01/03/2025
Prepare for Other Cold Weather Risks
Extreme cold can also exacerbate other winter hazards like snow and ice.
Preparing your home or business for winter can help mitigate these risks.
Freezing temperatures can also cause power outages for hours or even a day (or more). Follow these guidelines if you lose power to help you stay more comfortable and safe during an outage.
Proactive risk management and advance preparations can help you prevent property damage from freezing temperatures.
HOW TO HELP PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY FROM EXTREME COLD
A cold snap or arctic freeze can knock out power stations, slow business and travel to a crawl, and freeze pipes. If you expect extremely cold weather —such as from a polar vortex— to impact your area, take immediate precautions to help prepare your home or business for the risk of frozen pipes.
Follow guidelines from local authorities if you receive a severe cold weather warning.
Tips to Help Prevent Burst Pipes Due to Water Freezing
Tips to Help Prevent Frozen Pipes at Home
- Set your thermostat to at least 60°F at all times
- Open cabinet doors where piping is present, such as in the bathroom and kitchen
- Keep your attic door/hatch open if water filled pipes are present in the attic
- Let water drip from all faucets during extreme cold
- Ensure all water filled pipes are well insulated to reduce the risk of freezing
How to Reduce Your Businesses Risk from Frozen Pipes
- Keep your heat set to at least 60°F in areas where pipes with water are present.
- Monitor building power and have a plan to maintain temperatures in case of power failure.
- Have a trained professional regularly inspect, maintain, and test plumbing and fire sprinkler systems, and consider installing water detection sensors for added protection.
- If you have a central station monitored water flow alarm, confirm it is working for your fire sprinkler system. Check that dry pipe fire protection sprinkler systems have not taken on water.
- Designate and educate staff to safely shut down your building’s water supply when necessary. Be sure designated staff have access to the required valves.
- Check your building’s heat and water periodically if your business is closed or unoccupied, especially during weekends and extended holidays.
If pipes in your home or business freeze, don’t panic.
Turn off the water supply, and follow these guidelines to thaw frozen pipes.
Call a professional for help if you cannot find or reach the frozen areas.
How to Thaw Frozen Pipes
The easiest way to deal with frozen pipes is to avoid them in the first place. But when the temperature plummets, pipes can freeze – and a homeowner, property owner or business owner then has an urgent need to thaw the pipes to get water flowing again.
In many cases, a frozen pipe may be nothing more than a minor inconvenience. But if not properly taken care of, a frozen pipe could lead to serious property damage. Note that it is normally during the thawing process that real issues become evident.
What Not to Do
Possibly more important than knowing how to unfreeze your pipes is knowing what not to do when they freeze. You shouldn't use any device with an open flame, such as a torch, kerosene or propane heater, or charcoal stove, to thaw your pipes. These devices can present a serious fire hazard.
You should also avoid using a heat gun on the piping in your home or business. Common heat guns can reach a temperature of 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (593 degrees Celsius). This is more than sufficient to accidentally start a fire with surrounding building materials. It also far exceeds the melting point of any PVC piping in homes or commercial buildings.
What to Do
The first step you should take if you suspect you have frozen pipes is to turn off the water supply to that section of plumbing or to your building. That will relieve water pressure from your home/commercial building’s water supply lines.
You can always call a professional plumber. Plumbers are trained, experienced and have the proper equipment to solve a frozen pipe issue in your home and business. They can also perform a needed repair and help prevent the freeze from reoccurring.
Opening a faucet will help to relieve water pressure on the lines. And it will allow you to know when you have water flowing again. The majority of water damage resulting from frozen pipes is caused by pipes bursting from the rise in water pressure that occurs as ice advances up the pipe. This is the actual reason for leaving a faucet open in cold weather. Flowing water can still freeze, but an open faucet will allow pressure to escape.
In most cases, you will find frozen pipes along exterior walls or where piping is exposed to cold air infiltrating through cracks or openings. Look for areas where pipes appear swollen or there is frost evident. If a pipe is behind a wall or otherwise cannot be seen, you might need to turn up the heat in the building and wait for the pipe to thaw. You might need to cut out (or have a professional cut out) a section of a wall or ceiling to get access to a frozen pipe.
One way to thaw frozen pipes is to heat the ambient air in the area and wait. Space heaters, such as the infrared type, are effective for this. But be cautious - electrical appliances should not be left unattended if there is the possibility of fire or coming in contact with water.
Using a hairdryer will supply enough heat to thaw a frozen pipe. Don’t leave a hairdryer unattended, instead, hold it in your hand and direct the warm air toward the frozen pipe. A heating pad can be used if the area is accessible and small. If there is no electrical outlet available, then the pipes can be wrapped in cloth and hot water applied. Regardless of the method you choose, have a mop handy in case any leaks develop.
If you are unable to find where your pipes have frozen or if there is visible damage to them, it is time to call in a plumbing professional.
