What happens if you have frozen pipes?
What happens if you have frozen pipes?
Frozen pipes, if left alone, can be disastrous. Frozen pipes may burst and flood your home, causing at least $5,000 of water damage, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety and up to $70,000 of water damage according to Costhelper.com.
How do you unfreeze pipes quickly?
Use a space heater, heat lamp, or hair dryer to thaw the frozen length of pipe. Wrapping freezing pipes with thermostatically controlled heat tape (from $50 to $200, depending on length) is also an effective way to quickly thaw a trouble spot. Don’t thaw pipes using a propane torch, which presents a fire risk.
What to do if your water pipes are frozen?
If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F. If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation. Keep the faucet open.
Can a frozen water pipe be a warning sign?
This can serve as a warning sign that the pipe is frozen before you ever try to turn on the faucet. Another sign that you may have a frozen pipe on your hands is a lack of running water.
Which is worse a frozen pipe or a burst pipe?
The only thing worse that a frozen pipe is a frozen pipe that has also burst. As water freezes it expands, meaning an amount of water that would readily glide through your plumbing on a warm day becomes a solid mass of ice that will have your pipes bursting at the seams.
How many insurance claims are caused by frozen pipes?
According to the Insurance Information Institute, “ water damage and freezing” claims account for 23.8 percent of all homeowner insurance claims in the US. The good news is, by keeping an eye out for the warning signs of frozen pipes, you can help protect your family from needless hardship and unwanted expense.
If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F. If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation. Keep the faucet open.
This can serve as a warning sign that the pipe is frozen before you ever try to turn on the faucet. Another sign that you may have a frozen pipe on your hands is a lack of running water.
The only thing worse that a frozen pipe is a frozen pipe that has also burst. As water freezes it expands, meaning an amount of water that would readily glide through your plumbing on a warm day becomes a solid mass of ice that will have your pipes bursting at the seams.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, “ water damage and freezing” claims account for 23.8 percent of all homeowner insurance claims in the US. The good news is, by keeping an eye out for the warning signs of frozen pipes, you can help protect your family from needless hardship and unwanted expense.