The pipes in your Denver, CO, residence have the potential to freeze when temperatures outside start to plummet in the wintertime. Other plumbing disasters are common in the winter months, too, such as clogged outdoor drains, water heater problems, and sump pump backups. Let’s look at some tips for how to safely thaw frozen pipes in your home as well as ways you can prevent other winter plumbing disasters.
What Causes Frozen Pipes?
When temperatures around your pipes start to decrease during the winter, this can cause water inside the pipes to freeze. It doesn’t have to be incredibly cold for this to happen. Furthermore, if water isn’t moving frequently, standing water in your pipes can quickly start to solidify. In general, we recommend that you keep your home above 55 degrees Fahrenheit if you’re going to be away for an extended period. If you’re home, 68 degrees Fahrenheit is an optimal setting that keeps you comfortable and safe while also protecting your plumbing system. Another way to ensure your pipes don’t freeze during the winter months is to open each faucet slightly so that it drips water every few seconds.
Having a frozen pipe in your home can be dangerous. Not only does it potentially disrupt the flow of water to the fixtures in your residence, but there is the potential for your pipe to burst. When water freezes, it expands. This can put pressure on the interior of your pipes. If the pressure has nowhere to go, you can experience small cracks or a catastrophic break in your plumbing, making preparation to prevent freezing an essential plumbing maintenance step each winter.
Safely Thawing Frozen Pipes
It can be difficult to find the spot in your plumbing system that is frozen. If you’ve managed to do so, take the necessary steps to slowly thaw the pipe. Don’t move too quickly, as this can cause damage to your pipe.
Heat Tape or Heating Cables
If you can get to your local hardware store, purchase heat tape or heating cables to thaw your pipe. These tools deliver low levels of heat to help thaw ice slowly. This is the tool that most professionals will use to thaw frozen pipes at a client’s residence.
Warm, Wet Towels
You can soak towels in warm water and then wrap them around your affected pipes. You may need to soak the towels repeatedly a few times as they lose heat. Make sure you’re careful of the placement of your towels. If they are very wet and start to drip on other surfaces, you could be left with a secondary mess.
Using a Space Heater
If you have a space heater on hand, plug it in and turn it on its lowest heat setting. Set the space heater up so that it’s blowing warm air onto the frozen pipe. You can use the oscillating feature on your space heater to warm the general area and prevent the pipe from thawing too quickly.
Using a Heating Pad
The same heating pad that you use when your back hurts can be wrapped around a pipe to gently thaw any ice that’s present. Check the surface of the pipe frequently to ensure it’s not getting too hot.
Hair Dryer
Use a hair dryer to direct warm air over any pipes that you believe may be frozen. This is a beneficial option because you can control the direction of the warm air and how hot it is.
If you have pipes that are frozen within a wall or in an area that’s out of reach, you’ll need to reach out to our team for assistance. There are still ways that we can thaw your pipes without risking water damage or the pipe breaking.
Other Winter Plumbing Disasters
There are other types of plumbing disasters that can occur during the winter months in Denver.
Frozen Outdoor Drains
Water can freeze inside any drains that you have on the exterior of your property. This can also occur in drains that are in your basement. Because the ground is so cold, it doesn’t take long for ice to form. This can prevent a proper flow of water, leading to a dangerous backup of water. Backflow issues can also occur, which can be dangerous to your safety.
You should ensure that your drains are regularly cleaned, especially prior to the start of winter. Make sure no debris accumulates over the top of your drain covers.
Clogged Drains in the Home
You’re likely to use your plumbing system a bit more than usual if you’ve been stuck inside during the winter months and throughout the holidays. This can lead to your drains clogging, especially if you’ve been putting things down your drains that shouldn’t be there. This can include grease, oils, and food scraps.
You can have our team routinely clean your drains to prevent a plumbing disaster, such as your drains backing up or a pipe bursting. This is a routine service that should be performed annually along with an inspection. Grease and other materials in pipes can expand, worsening clogs and damaging pipes, which is why poorly-maintained pipes are more likely to need plumbing repair.
We advise that you don’t use chemical drain cleaning products to remove clogs. While many of these products have the potential to work, they contain harsh chemicals that can cause plumbing damage. Also, these products are harmful to your health if you breathe them in or touch them.
Sump Pump Backups
It’s likely that your sump pump is being used a lot more during the winter. This is because of the cycle of snow falling and thawing frequently. We recommend that you have your sump pump professionally inspected yearly to spot any potential problems. After all, your sump pump malfunctioning can lead to some devastating home damage.
You can invest in a backup sump pump or backup battery if you’re concerned about losing the function of this equipment. If the power goes out or something is wrong with your primary pump, backup equipment can take over.
Basement Flooding
If you have various cracks and gaps in your foundation or have damage to your gutters and downspouts, this can direct water into your basement. If there has recently been a large snowfall and it starts to thaw quickly, you could be faced with a basement disaster that damages your personal belongings and the structure of your home. This can quickly allow mold and mildew to grow and spread. Make sure your roof and gutters are clean and are in good condition. You should also seal up any cracks or gaps in your foundation before winter arrives.
How We Can Help
If you need plumbing assistance this winter in your Denver home, reach out to our team at High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for assistance. In addition to plumbing services like maintenance and repairs, we also offer HVAC repair, installation, and maintenance, indoor air quality services, ductwork installation, duct sealing, and heat pump assistance. Our electrical services include repairs, new wiring installation, breaker panel work, lighting and fan installation, and much more.
For assistance with frozen pipes and other plumbing issues this winter, contact High 5 Plumbing, Heating & Cooling in Denver today.
