It should go without saying that preventing pipes from freezing from the start is the best method to handle frozen pipes. However, a lot of residents on Long Island may ultimately have frozen pipes throughout the winter. You must act fast if it occurs to you to lessen the extent of the damage and the expense of repairing the broken pipes. Frozen pipes may be fixed by a Long Island plumber, but the following advice might be useful if you decide to handle the problem yourself.
Why Frozen Pipes Rupture
Not every frozen pipe will burst, although many do over time, it should be emphasized. When a pipe breaks, it does so because frozen water expands. The intense pressure finally causes the plumbing pipes to rupture since they are rigid. Your kitchen or bathroom might be completely flooded by a tiny leak at a crack or joint along the pipe's length. The fact that burst pipes are one of the most frequent causes of homeowners insurance claims is one of the key justifications for defrosting your frozen winter pipes. In actuality, the average claim expense exceeds $5,000.
How to Spot a Freeze-Up Pipe
Your pipes may be frozen if you see that your water line is obtruding like a well-fed anaconda. In certain situations, the water line may also be covered in frost. Not all plumbing pipes, nevertheless, are visible. After flushing your toilet, you can also find that it doesn't fill up as it should. Or, your faucets could not operate as intended. Your pipes have likely frozen over if you are experiencing one of the aforementioned problems.
How to Unfreeze Your Freeze-Up Pipes
Before starting any work, you must either turn off the water supply towards the entire house or the specific plumbing system. You should be careful and turn off the water supply before attempting to thaw the frozen pipes because the true issue will only start once the pipe has been defrosted. That is, the frozen water may be a type of stopper that keeps the water from oozing out of the pipe breaks. Your room will be inundated with water after the plug has defrosted. To be ready in case of a significant plumbing leak, pack a bucket, a mop, as well as some paper towels.
We advise using a hair drier, heat lamp, or space heater to deal with the pipe's length that has frozen over when it comes to pipe thawing. Your frozen pipe should also be covered with thermostatically controlled heat tape. The price of the heat tape can range from $50 to $200 depending on its length. Thermostatically controlled heat tape works incredibly well for quickly and effectively defrosting problem areas. Additionally, under no circumstances attempt to defrost your frozen winter pipes with a propane torch. The likelihood of a fire starting will dramatically rise if you use a propane torch.
What to Do If Your Pipes Burst
In many situations, you could already be too late and your pipes might have already burst before you ever noticed they were frozen. To prevent more flooding in your basement, you must immediately turn off your main water supply if you detect that your basement is full of water. The following action is to make a professional Long Island plumber's appointment.
You may assist the plumber by soaking up as much water as you can with a mop while you wait for them to come. You can use a dry/wet vacuum, some sponge, or some paper towels if you don't have a mop on hand. If you have one, you should also turn on your humidifier to completely dry the area. You will be able to address any moisture-related issues, such as the growth of mildew and mold, by doing this.
In some circumstances, you'll also need to contact your insurance agent because the harm done can be significant. The good news is that most homeowner's insurance policies cover both the water damage that burst pipes cause and the actual ruptured pipes.
The Main Shutoff Valve For The Water
The amount of future harm can be reduced by turning off the water as soon as you can. But you must be aware of its precise location if you want to rapidly close the main water shut-off valve. So, as soon as you move in, take the time to find the valve, and when the plumber comes to your house the following time, ask them to check it out.
A gate-styled valve that is out-of-date may be used in some older dwellings. If your valve is old, it would be worthwhile to spend the money to replace it with a dependable ball valve. A standard ball valve will set you back between $200 and $400, but it will spare you a lot of trouble in the long run. Gate valves can be prone to sticking when you most need them, so if you do decide to persist with them, you must rotate them back and forth at least once a year.
Call Order a Plumber Inc. at 631-234-0687 or fill out our contact form if you require a Long Island plumber to thaw your frozen winter pipelines or deal with water damage caused by pipes.