On a frigid winter morning, Scott and his girlfriend Kate finished packing for their long-awaited vacation to the islands. So much to celebrate as a newly engaged couple and having just purchased their first home!
A final walk through of the home, to check on timers and outside security cameras and making sure the oven and stove were off, and the happy couple was ready to leave. As he passed the thermostat, Scott paused and thought, “We won’t even be here, so I’m turning this heat way down and we will save a lot on our bill.”
Scott happily tapped the arrow down button to 50 degrees, feeling great about the two-week savings they would see on their next bill, and off the couple went, blissfully unaware that the low temperature would result in several frozen pipes that would then burst, destroying much of their new abode.
Water expands by about 10% when it freezes and puts a significant amount of pressure on the pipes, which can cause the pipes to burst. Scott and Kate returned home to a major water loss in their new home with much of their personal items destroyed as well. Water was everywhere!
Here Are 5 Quick Tips To Help Prevent Frozen Pipes
- Will you be away from home? DO NOT set your thermostat below 55 degrees.
- If you think you may have a pipe freezing, turn faucets on! This will enable the water flow to drip slowly and help prevent freezing.
- Open the doors — cabinet doors, that is! You can help circulate heater air by opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors.
- Disconnect your outdoor garden hose. This is an often-overlooked source of burst pipes. Shut off the inside supply valve.
- ABC = Attics, Basements and Crawlspaces. Be sure to insulate them!
If Your Pipes Do Freeze, Try These Suggestions:
- Turn up the heat to help warm the house and the pipes.
- Keep your faucets on to avoid pressure and stress on the pipes.
- You can use a hair dryer or even wrap a heating pad on the pipe to help thaw the ice.
When Pipes Freeze and Break — The Aftermath
As Scott and Kate learned, a burst pipe can cause catastrophic damage to your home and personal property. If you experience a burst pipe, you’ll need a professional restoration contractor to mitigate the damage and make sure everything is dry (you don’t want to end up with mold later!).
EDS provides restoration services not only to mitigate the damage, but also to repair the property to its pre-loss condition.
Scott and Kate were eventually able to move back into their home once all of the mitigation and repairs were complete. They learned a valuable lesson about turning the thermostat too low and not shutting off their main water valve when they left for vacation. These two steps would likely have prevented the destruction they faced when they returned home.
As an IICRC premier restoration contractor, Eastern Diversified Services is here to help you — whenever you need us! We offer complete property restoration services for all of your restoration needs.
Like this article? Download our PDF version for free!