As freezing temperatures continue to hit hard this winter in Westchester County, Yonkers and NYC, homeowners and building owners prepare to deal with a potentially costly and damaging consequence of winter — freezing pipes.
When the temperatures drop, the water in your pipes expand. When the pressure builds up too high from the expansion, the pipe gives way, either through a small pinhole or a large crack. Either way, the results can be devastating. A crack in a pipe just over three millimeters wide can leak 250 gallons of water in a day.
According to the Fireman’s Fund, water is one of the leading causes of damage to homes and property and pipe breaks are many times the culprit. That’s why it’s important to act quickly if you suspect you have a frozen pipe or pipes.
If water is only trickling from your faucet or you have no water at all, you most likely have a frozen pipe. The goal is to find the pipe that leads into the faucet, many times on an exterior wall. Locate the coldest section with your hands. That’s where you will need to thaw the ice by using a hair dryer, a heating pad, or wrapping it with warm towels. Do not use a blowtorch or any type of flame to heat the pipe.
Keep the faucet open and continue to apply heat until pressure is restored and water begins to flow. If you are unable to locate the frozen pipe or the section that is frozen, call a plumber.
Remember, if you do experience flooding from a broken pipe, call Hi-Tech. We’ll respond immediately to clean up the water damage and restore your home or property for you.
Contact us online 24/7 or call (914) 423-4600 to learn more about our water cleanup, carpet & textiles care, specialty cleaning, stone and tile restoration, and our emergency damage removal services in Westchester County, Yonkers and the NYC Area.
This is one of a series of articles written and published on behalf of Stone and Tile PRO Partners.
