Old man winter sure took his sweet time coming into northern Virginia, but now that he’s here, he’s here to stay. It’s cold out there. And when it gets brutally cold, the tips of your fingers and noses aren’t the only ones to suffer.
Do what you can to prevent your pipes from freezing in Manassas this winter.
Be proactive this winter, and do what you can to prevent pipes from freezing.
Keep garage doors closed —
Especially if there are water supply lines in the garage.
But keep kitchen cabinet and bathroom doors open.
Doing so will allow warmer air to circulate in and around the plumbing, and may help keep your pipes from freezing.
Let cold water drip from the faucet when it is especially cold outside.
Running water through the pipe — even at a trickle — will go a long way to protect your pipes. With fixtures that have both cold and hot water pipes exposed, allow a bit of water to drip from each because (and it might surprise you) the hot water pipe is often the first to freeze.
Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night, and no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit when you travel.
By maintaining a relatively stable ambient temperature in your home, your pipes will be protected against potentially frigid temperatures that might cause them to freeze and burst.
If you suspect your pipes have frozen:
Keep the faucet open while you are home. There are steps you can take to treat the frozen pipe, and as the frozen area begins to melt, water once again begins to flow and will help melt the ice in the pipe.
Apply heat to the frozen section of pipe until full water pressure is restored.
This can be done using an electric heating pad, or a hair dryer. If you’re unable to locate the frozen section of pipe or if it’s not easily accessible, call your trusted northern Virginia plumber. (A word of caution: Never use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.)
Check all other faucets in your home.
When one pipe freezes, there’s a higher likelihood that others will have frozen too.
Take further action to protect your pipes now and in the future — with a call to northern Virginia’s plumbing and pipe experts, My Plumber Heating & Cooling.
Exposed pipes are especially vulnerable, and if frozen pipes are a recurring problem in your Manassas home, consider a phone call to My Plumber Heating & Cooling. We’ll come out and take a look, and can recommend the best solution, be it to relocate and reroute certain pipes, or simply to add a bit of extra insulation.
And hey, in the event of a worst-case, busted pipe scenario, we’re the name to know. Don’t leave your pipes out in the cold; call My Plumber Heating & Cooling today at (844) 294-8999!