How To Prevent Frozen Water Pipes During The Winter

frozen pipe repair service Frozen water pipes can occur during the winter months when temperatures drop below freezing. They are particularly common during periods of high wind. Homes that are currently unoccupied are also at risk of having their pipes freeze, simply because there is no heat running through the ventilation system next to the pipes to help keep them from getting too cold.

Unfortunately, when water pipes freeze, the damage can be extensive. If you live on Long Island, where freezing temperatures are common, it might be difficult to find an available plumber to make any necessary repairs during a cold snap since they may already be helping other customers. Having to wait to restore running water to your home can leave you in a real bind. The best way to avoid this problem is by taking steps to prevent and fix frozen water pipes during the winter.

If the weather forecast is calling for exceptionally low temperatures, you should leave all of your faucets dripping. This is particularly important for any faucets that get their water supply from pipes that are not well-protected from the weather. Water is much less likely to freeze when it is in motion. The slow drip can keep the water in the pipes moving enough that it won’t freeze.

Before winter hits, be sure to turn off the water supply to any outdoor faucets. Don’t forget to turn on the faucet after the main water supply has been cut off to remove any excess water from the pipes. The expanding and contracting motion of water that occurs when it freezes can cause the pipe to burst. Neglecting to turn off the water outside is one of the most common issues that people run into when springtime rolls around.

Any plumbing that runs through cabinets that are located on the outer walls of your home can be protected by opening the cabinet doors during periods of extremely cold weather. When the cabinet doors are closed, it is harder for heat to get into the space. As a result, the pipes may freeze. Opening up the cabinet doors can allow heat from your home to penetrate the space, helping to prevent frozen pipes.

Proper insulation is essential. All exposed plumbing should be covered with insulating sleeves or pipe tape. It is best to do this before winter strikes. Otherwise, you may have trouble finding pipe insulation in stock. Usually, when the first freeze happens, stores sell out quickly with everyone rushing to protect their pipes. Insulating your pipes in the fall is the best way to ensure that they will be properly protected.

If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time during the winter, you should plan ahead to avoid any problems. Use a programmable thermostat to maintain the temperature inside your home. Additionally, consider asking a neighbor to check in on your property periodically to make sure that the heating system is still working. The last thing that you want is to come home to frozen pipes.

If your pipes do freeze, there are some steps that you can take on your own while you are waiting for a plumber to get to your property. Start by increasing the amount of heat in the room. If you have a space heater available, you can direct it toward the frozen pipes.

Rather than waiting until there is a problem, however, it is much better to be proactive. Using all of the tips in this article, you should be able to keep your pipes from freezing no matter how cold it gets this winter.

Plumbing Emergencies – What Needs To Be Done For A Burst Pipe

burst pipe repair plumber No homeowner on Long Island ever wants to have to deal with burst plumbing pipes. However, unfortunately, it is all too common for pipes to burst, which causes serious damage and flooding.

There are numerous reasons why a pipe might burst like a pipe that freezes and expands and then bursts, a crack in a pipe caused by too much pressure, or a corroded pipe. If you do end up with a burst pipe, then it is very important that you know how to prevent even more expense and damage.

The following are tips for what you should do when you have a burst pipe occur:

1. The very first step you should take when you notice you have a burst pipe is make sure to turn your main water supply off. You can either turn the water off a the main water valve in your basement or at your water meter.

2. Your next step is draining the water system to prevent the water from flooding your home to cause even more damage. This can be done through turning all the taps off in your house and flushing the toilet. That will help water drain a lot more quickly from the pipes. If water is coming in from the ceiling and a bulge is being caused, then a hole can be made in the bulge and a bucket can be held underneath it order to catch any excess water.

3. If there is leaked water close to any electrical appliances, then it is critical that the electricity be turned off since that can be dangerous. Remove the right fuse if there is any water close to a light switch or fixture.

4. Turn the water heater and central heating off. After the water heater is off, then turn the hot water taps on in order to reduce pressure inside of the pipes. This will help to drain the water also.

5. After there isn’t any more water leaking into the house, and there isn’t any danger of water getting into the water heating system and appliances, then you can search for what the source of your pipe burst is. This will allow you to give important information to your plumber when you call for emergency services to be done at your home.

6. Call a plumber. Any time you have a burst pipe that is a serious issue and a professional plumber needs to repair it. Plumbers have the tools, experience and knowledge to conduct quality repair jobs correctly.

You shouldn’t use joint compound or Teflon tape to try to repair a burst pipe since it will just end up bursting against. Electrical wiring damage also may be dangerous, so a professional should be called to perform any necessary repairs.

After a pipe bursts, it is critical to efficiently and quickly take the necessary steps to prevent any further damage from occurring. After you have taken the appropriate steps for minimizing threats and damage like leaking water on live wires, it is critical to contact a professional plumber. They understand that emergencies may occur at any time of the night or day, so that is why they offer 24 hour emergency service.

Also, since burst pipes are serious plumbing emergencies, it is critical that the repair be made by a profession to make sure there are not any more problems in the future. A plumber also can inspect the pipes to make sure there isn’t any additional damage that you might not have noticed. They also can ensure the system is operating correctly once the repair work is finished.

Tips For Preventing Your Pipes From Freezing

frozen pipes in basement Plumbing leaks are something that many homeowners on Long Island face and can be caused by freezing during the winter. These leaks come about when the frozen water starts to expand instead of contract. When this happens, the water needs more space than it did before which causes the leaks.

The enclosed space of the pipe will not be able to hold the expanding water. When the pipe reaches its limit, it will burst and cause a plumbing leak. It is possible that this issue with freezing water can cause a number of leaks around the house which is a large problem that you will want to avoid.

This is why you should be aware of the different ways that you can prevent freezing in your pipes.

These prevention methods are particularly important if you are moving into a new house and are unsure about the state of the pipes. Of course, it is recommended that before you buy a house, you check the plumbing to ensure that preventative measures have been taken. If they have not been, you will need to know what they are, how to implement them and how they can help.

Coating The Pipes With Fiberglass

One of the simplest prevention methods is to coat the pipes in fiberglass. It is easy to find the materials for this in the local department store. If you are looking to reduce the costs of this process, you should look at only insulating the pipes that are out of the way such as those in the crawl space. These are the pipes that will not be exposed to the heat of the house and are more likely to freeze during the cold winter months.

If you are going to use fiberglass, you need to be careful as it can be dangerous particularly if you inhale it. This is why you need to have protective clothing including a mask before you start. If you are nervous about doing this yourself, you can hire a professional plumber to handle the job instead. This provides the additional benefit of ensuring the job is done correctly.

Get A Heat Trace Cable

A heat trace cable is a cable which has been made of metal with a very high heat conductivity rate. These cables are used to spread heat from any part of the house to another. When you run these cables along the pipes in your home, you can easily transfer heat from a warm part of your home to the pipes that do not generally feel this.

Most of these cables are actually very easy to install and it is something that you could do yourself. Of course, if you have a lot of pipes or do not have to time to do this yourself, you should consider hiring a plumber. Hiring a plumber to do this will cost more than doing it yourself, but it could take less time and be more effective in the long-run.

Make Use Of A Space Heater

Many people do not consider using a space heater to avoid freezing pipes. However, if you have an area of the house where most of your plumbing is located, you can use a space heater to ensure that the area is warm. The key to using this method is to ensure that the room is always at a warm temperature so that the water in the pipes cannot completely freeze and cause any damage.

Open Your Cabinet Doors

In most Long Island homes, the plumbing will run behind the cabinets. The problem with this is that the walls might not be properly insulated and this could allow the pipes to freeze. If this is the case in your home, you should open the cabinets to let the heat from the house warm the pipes. It is recommended that you try this method if you are sure that the pipes run through the wall and that the wall is not correctly insulated. If the wall is insulated, this method will not help very much.

Reducing the chance of freezing pipes using these methods is only a temporary solution and should not be considered a permanent fix. Many of these solutions will only help stop the freezing of water in the pipes, but will not reduce freezing completely. It is recommended that you use these solutions in the winter, but look at a more permanent solution during the summer months.

It is recommended that you hire a professional plumber to assess your plumbing during the summer. They will then be able to offer suggestions which will help you protect your plumbing in the winter. Getting a permanent solution in place will be cheaper in the long-run than constantly using temporary solutions of having to deal with the aftermath of freezing and bursting pipes. It will also be more convenient as you will not have to worry about anything.

A Leaky Hissing Water Pipe – When To Call A Plumber

Imagine waking up in the morning and getting ready to hop in the shower. Visualize yourself taking off your pajamas and tossing them on the floor. Then all of a sudden you hear some sort of strange noise coming from behind the wall in the shower? It’s a small hissing sound! Then the hissing sound gets a lot louder! Now it’s very loud! You have a leaky hissing water pipe on your hands!

You feel frustrated and angry because only two days earlier you had a leaky water pipe repaired under your Long Island house. Now this is happening! Your heart sinks in gloom and despair while you are standing around with no clothes on and your head is throbbing. You are sick and tired of everything! In this article we will be looking at two options to carry repairs out or to work on other related plumbing problems.

Think back when you had wrong sized pipes, improperly installed pipes, old water pipes, burst pipes or leaky hissing water pipes were just something you imagined. Now that you are a homeowner, anything associated with leaking water around your house is a problem and something you definitely need to worry about.

You’ve probably heard “money can’t buy happiness” before. That may be true but with leaky pipes it definitely can buy “peace of mind” for you if you are able to find someone qualified to get things fixed. With leaky pipes there is no such thing as peace of mind.

You need to determine whether the problem you have with water leaks can be solved by a minor task such as replacing a tap washer, or something more major such as replacing all your home’s water pipes. Go for it if you know how to do a simple repair. However, if the job is something beyond what you are capable of – which your gut will be able to tell you – then call a plumber!

Like anything else, anytime you are feeling unsure or uncomfortable about any aspect that relates to your home’s plumbing like a leaky hissing water pipe then it might be time to get professional advice. It will cost you money, but you should seek out a qualified, well respected professional plumber. To find a good one ask around with people you know. Usually a plumber will be able to assess the situation quickly and get it resolved. Any foreseeable problems will also usually be noticed and resolutions can be suggested.

I speak from painful experience unfortunately. I recently change all of my home’s water pipes. I was bound and determined to do this gigantic task on my own. I spent numerous hours working out where all of the pipes connected and got a plan drawn up that showed where the pipes went. I purchased all of the materials. However, my “gut” told me that I was taking on more than I could handle. I gave up on my cool idea of being able to do it on my own. What I did instead was hire a plumber and worked with him to learn as much as I possibly could. When I changed my mind, my wife was quite happy about that. It is all done now. We have peace of mind and are very happy.