Freezing temperatures are nothing new in New Hampshire throughout the winter, and with them comes one of the most prevalent and possibly dangerous home issues: frozen pipes.
As a Merrimack-based plumbing and heating service company, we have direct experience with how frozen pipes, if left unattended, may result in expensive repairs and serious water damage. Let’s examine the reasons for frozen pipes, the importance of calling a professional right away, and how we can assist in safeguarding your house.
What Leads to Pipe Freezing?
When water inside pipes is subjected to freezing conditions, usually below 32°F, frozen pipes result. The primary contributing components are as follows:
- Insufficient Insulation: Uninsulated pipes are more likely to freeze, particularly in unheated places like crawl spaces, basements, attics, or garages.
- Abrupt Temperature decreases: Before the system has a chance to stabilize, water within the pipes may freeze due to abrupt temperature decreases.
- Poor Home Heating: Pipe regions may get so cold that freezing may occur if your home’s heating system isn’t working properly.
- Absence of Water Movement: Compared to moving water, stagnant water in the pipes has a higher chance of freezing. For this reason, during periods of extreme cold, dripping faucets are frequently advised.
Risks Associated with Frozen Pipes
More than just a nuisance, frozen pipes can have serious repercussions.
- Pipe Bursting: Water expands when it freezes. The pipes are under pressure from this expansion, which frequently results in cracks or bursts. Your house may flood due to a burst pipe, resulting in significant water damage.
- Water Damage: Burst pipes can produce leaks that destroy walls, flooring, insulation, and personal property, necessitating expensive repairs.
- Loss of Water Access: Your home’s water supply may be interrupted by frozen pipes, depriving you of water for necessary activities.
Reasons to Get in Touch with a Professional Right Away
Even while some homeowners might try do-it-yourself methods to defrost frozen pipes, hiring a professional is always preferable. This is the reason:
- Precise Diagnosis: A skilled plumber can rapidly determine which pipes are frozen and whether they could burst.
- Safe Thawing Techniques: Using an open flame or too much heat during the thawing process can harm the pipes or possibly cause a fire. To properly defrost pipelines, professionals employ specialized equipment.
- Preventative Measures: In addition to resolving the current problem, a specialist can suggest and carry out preventative measures, like better insulation or pipe rerouting, to avert further issues.
- Minimized Damage: By acting quickly, a professional can lower the likelihood of significant water damage, thus saving you time and money.
How We Can Assist
Our specialty at JMS Plumbing & Heating is offering complete heating and plumbing services that are suited to the particular requirements of residents in New Hampshire. What we can accomplish is as follows:
- Emergency Services: To minimize damage to your house, we provide 24/7 emergency help to fix frozen or burst pipes right away.
- Pipe Thawing: To defrost frozen pipes without causing more damage, our professionals employ safe and efficient methods.
- Insulation Upgrades: To stop freezing in the future, we can upgrade or add insulation around pipes that are susceptible.
- System Inspections: To make sure your heating and plumbing systems are ready for severe weather and are functioning effectively, our staff will inspect them.
- Winterization Services: We provide winterization services to safeguard your pipes whether you’re getting ready for winter or are leaving your house empty.
Tips for Homeowners to Prevent
Although expert assistance is necessary for frozen pipes, you can lower the danger by doing the following:
- Use foam pipe insulation to insulate pipes located in unheated locations.
- Even when you’re not there, make sure your thermostat is set at a constant temperature.
- To keep water flowing during periods of extreme cold, let faucets drip.
- To stop cold air from getting to pipes, seal wall cracks and gaps.
- To let warm air flow around pipes, open cabinet doors.
Avoid Waiting Till It’s Too Late.
If not properly handled, frozen pipes can quickly become a significant problem.
Contact our team right now if you think a pipe in your house is frozen or if you wish to take precautions. Our skilled staff is ready to safeguard your house and ensure your heating and plumbing systems are equipped to endure the severe winters in New Hampshire.
Is your home experiencing frozen pipes? Avoid costly damages by contacting our team!