If Nashville has an especially cold winter, pipes and water lines in your home can freeze. When this happens, your property is vulnerable to significant damage.
Steps To Try First When Pipes May Be Frozen
Fortunately, there are a few DIY steps you can try before calling in a professional. If you think your pipes are frozen, you can do the following to help thaw them slowly:
- Use a hairdryer to get close to and warm up the pipes
- Turn on a space heater to warm the area where exposed pipes can be seen
- Increase the temperature on your thermostat to warm the pipes that are not exposed
If these DIY tips don’t do the trick, call a plumber! A burst water pipe is the next big risk, and it could cause major water damage to your home or property. If you suspect your pipes are frozen or if a pipe bursts in your home or business, you may need a plumber.
Preventing Frozen Water Pipes
Here are a few tips to help prevent frozen water pipes in your Nashville home or property:
- Make sure the area where the water lines come in is warm and insulated
- Set your thermostat to at least 55 degrees in the colder months
- Insulate your plumbing – especially exposed pipes on exterior walls
- Remove any hoses or connections to your outside water faucets to prevent expansion and damage of the pipes connected to them
Pipe Damage: What To Do When Your Pipes Burst
The unfortunate reality is that sometimes frozen pipes lead to damage and may require repair or replacement. If you’re unable to prevent your pipes from freezing and experience a pipe burst, call Hoffmann Brothers to help with the repairs. To learn more, visit our Nashville Water Pipe Repair and Replacement page.
FAQs About Repairing Frozen Pipes
If you are experiencing low water flow or the toilet not refilling, look carefully at your pipes for signs of freezing like frost or pipe bulging. If frozen, you can try slowly thawing the pipe. If safety becomes an issue or your pipes have already burst, call Nashville’s water piping experts.
Pressure building up between the frozen water and closed tap can cause a pipe leak, or pipe burst, if left too long. Quickly take action and follow these steps to thaw a frozen pipe:
- Shut off the water supply to the frozen pipe(s)
- Turn faucets on to get water moving and release built up pressure
- Raise your home’s temperature
- Apply additional heat directly to the frozen section with a space heater, hair dryer, hot towel, or heating pad to defrost the pipe and restore water pressure
Pipes are particularly vulnerable to freezing when temperatures dip below 20 ℉. Here’s how to prepare your pipes for sub zero temperatures:
- Set the thermostat no lower than 55, raise to 70 ℉ in extremely cold conditions
- Add pipe sleeves, heat tape, cables, or even newspaper to insulate pipes
- Seal openings in the attic, basement and crawl spaces of your home
- Close the garage to keep heat in
- Let faucets drip during colder nights
- Open doors to cabinets so heated air can reach hidden pipes
- Turn off any outside faucets and disconnect the garden hose from its spigot