Frigid temperature are hard on animals, equipment and yes our indoor plumbing. When temperature fall to single digits for a few days in a row it is common to have some frozen pipes.
Centerville, UT, January 17, 2014 – Frigid temperature are hard on animals, equipment and yes our indoor plumbing. When temperature fall to single digits for a few days in a row it is common to have some frozen pipes. The plumbing that is most vulnerable is in attics, crawl spaces and exterior walls. Even with cold temperatures, it is not predictable when freeze damage will occur. A pipe that freezes in an exterior wall may have been there for many years or even decades, and even survived similar cold temperatures many times before. So what is different this time? Maybe the temperature, maybe the wind direction or velocity? A recent example is a student dorm at Snow College in Ephraim Utah. A fire suppression sprinkler head froze in an interior hallway. the hallway is not heated, but it in the middle of the building. There was a slight gap under the exterior door that allowed a small amount of cold air under the door. Hard to imagine that the air temperature in the hallway would get cold enough to freeze the sprinkler head.
Daryl Olsen of the Flood Co. in northern Utah shares another example, he says: “It was in a newer home in Draper Utah in a West facing wall of a walk out basement. The pipe that froze was protected with 7 inches of blown in fiberglass insulation. There had been some strong winds with the cold temperatures. It was curious that a pipe that was so well protected and insulated could freeze.”
Although many freeze events cannot be predicted, here are a few suggestions to help prevent freeze damage:
Insulate any plumbing in an attic or crawl space
Keep the heat on in the property
Open cabinet doors and access doors to allow warmer air to the plumbing connections.
Disconnect hoses from any outdoor faucets
Freeze damage can not always be predicted or prevented. If it does happen, get help to make sure your have identified all of the dampness and are able to dry everything quickly enough to avoid greater damage.
Should you find yourself with water damage, don’t try to clean it up yourself. Water damage should be taken care of by a professional. Call The Flood Co for your Northern Utah water damage restoration event.
Contact:
Daryl Olsen
The Flood Co.
1164 West 850 North
Centerville, Utah 84014
866-400-7762
darylo@mrcd.com
