Wintertime in Pennsylvania can be extreme. Ice-cold winds, heavy snowstorms and low temperatures are common during the winter months. Even with some warmer winter days, Pennsylvania residents know it’s only a matter of time before the frigid conditions return. You need to make sure your home — especially your water pipes — are ready for these conditions.

Preventing frozen pipes in the winter is crucial for protecting your house and avoiding costly repairs. So how can you keep pipes from freezing when the temperatures get so low? Read on to learn more about what to do if your pipes freeze.

Best Practices to Prevent Pipes From Freezing

Every home is unique, which means there isn’t one single way to keep pipes from freezing. Instead, you should try a few different practices to keep the water flowing through your lines on even the coldest nights, including these steps:

• Keep your home at a consistent temperature: Your lines are at a higher risk of freezing when you lower your thermostat. Keep your heat the same all winter to avoid costly repairs from bursting pipes. If you’re leaving your house for a while, keep your home at 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher while you’re away.
• Install pipe insulation and electrical heating tape: These measures can keep the cold winter temperatures from seeping into your pipes and freezing them. Follow package directions for heat tape to reduce your risk of electrical fires.
• Encourage proper airflow throughout your home: Closed doors can prevent heat from entering rooms. Open your interior doors to moderate the temperature with good airflow and keep your pipes as warm as possible.
• Seal cracks and holes: Even the smallest hole can allow freezing air into your home, contributing to frozen pipes. Seal cracks and holes in your walls and around windows with insulation and caulking.
• Let your faucet drip: Turn on the cold water to allow a slight drip. Water will move through your pipes to reduce their risk of freezing.

What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze

Frozen pipes are one of a homeowner’s worst nightmares. Besides prohibiting the flow of water into your home, it can burst the pipes. While this scenario can be an expensive repair in itself, it can also cause water damage to your walls and furniture. Left unresolved, burst lines can create unsafe moisture levels in your home, which can contribute to the spread of mold, mildew and other allergens.

You may have a frozen pipe if the water pressure is low or no water comes out of the faucet at all. It could be difficult to locate the line yourself — and when you’re dealing with frozen pipes, a quick response is essential. That’s why you should call expert technicians right away.

Professionals have the certifications and skills to find your frozen pipe and solve the issue before things get any worse. An expert team can save you time, money and frustration by restoring your pipes to a healthy working order. And if your lines were installed incorrectly, they can fix and protect your pipes from freezing in the future.

How to Thaw Frozen Pipes

If you have a frozen pipe in your home, you may try to thaw it yourself. While knowing how to prevent water pipes from freezing is one thing, fixing the problem after it happens can be a more difficult task. Fortunately, you can take a few steps to address the issue:

• Locate the frozen pipe: First, find the frozen section of the pipe. Look for frost on the pipe’s exterior as a sign of frozen water on the inside.
• Turn on the faucet: Turn on the faucet that connects to the frozen pipe. Opening the faucet will allow pressure to release as you thaw the frozen section.
• Open up cabinets: Opening the cabinet doors is especially crucial for frozen pipes under kitchen or bathroom sinks. This act allows the warm air of your house to circulate near the pipe, helping the ice to thaw.
• Warm up the room: Increase the temperature in the room housing the frozen pipe. You’ll heat the line and speed up the thawing process.
• Apply direct heat to the frozen pipe: Use electric heat tape, a space heater or a hairdryer to melt the ice inside your pipe.

Considerations When Thawing or Troubleshooting Frozen Pipes Yourself

It might not be easy to thaw your frozen pipes. In fact, troubleshooting incorrectly could lead to more damage and risky situations. Here are some factors to keep in mind when attempting to thaw frozen pipes yourself:

• The pipe may be behind a wall: The only way to reach a pipe may be to cut a hole in the wall. This step is often best left to the professionals.
• There is a right and wrong direction to thaw your pipes: When using a tool like a hairdryer to thaw your pipes, always start at the faucet and work your way down the pipe from there. Water can then flow as it melts. The water will have nowhere to go when thawing in the opposite direction, which increases the water pressure in the pipe and could cause it to burst.
• Thawing pipes can be a fire hazard: Never use blowtorches, kerosene heaters or propane heaters to thaw your pipes. These items are unsafe to use indoors and pose a fire risk. Only use a hairdryer if you’re far away from water to avoid electric shock. When using a space heater, give the heater plenty of room from combustible materials or pieces of furniture.
• Your home may have more frozen pipes: Open your other faucets to check for more frozen lines in your house. If you have one frozen pipe, you probably have more. Get help thawing all your frozen pipes by calling a professional the moment you discover the first one.

Prepare Your Pipes for Winter Weather With Leggett Inc.

When you’re experiencing a plumbing emergency such as frozen pipes in your central Pennsylvania home, trust the experts at Leggett to solve the issue. Our professional technicians get the job done right the first time and offer a 24-month money-back guarantee. Our commitment is to exceed your expectations and get your pipes back to working order.

We offer a wide range of services across several industries, so you can call on us for all your in-home technical needs. And since we offer 24/7 emergency service, we’re always a simple phone call away. Call us at 717-737-4562 or contact us online to request service.