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Avoid Frozen Water Pipes

While the average winter temperature for Plano is 44 degrees, there are occasions when the temperature drops below freezing. With freezing temperatures there is a good chance that unprotected water pipes will freeze. When this happens you may experience only the annoyance of interrupted water service until the water in the pipes thaw. Unfortunately, for a few, the water line may rupture and cause property damage and require plumbing repairs.

You would probably like to know how to avoid this problem. There are several preventive measures that can reduce your chances of having your water lines freeze.

Shut off the outside water valve, disconnect water hoses and drain water from pipes, via an open faucet. For more information regarding how to shut-off your water source, click here.
Allow a trickle of hot and cold water to drip. The cost of the wasted water is small compared to the damage from frozen pipes. CAUTION: Be certain you are not running water into a drain line that is exposed to extreme cold as that line might freeze as well.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors under sinks to allow heat from the room to circulate around un-insulated pipes.
Keep plumbing pipes from freezing (especially pipes in the north wall) in unused rooms by allowing heat to circulate through the rooms.
Insulate all pipes in areas where there is no heat, such as the garage or crawl space. Apply heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables around pipes that are exposed to the weather and prone to freeze. You can purchase a variety of insulating and heating devices to install on both inside and outside plumbing (see picture to the right for sample of an outside faucet device). Check with your local plumbing supplier for details.
Seal any air leaks around doors and windows to reduce cold air penetration.

If you have a problem and need our assistance please contact our office at 972-941-7105, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or for after hours at 972-727-1623. We can shut the water off in the event of an emergency to prevent further damage and to allow necessary repairs.

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