Second – Turn ON all the faucets and shower & tub faucets in the house in an attempt to drain all the water out of the pipes. The pipes are freeze-protected if they are empty of water during a freeze.
Shut off and drain the water system by shutting off the main valve and turning on every water fixture (both hot and cold) until water stops running. It's not necessary to leave the fixtures open.
Electric heat tapes are used by thousands of homeowners and mobile homeowners to protect their water pipes from freezing. Yet, if improperly installed or maintained, heat tapes can cause fires or even burn your house down.
To start, it's a smart idea to keep your garage closed during cold weather to protect your pipes. This will help keep your pipes warmer than they would be with the door wide open. Plumbing in unheated areas can also be protected with foam pipe insulation, which is easy to install and inexpensive.
Insulate. Insulating your pipes and water tanks is one of the best ways to prevent them from freezing. You can buy inexpensive pipe lagging and tank jackets from most DIY stores and fit them yourself for free. Just make sure you check the pipe and tank measurements first.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are: Pipes that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, and water sprinkler lines.
Generally, houses in northern climates are built with the water pipes located on the inside of the building insulation, which protects the pipes from subfreezing weather.
Location in the property: The pipes most likely to freeze are those most exposed to the elements, such as those in unfinished attics, basements, or garages, are at the highest risk of freezing. Drafty areas increase the risk due to wind chill, and pipes in exterior walls close to the cold are often the first to freeze.
Pipes: Turn off water supply to the house and drain pipes to protect them from freezing. You can empty pipes by running the water and flushing the toilets after the water has been turned off. After draining the pipes, it is a good idea to leave the faucets open to prevent pressure build up from any water that remains.
Open your attic trap door to help keep the temperature in your attic the same as in the rest of the house and prevent pipes freezing.
Pipes can still burst in freezing temperatures even after you turn off your home's water. The pipes will still have water inside them, which means the water may freeze and potentially burst your pipes.
First, locate the mains water supply valve in your home. You should know where this is anyway, in case there is a plumbing emergency. The valve should have a wheel control or lever handle to open and close it. It is perfectly safe to turn it off by either turning the wheel clockwise or closing the lever.
The duration varies depending on the size of the house, the complexity of the plumbing system, and the water flow. However, for an average-sized home, it might take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours to fully drain the system.
Frozen pipes will eventually thaw on their own, but it could take days or even weeks. If New York City is experiencing a brutal cold snap, the temperature could stay below freezing for many days. Meanwhile, the water in the pipes could be expanding.
Thaw Frozen Pipes
Turn off the water immediately at the main shut off valve. Open the faucet so that water will flow through the pipe once the area is melted. This will help melt more ice. Apply heat to or around the pipe using a hair dryer.
Although common, frozen pipes do not always burst. However, the ice can increase this risk when it thaws and is usually worsened as it raises pressure further which makes pipe bursting common near winter's end or springtime. Furthermore, the more water flowing through the pipe, the greater chance of rupture.
PEX, or cross-linked polyethylene, has a chemical structure that gives it flexibility to withstand pressure increases and perform better in the winter. If water freezes in the pipe, for example, PEX will expand to accommodate the change. Then it will contract back to original dimensions once thawed.
Replace plastic drains with metal drains. Galvanized steel metal drains used for channel drains and grates are less likely to be impacted by freezing temperatures or expanding water and sustain damage over the winter. Galvanized steel holds up better than plastics in these conditions, as the material is stronger.
Thermal insulation plays a vital role in minimising temperature variations and preventing condensation on the exterior surface of pipes. Hence, drain pipes should be insulated, even though this is often overlooked.