Avoid Winter Water Damage From Frozen Pipes With These Tips For The Spokane Area

10/8/2015 (Permalink)

Whether you have city or well water, all water coming into your home is processed through pipes that run to each faucet from outside of your home in the Spokane area. As the weather becomes colder, the pipes and water get colder as well, increasing the chances of water damage. Freezing temperatures can damage your pipes, causing water damage and can even make them freeze. Because water expands when it freezes, in can cause the pipes to expand or even burst. There are several ways to protect your home from expensive water damage due to frozen pipes.

Supplies Needed to Prepare Your Pipes

There are several items you will need to help prepare your pipes for freezing weather to prevent water damage. All of the supplies should be available at your local home improvement store in Spokane, Deer Park, or Colville. Depending on the water flow of your pipes, to prevent water damage, you may need a drain snake or liquid drain opener. There are several types of insulation available for pipes. This includes pipe sleeves and insulation tape to prevent water damage. For areas of your house that aren’t heated, small space heaters may be required. 

Prepare In Advance 

Although the winter cold does not arrive until mid-to-late November, it’s important to prepare your pipes, inside and out, in advance to prevent water damage. Early to mid-October is the best time to prepare your pipes from freezing. Any outside water source should be drained. Turn off the water supply to the exterior water sources to prevent water damage. After the water supply is off, drain all external faucets, hoses, pools and anything that uses the internal pipe supply to prevent water damage. After draining the external water supply, take all hoses indoors in a warmer environment. Insulate external water faucets and linesusing insulated tape or pipe sleeves. 

Internal Pipes and Preparation 

Before preparing for potential freezing temperatures that could cause water damage, ensure your internal pipes are free of clogs and debris. Slow drains can complicate problems that can occur with cold weather. You can use plumbing supplies such as a snake, drain cleaners or other products. You can also use baking soda and vinegar. After pouring baking soda and vinegar down your drains, allow it to sit for about 5 to 10 minutes. Boil water and flush each drain with the boiling water. For aggressive clogs that can quickly cause water damage, you may wish to call a plumber in Spokane, Deer Park, Colville or Kettle Falls. Cleaning your pipes will allow water to flow more freely and not add to the potential for pipes to freeze and water damage to occur.  

Inspect All of Your Internal Pipes

Carefully inspect all of your internal pipes to see if any are leaking and causing water damage. Also check for temperature differences around your home. In areas of the home in North and West Spokane that are cooler, such as basements, attics, garages, crawl spaces and sunrooms that are not insulated, invest in small, portable space heaters to ensure the pipes stay above freezing to lower the chance of water damage. You can also insulate visible pipes to help protect them from freezing temperatures. Although space heaters will increase your electric bill, frozen and damaged pipes leading to water damage can be much more costly. 

Water Damage When Temperatures Become Bitter Cold  

Because most water pipes run along or close to outside walls for visual aesthetics, when temperatures become bitterly cold, it’s important to allow heat to circulate to as many as those pipes as possible. To prevent water damage, you should open doors and cabinets where those pipes are to allow heat into those areas. Check cold areas of the home and ensure there is enough heat in those areas to keep it above freezing to avoid water damage.

SERVPRO of Spokane County Professionals provide fire and water damage restoration services. SERVPRO of Northwest Spokane proudly serves Spokane, Deer Park, Mead, Colbert, Nine Mile, Chatteroy, Colville, Kettle Falls and surrounding areas. We are available 24 hours/7 days a week and are ready to restore your house so that it feels like home again. You can depend on SERVPRO of Spokane County for these residential services:

• Water Damage Restoration
• Fire Damage Restoration
• Mold Remediation
• Storm Damage Restoration
• Cleaning Services
• Building Services

SERVPRO of Spokane County's fully certified water damage removal staff can perform a complete water damage assessment to your home of office, and then recommend and follow the industries standards to get your water damage removal restoration repaired properly available 24 hours a day. 

SERVPRO of Spokane County is a 24/7 emergency water damage removal & flood clean up repair service company. Our technicians are highly trained and experienced with every water damage situation.