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Frozen Pipes

Q: Last winter, a couple of pipes in my basement burst. The plumber said that they froze and burst. How can I prevent this from happening again? — Darla G., Dothan, Ala.

A: Frozen pipes, as you unfortunately discovered, are a serious problem that quickly can become costly, especially if flooding occurs and damages furniture and other items.

Before talking about prevention, let’s quickly look at emergency measures. When the worst occurs — a burst pipe — the water feed to the pipe must be shut off immediately in order to prevent flooding, and then a plumber contacted to fix the problem as soon as possible.

Of course, this problem tends to occur at the worst possible times and in the worst way — the first prolonged cold snap of the year, when no one wants to be wading through freezing water to the shutoff valve. Or, when homeowners are on vacation and flooding occurs for hours ... or days. (This happened to me several years ago: My upstairs neighbor’s pipes burst, and the water flooded my condo.)

To prevent this problem, take steps to keep the temperature around those pipes above freezing. Pipes in an uninsulated basement should be wrapped in pipe insulation (available at the hardware or home-improvement store). Outdoor spigots should have the water flow to them turned off during the coldest months, and then be drained; if you can’t turn off the water, purchase insulated spigot covers.

During freezing weather, turn on the cold-water tap in the highest and lowest parts of your house, as well as the outdoor spigot. Keep it at a thin trickle or fast drip.

Check on all of your pipe runs throughout the freezing period. Run your hand along the pipes when you can. If you feel a spot that’s significantly colder than the rest of the run, there’s a good chance that water is freezing in that spot. If you see frost or condensation on a section of a pipe, or if you see a bulge in the pipe run, those also are telltale signs.

Immediately wrap the freezing pipe in a towel soaked in near-boiling water. Pour hot water over the towel periodically to keep it warm.

If a bulge in the pipe occurs, or you can’t thaw it, contact a plumber immediately to take additional measures to save the pipe.

HOME TIP: Insulating your basement or crawlspace can not only prevent frozen pipes, it can make a big difference in your heating, electric or gas bills.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.