Tips to Prevent Frozen and Burst Pipes
I want to share some tips that will help you save money. As you probably have noticed, the weather in Louisville, KY, fluctuates, and in a few days, temperatures may drop significantly, causing water lines to freeze. Keeping your water lines from freezing and bursting is not easy, but here are some tips to help you avoid a water damage restoration situation.
- First, go down to your basement and locate the main valve that turns off the water supply to your outside faucets. The reason for this is that when your faucet and pipe freeze, the ice can continue running inside, causing more significant damage. By turning off the water supply, there is no water to freeze and swell up, reducing the risk of bursting pipes.
Frozen water lines in spring are a major cause of water damage in Louisville, KY. If you don’t want to make a water claim on your home insurance policy, you may want to follow these tips.
- Second, install a faucet cover on your outside faucets. These covers can be found at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon, and other stores. Putting on the cover is very simple. Inside the cover, you will find a plastic line going through the cover with a loop that goes onto the faucet.
Attach the cover and pull it tight from the outside. The cover helps keep the cool wind away from your water line. While this cover works well, remember that if temperatures drop very low, there is still a chance your faucet could freeze.
For better application and tips, consider calling your local plumber. Despite this disclaimer, I highly recommend using these covers, as I use them at home to avoid dealing with water damage restoration issues and potential water damage claims.
- Third, insulate your water lines with foam. You can find this foam at the same places as faucet covers: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon. This foam, designed to prevent condensation, works excellently to prevent pipes from freezing.
In my experience, using this insulation foam is necessary, especially if you cannot turn off the water supply. Installing this foam is easy; it’s already pre-cut and slides on easily. The challenging part is insulating water lines in a crawl space, which can be messy. If you prefer not to handle this yourself, call your local plumber.
Conclusion
As a homeowner or business owner, you are responsible for the maintenance of your property. The most common cause of water damage claims in spring here in Louisville is burst water lines. To prevent this from happening, follow these steps:
1. Turn off the water valve that feeds water to your outside faucets.
2. Install faucet covers on your faucets.
3. Insulate your water lines with foam.
If you prefer not to deal with this yourself, call a plumber for assistance. If you experience a water damage situation in Louisville and need help, please don’t hesitate to call Rodriguez Cleaning & Restoration at 502-365-6779.
Rodriguez Cleaning & Restoration is known for professional carpet cleaning and area rug cleaning in Louisville, but our technicians are also certified in water damage. We have the latest equipment and tools to assist you with any water damage you may have. Hopefully, these tips will prevent you from needing our services. Good luck!
