Tips to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing when Cold Temperatures Arrive in Ocean County

10/29/2021 (Permalink)

What do you do after the plumber has repaired your burst pipe? Call SERVPRO of Toms River for all your water damage cleanup needs.

As the Jersey Shore heads into it’s winter season, now is a good time to start planning ahead to avoid one of winter's most unwanted experiences: frozen pipes.

Some homes and business have pipes that are in danger of freezing. In fact, burst pipes are one of the most common causes of property damage during frigid weather and can cause thousands in water damage.

Before we talk about tips to prevent your pipes from freezing, let's first look at which pipes are most likely to freeze when the weather plummets:

• Pipes that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines.
• Water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets.
• Pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation. 

Now that we know which pipes are at high risk from the cold, follow these simple tips to help prevent frozen pipes:

• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
• When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe, even at a trickle, helps prevent pipes from freezing.
• Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
• 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.

In the event your home or business does experience a frozen pipe, here are a few things to do while waiting for the cleanup process to begin:

• Turn the main water off to the property.
• Shut off power main if the is a chance water came in contact with anything electrical.
• Find the damaged pipe and repair yourself or call a licensed plumber to help.

• Check with your agent or insurance company so you will be sure what your policy covers.
• Document the damaged articles and take photos.

• If your home sustains water damage, it is important to make sure that it is properly dried and repaired to prevent any potential problem with mold. 

In the event of property damage from a frozen or burst pipe, you may need professional help to make repairs, clean up the water, and prevent any mold from creeping up in the affected area of your home. Don’t just call any water damage service, call SERVPRO of Toms River, your local, water damage clean-up specialists. With over 20 years of service in our community, we have the experience, expertise and knowledge to make the repairs to your home and business “Like it never even happened.”