In the colder months of the year, frozen pipes can burst easily and cost you a lot of money. A small amount of ice can tear open water pipes in an instant. Often the real damage comes from the amount of damage caused by leaking water. This can run into the thousands of dollars.
What to do?
Prevent pipes from bursting in the first place.
Why do pipes burst in the first place?
Water expands as it turns into ice. The force is extremely powerful. No matter how strong your pipes are that water needs to go somewhere. No pipe can hold the pressure of expanding ice. Expanding water will find the weakest point in your piping.
Signs ice is building up in your pipes.
The first sign ice is building up in your pipes is a drop in faucet pressure. If you notice your faucet flow has reduced during a cold snap, it is strong sign you have ice build up in your pipes.
Immediate and temporary action.
Turn on those taps with reduced flow.
By turning on the taps with reduced flow you allow a number of things to happen. You reduce pressure and the water flow will help to reduce the amount of ice build up.
More permanent solutions.
If you regularly have build up in your water supply, you should look to a more permanent solution. In many cases, you are looking at a major project. The key to reducing cost is to locate the region where most ice occurs. If you can focus on where ice begins you can reduce the amount of work required.
You might need the help of a professional to help you locate cold spots in your home, although, this is a project that most DIYers with a little skill can do. Relocating pipes can be a very expensive job. Thankfully, we have a solution to avoid this in homes where localised cold spots are an issue.
Heating sections of your water pipes.
An electric heat cable is an easy and inexpensive way to deal with the problem of frozen pipes during cold spells. You can turn off the electric heat cable when the temperature rises again. The key to minimising the cost of this project is to isolate the cause and location of icing.
Electric heat cables are available from most hardware stores.
You can talk with Lloyd if you are looking for more information. There's no obligation and he is more than happy to give his advice.
Need more information and have questions? Contact C4U Inspections today
Lloyd doesn't break the rules for anyone and as a leading chief home inspector in BC, that means he follows industry requirements, government regulations and licensing codes of conduct to the letter. Unbiased, ethical and professional home inspection and building consultation services.
Serving the Okanagan Since 2005
