Frozen pipes are common during Michigan winters, and they can cause serious issues. Not only will a frozen pipe keep you from using at least one of the faucets in your home, but it can leak or even burst, causing hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of water damage.
Like most problems that can occur in your home, the best way to deal with frozen pipes is to prevent them from freezing in the first place. Fortunately, that isn’t as difficult as you might think, even when temperatures outside drop well below freezing. All it takes most of the time is a few preventive measures that we’re going to discuss here.
1. Insulate Exposed Pipes
You almost certainly have some exposed plumbing in your home, most likely in your basement or garage. Not surprisingly, these pipes are the most vulnerable to freezing temperatures. The best way to keep them from freezing is to wrap them in pipe insulation. This can be found at practically any hardware store, so pick some up if you’re expecting it to get cold soon. If you don’t have any pipe insulation or can’t make it to a store in time, some towels or blankets can do in a pinch.
2. Winterize Your Outdoor Spigots
If you have spigots outside of your home, take some time to winterize them. This should be done towards the end of fall when you’re reasonably sure that you won’t need your spigots to water your lawn until spring. First, find the shutoff valve for your outdoor spigots and turn the water off. Next, open the spigots to allow any remaining water to drain out. If you have any hoses or sprinklers attached to the spigots, remove them and store them safely in a dry place such as your garage or a shed. Outdoor spigots are especially vulnerable to freezing temperatures if only because they’re exposed to the elements at all times. They may not do any noticeable damage to your home right away if they freeze, but you might find a serious leak when you go to water your lawn next spring if you don’t take these steps.
3. Keep Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets Open
If you have cabinets underneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks, keep them open during the winter. It will expose the plumbing underneath the sinks to the warm air circulating throughout your home and prevent it from freezing. Just remember to remove any cleaning products and other potentially dangerous materials from your cabinets if you have small children or pets in your home when you do this.
4. Keep Your Garage Door Closed
If you have any water lines running through your garage, keep your garage door closed. An open garage door lets a lot of cold air into your home, so only open it long enough to get vehicles in and out. While you’re at it, check the insulation on your garage door. Some doors are better at insulating garages than others, so look into a polyurethane garage door if you think you’ll need a new door sometime soon.
5. Don’t Adjust Your Thermostat Too Much
You might be tempted to turn down your thermostat to save money on your heating bills, but that’s not always a good idea during a particularly cold winter. A good thermostat setting while you’re at home is about 72 degrees Fahrenheit. That should keep you warm enough if your home is well-insulated. If you want to program your thermostat to lower the temperature when you’re away from home or asleep, you shouldn’t go any lower than 66 degrees, especially if you have pets. That’s not much colder than 72 degrees, so you shouldn’t risk freezing your pipes or putting too much strain on your HVAC system.
6. Don’t Turn Off Your Heat Completely When You’re Out of Town
While we’re on the subject of your thermostat, you should never turn off your heat completely if you go on vacation during the winter. Instead, lower your thermostat to about 55 degrees. That will keep your home above freezing, which should be enough to keep your pipes in good condition. That will still leave you with a utility bill to pay, but it will be considerably cheaper than keeping your heat at 72 degrees for days on end, and it will still be more affordable than repairing a burst pipe.
7. Turn Your Faucets On to a Trickle
If you’re concerned about your pipes freezing even if you take all of these precautions, turn some of your faucets on to a trickle. This will keep water flowing through your pipes, which will make them less likely to freeze. If you don’t want to turn all of your faucets on, prioritize those on your upper floors or those connected to exposed pipes. This may increase your water bill a bit, but it’s still better and more affordable than having to clean up a mess from a burst pipe.
8. Check Your Home’s Insulation
Your HVAC system does a lot to keep your home warm during the winter, but insulation is just as crucial. If it’s been a few decades since you’ve had new insulation installed, check your attic and basement to make sure it’s still in good shape. While you’re at it, take a look at any windows to make sure that they’re properly sealed, especially if you have any pipes or plumbing fixtures near them. If you feel a draft or it’s noticeably colder near your windows, seal them with some weather stripping or caulk.
What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze
Of course, you can take all these precautions and still end up with frozen pipes during a particularly cold snap. If this is the case, the pipes will need to be thawed. Before you do anything else, turn off your main water source in case your pipes have already frozen or burst. Next, try to find which pipes are frozen. Look for pipes connected to faucets that aren’t working properly or pipes that have frost on the outside. You can usually thaw exposed frozen pipes with heating pads, heated cables, space heaters placed close by, or hair dryers. Thaw frozen pipes slowly and carefully, and don’t place anything with an open flame too close to the pipes.
Call Matheson Heating, Air & Plumbing for Assistance
If you can’t tell which of your pipes are frozen or if any of your pipes are leaking, Matheson Heating, Air & Plumbing will be happy to assist you. We are an HVAC and plumbing company that has served Southeast Michigan since 1946, and our licensed plumbers can handle practically any plumbing emergency you might have. Our comprehensive plumbing services include drain repair, leak detection, fixture installation, water heater services, and much more.
For more information about our plumbing services or if you need help repairing frozen pipes in your home, contact Matheson Heating, Air & Plumbing in Commerce, MI, today. Our friendly staff will be happy to answer all of your questions.