Photo courtesy Flickr user SKimchee
Tomorrow brings another big temperature plunge. And if you live on Capitol Hill, there’s a good chance you also live in an old row house or apartment.
While your home may be quaint and charming, it also puts you at risk for common household problems, like frozen pipes in the middle of winter.
DC Water has released a good fact sheet, that’s worth studying up on before the temperatures drop on Tuesday. If your home has pipes that are exposed to outside walls or in unheated interior places, like attics, crawl spaces or garages, they might be at risk of freezing. It’s probably a good idea to keep a handy plumber on call.
Here are a few tips that DC Water recommends before the cold comes:
- Remove, drain, and store garden hoses.
- Close the inside valves that control the water supply to outside hose attachments (hose bibs).
- Open the outside hose bibs to allow any water in the line to drain out.
- Keep this valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.
- Install a pipe sleeve for water pipes that are not insulated. Building supply stores carry these and other supplies for insulating pipes.
- If you go away for an extended time during cold weather, leave the thermostat set above 55 degrees before you leave.
- In severely cold weather, allow cold water to drip from faucets served by exposed pipes. The cold water is still above freezing and will help prevent the pipe from freezing.
If your pipes do freeze, DC Water recommends the following:
- First, locate and shut off the main water supply valve in case a pipe has broken.
- Next, open the faucet so that water will flow through the pipe once the area is melted. This will help melt more ice.
- Then, gently apply heat with a hairdryer around the pipe. Keep all sources of heat away from flammable materials and do not use any open flame devices. Also, do not use devices that will cause the melted ice to boil, as that can also cause pipes to break.
- Call a licensed plumber if you cannot locate the frozen section, if you are unable to reach it, or if you are unable to thaw it.
- Check for other frozen pipes in your home or business, especially those pipes that are located along an exterior wall or bring the water into the building at the foundation.
- For emergency service inside your home, contact a licensed plumber. Call the DC Water 24-hour emergency line at (202) 612-3400 for water emergencies on public property.