Baby, It’s Cold Outside—Protect Your Pipes!

9 Tips to Keep Your Plumbing From Freezing

Brrrr! If you haven’t noticed, January is the coldest month in the Detroit area. Across the state, the average temperatures range from 30 degrees during the day and 15 degrees at night.

This got us thinking about something that keeps the team at Matheson hopping in January—frozen pipes. That’s right! If you don’t take the right steps to protect your home’s plumbing system, your pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting when temperatures dip below 32 degrees.

9 Ways to Prevent Pipes From Freezing

1. Make sure your thermostats are set to at least 55 degrees.
2. Identify the farthest faucet from your main valve and allow it to drip cold water. Moving water prevents pipes from freezing.
3. In areas without heat, make sure the pipes are insulated.
4. Close inside valves that control the water supply.
5. Open cupboards and vanities to warm the pipes inside or behind them.
6. Open outside spigots and drain out water.
7. Keep outside valves open so any remaining water can expand without causing a break if it turns to ice.
8. Make sure you know where the shut-off valves are so you can get to them quickly in an emergency.
9. When there’s freezing weather in the forecast, turn off the water to outside spigots and drain all of the water from the line.

Uh-oh! It’s happened despite your best efforts. Let us help you handle those frozen pipes without causing a major disaster.

No Water? Here’s What to Do

1. Find out if your neighbors are experiencing the same problem. If so, the cause is probably a main water line break. In this case, contact the water company immediately. If the neighbors aren’t affected, you probably have frozen pipes. If you don’t feel comfortable handling this problem on your own, the team at Matheson can help.
2. Either way, go to the main shut-off valve and turn off your water. If you don’t know where it is, look for the main valve where the water supply enters your house. It’s usually in the basement or in a concrete box near the street. If it’s outside, use a screwdriver to lift the cover. To turn the water off, use a pipe or crescent wrench.
   Bonus tip: To make sure you can find the valve in the dark, label it with fluorescent paint or tape.
3. Turn on the faucet so water will flow through the pipe once the frozen section melts. This helps melt even more of the ice.
4. Use your hair dryer to heat up the frozen pipe.
5. Once the pipe thaws, slowly turn your water back on.
6. Check for leaks or cracks in all of your pipes. If you notice leaks or pools of water, it means a burst or crack occurred because of the frozen pipe.
7. If you can’t find or reach the frozen section, call Matheson. We’ll be happy to help!

At Matheson, our trained and experienced plumbers have been handling tricky plumbing problems since 1946. We’re also the high-flying aces you can rely on for your heating, indoor air quality and cooling needs. Contact us online or call 248.363.4154 to schedule an appointment today!