If you have lived in the Philadelphia area for any length of time you have discovered that frozen pipes can be a major concern. Often this problem creeps up on you while you’re sleeping, then when you go to take a shower… bam… no water. More dreadful is to find out that a burst pipe is pouring water into your kitchen, bath, basement or even attic!
Daniels HVAC in Philadelphia has responded to hundreds of frozen pipe repair calls over its 25 years of dedicated service and we’ve seen everything from a simple leak, all the way to major flood damage. With the escalating costs of insurance, this is an important topic for Philadelphia residents to consider.
Here are some useful tips on how to prevent frozen water pipes in your Philadelphia home:
Start with a Comprehensive Inspection
With Philadelphia being a city that is always seemingly under construction we have quite a range of homes differing in age, location and building structure. Naturally older homes with older pipes are going to be more susceptible to frozen pipes than a modern home. For that reason and inspection of the exposed pipes in your Philadelphia home is a good place to start. When making your inspection, be careful as pipes can be hot and have jagged edges especially near the connections.
Look for signs of discoloration and buildup of sediments that will have a (white, green and/or black) chalky feel and appearance to them. (more likely for galvanized pipes) Take the extra time to completely track all pipes within the home, many older Philadelphia homes have water pipes that will go up and through the attic to access different parts of the home. With these pipes especially, if not properly insulated, are very susceptible to cold temperatures.
If you see any pipes that you feel may be susceptible to bursting or need to inspect pipes that are inaccessible; be sure to call Daniels HVAC in Philadelphia to assist. Our comprehensive maintenance package includes the preventative inspection of water pipes both in and outside your home.
Temperature control
If all of your water pipes are in good structural condition then temperature control is the next step to keep your water pipes from freezing. Making sure that the temperature in your home does not drop below freezing, in certain areas, naturally is the primary solution. Basements and attics that have exposed pipes (and are not traditionally heated) are two of the main areas that we see as trouble spots in the service calls that we make.
By wrapping exposed pipe in insulation and making sure that the temperature in those areas stays regulated above freezing, will be of your first and greatest benefit to prevent the pipes from freezing. Many times, to prevent these areas from getting too cold, Philadelphia residents will use space heaters to regulate the temperature: this is not a practice that is recommended by Daniels HVAC in Philadelphia.
For many basements and attics that have exposed water pipes it may be possible to redirect forced heat ductwork to stabilize the temperature in these areas. This will not make these areas as warm as the rest of your home, but will keep the temperature regulated at around 50° (the optimum temperature to keep pipes from freezing). If you are unsure about affordable and safe ways to heat the areas where the water pipes would be exposed, be sure to contact Daniels HVAC. We’ve been serving Philadelphia residents for over 25 years dealing with situations just like this. We can inspect and prevent burst water pipes by adding appropriate insulation and safe temperature control methods in the vulnerable areas of your home.
Daniels HVAC has been Serving the Philadelphia area for over 25 years. Call today to see the difference experience can make! (267) 971-3639
Exterior Exposure
It’s the little things that you never think about that usually cause the biggest problems. The main culprit for frozen pipes in your Philadelphia home comes from the outside water spigot. With this exposed metal component extruding from the outside wall it is open and accessible to the full brunt of the cold Philadelphia weather. When the cold temperatures hit, it literally works like a fuse (as pipes are good conductors of both heat and cold) bringing the cold weather into your piping system. If the spigot is directly outside of where your kitchen or bathroom plumbing is located it can have a dual effect freezing both the mainline as well as subsequent lines that are close to the frozen section.
Prevention
Prevention for this particular problem can be solved for less than five dollars. Home-improvement stores carry a spigot insulator cup that can be installed in a matter of seconds. You can also elect to have Daniels HVAC install an interior shut off valve on pipes leading to outside spigots.
How to Fix a Frozen Pipe – Article coming soon!
When Experience Counts
As you can see in this article, as well as our other articles, Daniels HVAC has been faithfully serving Philadelphia for over 25 years. Our vast experience in heating, air-conditioning and plumbing goes beyond our certifications, well into a level of expertise that can only be honed through years of dedicated service on a wide variety of different systems. Locally owned and operated you can trust that we will always give the best price for the highest level of service; taking into account quality parts, manufacture warranties and our own workmanship guarantee.
Useful Links
Learn More about Heater Repair Services offered By Daniels HVAC Philadelphia – Click Here
See what our customers are saying about our HVAC Repair Services Philadelphia – Click Here