5 Ways to Protect Your Pipes from Frostbite

This time of year, when we put away the flip flops and the shorts, we are no longer worrying about our AC units and watering the grass. Now it’s time for preventing frost bite from killing everything you own.

One of the main problems of the colder months is freezing water pipes. When water freezes it expands which puts a great deal of pressure on the pipe which can cause them to burst. Commercial plumbing repairs are a nightmare. They can destroy an entire office area and disrupt lives and work schedules as the area is returned to normal and the pipes fixed. Let’s talk a little about how you can prevent freezing of these supply lines and pipes.

1. If your business has a swimming pool on the property or grass, you will need to drain the water from the supply lines. You won’t be needing them until summer anyway.




2. Properly drain and store hoses that will not be needed during the winter months and close the valves supplying outdoor hose bibs that are inside and open the outside ones to allow the water to expand without causing damage to the pipe.




3. Any pipes kept in a basement or area that is not heated should be well insulated.




4. You can actually buy products such as heat tape or a pipe sleeve that can be placed onto water pipes that are sitting out in the cold, exposed to the elements. Even something like newspaper can provide sufficient protection.




5. Allow water to drip from several faucets in the building because water running through the pipes will be harder to freeze than stagnant water.

Should something happen and your pipes freeze, in order to avoid commercial plumbing repairs, if the pipe has not yet burst, there may be a few things you can try.

1. Use a heating pad to wrap around the pipe or direct heat towards it with a hair dryer or space heater in an attempt to thaw out the frozen pipe.




2. If you cannot find the frozen area, call a plumber immediately so as to avoid the costly repair of a burst pipe.




3. Remember, if you have one frozen pipe, there are probably others, also. The professional can help you seek them out and fix them at a cheaper cost than official plumbing repair.

This may seem like a lot of work but it will definitely be worth it. You don’t want to know what kind of hassle and work is involved if a pipe does actually burst. Not only can it ruin the inside with flood, but the foundation of a building could be compromised. Especially if commercial plumbing repairs are needed, they must be done quickly before the entire building becomes condemned. It’s worth the little extras to keep those pipes warm and cozy when the coldest weather hits. Learn more.