While not too common, Maryland winters occasionally feature freezing cold temperatures. When this cold weather hits, not only do you need to stay warm; your home does, too. The freezing temperatures can cause your pipes to freeze, and when pipes freeze, they are prone to bursting open.
The water that’s inside of the pipes will freeze and turn into ice, expanding in size. If the ice places enough pressure on the pipes, it will force them to burst open and spread water everywhere. This can result in damage that costs thousands of dollars.
Burst Pipes
When a pipe bursts open, the water it previously held spills out and floods your property. This emergency requires professional help right away. If this happens, first you must switch off the main water, and then get in touch with a professional for help. At RestorationMaster , we help properties in Germantown, MD, following a burst pipe by providing water damage restoration services.
We employ experienced professionals who will promptly respond to your call for assistance. Our technicians will extract the water from the burst, restore damaged building materials, and install any replacement structural materials.
Finding Frozen Pipes
Frozen pipes can be in concealed places of your property, such as in the attic or behind your walls.
When there’s a pipe burst, you must act promptly. First, you need to shut off the main water switch. Then you need to call us for our professional expertise. The technicians we employ will arrive at your property with advanced equipment that lets us effectively and efficiently extract moisture from the air and building materials and eliminate standing water.
How to Prevent Frozen Pipes
If you take the time to prepare your pipes for the cold, then you can prevent them from bursting open as a result of freezing temperatures. To prevent frozen pipes, refer to the following tips:
- Turn on all faucets, using hot and cold water, to maintain a low drip. Albeit minimal, this water will run through the pipes and make it more difficult for them to freeze.
- Use electrical tape or insulation to insulate the water pipes located in cold areas of your home.
- In cold areas like the crawlspace, attic, and basement, set up a heater to keep the area warm while there are freezing temperatures.
- Let warm air circulate the pipes by opening up bathroom and kitchen cabinets.
- Prevent water flow to exterior pipes by shutting the main water exterior valve off.
What to Do When Finding Frozen Pipes
When you turn water on but see that there isn’t any water coming out of your faucet, then you might be dealing with a frozen pipe. In the event of such an occurrence, check to see if the pipe is frozen. If it is, then you need to thaw them right away to prevent a burst.
- Find the wall behind the pipe and set up a space heater or infrared lamp.
- Completely remove the drywall and take a heat lamp or blow dryer to thaw the pipe. If you want help pushing the ice out, then you can turn the water on, as it increases the water pressure inside the pipe.
- Thaw the pipe by increasing your home’s temperature.
Pipes can become frozen when there are freezing temperatures outside. Without proper monitoring and/or insulation, the pipes can freeze and potentially burst, causing water damage.
Contact Us
If you have a burst pipe in your home, then you need to call RestorationMaster at (301) 381-2304 to seek help from our water damage restoration services.