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As the chill of winter settles over Colorado Springs and El Paso County, the comfort of reliable warmth inside your home becomes paramount. But beyond just your furnace, one of the biggest winter threats to your home's infrastructure is frozen pipes. A burst pipe can lead to devastating water damage, expensive repairs, and a major headache.
At Wild Water, we believe that slow is smooth, and smooth is fast—especially when it comes to preventing these kinds of plumbing emergencies. Our methodical approach to service extends to helping our community prepare. Here are our expert tips for keeping your pipes safe, sound, and flowing freely all winter long.
Preparation is Key: Winterizing Your Plumbing
Taking preventative steps before the deep freeze hits is the most effective way to avoid a crisis. A small investment of time now can save you thousands later.
Identify and Insulate Vulnerable Pipes
The pipes most likely to freeze are those located in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, garages, and attics, as well as pipes running along exterior walls.
Insulation: The easiest and most critical step is to apply pipe insulation. You can find pre-formed foam pipe sleeves at any hardware store. They are affordable and easy to install.
Heat Tape: For particularly exposed pipes, like those in a crawl space, consider using thermostatically controlled electric heat tape. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully for safe application.
Protect Your Outdoor Plumbing
Hoses and outdoor faucets (called hose bibs or spigots) are directly exposed to the cold and are common trouble spots.
Disconnect Hoses: Always disconnect all garden hoses from outdoor faucets. If a hose remains attached, water trapped inside it can freeze and back up into the pipe, causing the faucet or pipe to burst.
Drain Faucets: After disconnecting the hoses, turn off the water supply to the outdoor faucets (usually via a separate shut-off valve inside your home) and then open the exterior faucet to drain any remaining water. If you don't have interior shut-off valves, consider installing "frost-free" hose bibs.
During the Freeze: Maintaining Flow
When temperatures plummet dramatically, you need to take active steps to maintain a continuous, slight flow of water through your pipes.
Let Faucets Drip
If the temperature is expected to drop below freezing overnight, consider leaving a faucet slightly turned on, allowing a slow, steady drip of water. Moving water is much less likely to freeze than stagnant water.
Choose the Right Faucet: Use a faucet that is served by pipes most likely to freeze (like one on an exterior wall).
The Power of a Drip: Even a trickle relieves pressure in the pipe. If freezing occurs, the expanding ice can move toward the drip, preventing the pressure from building up and causing a rupture.
Keep Garage and Cabinet Doors Open
When extremely cold temperatures are forecasted, make sure to take steps to warm up the air around the pipes.
Warm Air Access: If you have water supply lines in your garage, keep the garage door closed. Inside the house, open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls to allow warmer room air to circulate around the plumbing.
If a Pipe Still Freezes
Despite your best efforts, a pipe may still freeze. If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle or no water comes out, you likely have a frozen pipe.
Locate and Thaw Safely
First, keep the affected faucet open. As the pipe thaws, the running water will help melt the remaining ice. Next, try to locate the frozen section. Never use a torch or open flame to thaw a pipe, as this is a serious fire hazard and could damage the pipe.
Safe Thawing Methods: Use a hairdryer, a heat lamp, an electric heating pad, or towels soaked in hot water wrapped around the pipe. Apply heat gently and consistently until full water pressure returns.
If you cannot locate the frozen section, cannot safely reach it, or if a pipe has already burst, turn off your main water supply immediately to prevent flooding. This is the moment to reach out to the methodical, highly skilled team at Wild Water. We offer fast, reliable plumbing solutions when you need them most. Don't let a winter plumbing emergency catch you off guard. For expert assistance or more winterizing advice, please contact us at (719) 789-6937.