Winter is coming to the Tri-State, and frozen pipes are one of the most common causes of water damage we see each year. Water expands as it freezes, and that puts enough pressure on a pipe, metal or plastic, to break it. The pipes most likely to freeze are the ones in unheated spaces like crawlspaces, basements, attics and garages, pipes along outside walls with little insulation, and outdoor hose spigots.
The good news: you can prevent most of it in one of two ways. Keep the heat on, or winterize the property.
Option 1: Keep the heat on
The American Red Cross recommends keeping your thermostat at the same temperature day and night during cold weather, and if you're going away, leaving the heat on and set no lower than 55°F.
- Check that your thermostat works, and replace its batteries before the first cold snap.
- Have your furnace cleaned and inspected every year, and keep enough propane, oil or other fuel on hand.
- On very cold nights, open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors under sinks so warm air reaches the pipes. Move cleaners and chemicals out of children's reach first.
- Let a small trickle of cold water run from faucets served by exposed pipes when it's very cold outside. Running water, even at a trickle, helps keep pipes from freezing.
- Keep garage doors closed if water lines run through the garage.
- If you'll be gone, ask someone to check the property every day or two. A thermostat that sends low-temperature alerts to your phone also helps.
Option 2: Winterize the property
If a home, rental or business will sit empty or unheated over the winter, shut off the water and drain the system:
- Shut off the main water valve.
- Open the faucets, inside and out, so the lines drain.
- Flush the toilets to empty the tanks.
Water heaters, toilets and drain traps need extra steps to winterize properly, so it's worth having a plumber do the job.
Whichever option you choose, also:
- remove and drain garden hoses, close the inside valves that feed outdoor spigots, and open the spigots outside so they drain
- insulate pipes in attics, basements, crawlspaces and garages, for example with foam pipe sleeves
- caulk and seal gaps and drafts where pipes run through outside walls
Why this matters for your insurance
Freeze coverage typically requires the property to be heated or weatherized. Standard homeowners policies generally don't cover frozen-pipe damage unless you took reasonable care to either keep the heat on or shut off the water and drain the system.
In other words, if a pipe bursts in a cold house that wasn't heated or winterized, your claim may be denied. Every policy is different, and only your insurance company can tell you what yours covers, so ask your agent what your policy requires before you leave a property empty this winter.
If you have a leak
There's good news here too. A burst supply line is usually clean water, so if we get there quickly, we can typically dry your home in place and restore it fast, often without tearing out floors or walls. The longer the water sits, though, the further it spreads into floors and walls. The EPA advises drying water-damaged areas within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth. Speed makes the biggest difference. We follow the ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration as closely as possible.
- Shut off the main water valve right away. Then open a faucet on the lowest floor to drain the water left in the lines.
- Stay safe. If water is near outlets, appliances or your electrical panel, turn off power to the area only if you can reach the breaker while standing somewhere dry. Otherwise, stay out of the water.
- Call us at (606) 547-3303, 24/7. The sooner we start extracting the water and drying the structure, the less has to be torn out and the lower the risk of mold.
- Take photos and video of the damage and the broken pipe before you move anything. We'll also document everything we find and do while we're there.
- Move what you can out of the water: furniture, rugs, electronics and important papers.
- Call your insurance company to report the damage.
- Have a plumber repair the pipe. If you need one, we can help coordinate.
Before the first hard freeze: find your main water shut-off valve and make sure it turns. When a pipe bursts, you don't want to be looking for it.
Sources
- American Red Cross: Preventing & Thawing Frozen Pipes (opens in a new tab)
- NAIC: Will My Homeowners Insurance Policy Cover Water Damage From a Burst Pipe? (opens in a new tab)
- Maryland Insurance Administration: Frozen Pipes (opens in a new tab)
- NFPA: Heating Safety tip sheet (opens in a new tab) (yearly heating equipment inspection)
- EPA: A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home (opens in a new tab)
- IICRC: ANSI/IICRC S500 Standard for Professional Water Damage Restoration (opens in a new tab)