When the temperature drops below freezing in Conroe, your pipes are in real danger. Texas cold snaps don't last long, but they hit hard enough to crack copper lines and burst water mains inside your walls. Once a pipe freezes and expands, the damage spreads fast. The repair bill can run into thousands of dollars, and you'll be without water when you need it most. The good news is that freezing pipes are almost entirely preventable if you know what to do before the cold arrives.
Know Which Pipes Freeze First
The pipes most likely to freeze are the ones exposed to outside air. In Conroe homes, that usually means the water line running to your exterior faucets, any pipes in an uninsulated garage or crawlspace, and supply lines near exterior walls that don't have much insulation behind them. If you have a water heater in an unheated space, the cold water inlet line feeding it is vulnerable too. Take a walk around your house right now, before winter weather shows up. Look at your foundation and crawlspace. Feel the insulation around pipes you can see. If you find bare copper or PVC running along an exterior wall or through an unheated space, that's where your trouble will start.
Insulate Exposed Pipes Before the Cold Comes
Pipe insulation is cheap and easy to install yourself. You can buy foam pipe wrap at any hardware store in Conroe. It comes in different thicknesses, and the thicker stuff works better for a real cold snap. Wrap it around any exposed pipe, especially the ones I mentioned above. Pay special attention to the first five feet of pipe leaving your water meter and the supply lines to outdoor faucets. If you have a crawlspace, crawl under there and wrap the lines running along the perimeter of your house. You don't need to be neat about it. Just cover the pipe. If you're not comfortable crawling around or you can't reach certain lines, call us. It's a quick job and costs far less than a burst pipe repair.
Drip Your Faucets on the Coldest Nights
When a real freeze warning comes down for the Conroe area, let water drip slowly from the lowest faucet in your house on the night the temperature is supposed to drop below freezing. A slow trickle, not a stream. Moving water is much harder to freeze than still water. The slight pressure from the dripping water also helps prevent a blockage from forming inside the line. Leave the faucet dripping all night and into the morning until the temperature climbs back above 32 degrees. This costs you a few gallons of water and uses almost no energy. It's one of the best investments you can make during a cold snap.
Open Cabinet Doors and Seal Air Leaks
Under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, there are pipes running through cabinets. In winter, close the cabinet doors during the day so heat from your house reaches those pipes. But on freezing nights, open the cabinet doors under sinks that are on exterior walls. This lets warm air from your home circulate around the pipes underneath. At the same time, look for gaps where pipes or utilities enter your house from outside. Seal those gaps with caulk or expanding foam. Cold air sneaks in through those openings and chills the pipes inside your walls. You can feel the draft with your hand. Seal it up now, before the freeze.
Keep Your House Warm, Even When You're Away
If you're leaving town during winter or planning to be away from your house for more than a few hours during a freeze warning, set your thermostat to at least 55 degrees. Don't turn off the heat to save money. A frozen pipe will cost you far more than a few days of heating. If you have a second home or a rental property in the Conroe area that sits empty, the same rule applies. Heat it during winter weather. Open interior doors so warm air reaches every room. If you have a vacation home with no one there to check on it, ask a neighbor to check it during a freeze, or call us to make sure your pipes are protected.
What to Do If a Pipe Freezes
If you turn on a faucet and nothing comes out during freezing weather, you likely have a frozen pipe. Don't panic. Leave the faucet open. Apply heat to the frozen section with a hair dryer, a heat lamp, or hot towels. Work from the faucet end back toward the frozen section. Never use an open flame or torch on a pipe. If the pipe is in a wall and you can't reach it, or if you see ice or water damage, call us right away. A frozen pipe that starts to thaw can burst suddenly, and you need a professional to assess the damage and make repairs before that happens.
Paul The Plumber LLC has been serving Conroe for years, and we've seen plenty of freeze damage. A quick call now to insulate your exposed pipes or check your setup is worth the cost. When the cold snap hits, you'll be ready. Give us a call today.
