How to Prevent Drain Pipe Freezing
It is not uncommon to have frozen pipes if you live in an environment with cold temperatures. Although you can anticipate the problem, there’s a lot you can do to prevent drain pipe freezing. That’s unless you want to sit in through the winter months with drain pipes that are not working as well as they should.
The following are tips on how to prevent drain pipe freezing:
Keep the Heat On
If you are leaving the house for some time, it is important that you leave the heat on. It may cost you money when it comes to paying the utility bills but it will save you the stress of having the frozen drain pipes burst. The heat should only be hot enough to keep your drain pipes warm and unfrozen.
Keep Interior Door Open
Pipes in the house are normally located behind cabinets. During the colder months, it is advisable to open up the cabinet doors to allow heat from elsewhere in the house to reach the pipes and warm them. Interior doors to the rooms in your house should also be kept open for a seamless floor of heat in all the parts of the home.
Sealing Holes and Cracks
Check for any holes and cracks near the pipes and caulk them up. Make sure you seal off both the interior and exterior walls. With that, you should be able to keep out the cold air even as the warm air stays inside the house.
Use Heating Tape
If you can reach the pipes, then it is advisable that you use an electric heating tape. The tape should be attached to the pipe directly. You want to choose between one of two types of heating tapes. The first is heat sensitive and turns on when needed while the second requires you to plug it in when needed. So that you do not put you and your family in danger, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s manual to the letter.
Extra Pipe Insulation
Most drain pipes run through the basement and other areas of the house that don’t have adequate insulation. It is important that you insulate them further to stop them from freezing. That too applies to pipes in other spaces in your house where they are prone to freezing.
Some of the best pipe insulation materials include fiberglass sleeves and foam rubber. These work very well to reduce the chances of your drain pipes freezing. If the pipes are exposed, this is a very easy solution. However, if it involves opening up the walls to properly insulate the pipes, then it will be very expensive to pull off. You can add insulation to the ceilings and walls to keep the pipes from freezing.
To maintain a good shape of the plumbing system in your home, you should ensure that the drain pipes keep working. In the colder months, the risk of the pipes freezing is real. If you are not sure how to go about it, contact a professional plumber. Call Burlington City Plumbers for more information on plumbing installation and maintenance in Burlington and the surrounding areas.