In addition to slippery driving conditions and bone-chilling cold, another winter hazard Mainers need to worry about is burst pipes. While winter is the most common time for business and homeowners to experience a burst pipe, they can actually happen year-round. Here are five tips you can follow to help prevent burst pipes at your home or business.
- Leave the faucet on. When the temperatures dip well below freezing, it's important to keep water running through pipes to prevent them from freezing. By turning faucets on just enough so that water drips out, it allows water to move through the pipes and keeps pressure from building up.
- Keep the heat on. If you are going out of town for a while, it can be tempting to turn the heat off to save money. Don't. By keeping your heat set at a minimum of 50 degrees, you reduce your chances for burst pipes.
- Leave cabinet doors open. Pipes are often located in cabinets. By keeping the cabinet doors open during cold snaps, it allows heat from the rest of the house to warm pipes. It's also a good idea to keep interior doors open, so heat can circulate throughout the house.
- Insulate pipes. In many cases, pipes are located in parts of a building that aren't fully insulated, such as basements or attics. By fitting pipes with foam rubber or fiberglass sleeves you can decrease the chances they’ll freeze. You can also add additional insulation to walls and ceilings to help keep pipes warm.
- Replace worn-out or rusty pipes. Over time, pipes will begin to wear out and/or start to rust. Once this starts to happen, they become more vulnerable to bursts. Make it a point to periodically inspect pipes and replace any that appear rusty or weakened. Some signs to look for include:
- Discolored water. If water has a yellow or brown tinge, you may have rusty pipes.
- Stains on the wall. If the walls near your pipes are stained, this could point to a water leak.
- Low water pressure. If you notice a reduction in the water pressure, it could mean there is a mineral build-up if you have hard water.
If a pipe does burst, it could quickly fill your home or office with water. If you experience a burst pipe it is important that you turn the water off immediately and call a professional for help. At EcoClean, we can perform a pipe replacement if your pipe bursts.
We can also inspect your pipes as a preventative measure, replacing or performing a pipe rehab on any that are starting to wear out. If you think your pipes may need an upgrade, give us a call at 207-310-8429 to schedule a consultation.
