are not properly insulated are at the greatest risk.

How to Prevent Pipes from Becoming Frozen in Your Home

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

Be careful not to wrap up other flammable insulation materials where they may light on fire. If you don’t feel comfortable insulating the pipes on your own, get in touch with your local plumbing services professional in McKinney and Frisco to get the job done right.

If you do choose to insulate the pipes yourself, good insulation materials for pipes include:

  • Wraps or roll insulation: Multiple plumbers, hardware stores and national retailers offer insulation – typically fiberglass, foam wraps or pipe sleeves – that you can use to cover or fit around your pipes. They are offered in numerous 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, try wrapping uninsulated pipes in this.
  • Towels or rags: If you aren’t able to add insulation and don’t have any newspaper close by, wrapping especially vulnerable pipes with towels or clean rags as a final effort could be just enough to keep the cold air off the pipes.

Another preventative step you can attempt to keep pipes from freezing in your home is to seal up any cracks that can permit cold air into your home. Pay close attention to window frames, which can let in surprisingly intense drafts. Not only should this help to stop 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 under the sinks and other spaces of your home with pipes will enable more warm air from the rest of the room to flow near the pipes.
  • Letting water drip. Keeping the water flowing by letting your faucets drip even just a bit can help prevent frozen pipes.
  • Open interior doors. By opening doors for rooms or hallways, your home can be heated more evenly. This is particularly important if you struggle with 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 shut – namely if your water lines run through the garage.
  • Keep the heat steady. Experts encourage setting the thermostat at a persistent temperature and leaving it in place, rather than letting it get colder at night. Set it no lower than 55 degrees.

How to Stop Pipes from Freezing in a Vacant Home

When you’re inside a house, it’s easier to recognize when something goes wrong. But what added steps can you take to stop pipes from freezing in an unused home or vacation home when the damages from a frozen pipe can remain unnoticed for days or even weeks?

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

Extra Steps to Keep Pipes from Freezing in an Empty Home:

  1. Leave the heat on. Even though you won’t always be home, it’s best to keep the heat on – even if you adjust the thermostat down lower than you would if you were there. As with a primary house, experts suggest keeping the temperature at no cooler than 55 degrees.
  2. Shut water off and drain the lines. If you’re going to be away for several weeks or are winterizing a seasonal cabin or cottage, switching the water off to the house and draining the water out of the water lines is one way to keep pipes from freezing and bursting open. Don’t forget to clear the water out of any appliances, like the hot water heater, or the toilets. See to it that you get all the water from the system. If you are not sure of how to drain the water from the pipes, or don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, a plumber in McKinney and Frisco will be delighted to help.