Damaged and Frozen Pipes

Due to the physical properties of water; it expands when it freezes. People often dismiss the power of ice, and the damage it can do - but the fact is, if your pipes start freezing, you may have to spend a lot of money to fix them later.

When ice begins to form, it causes water to expand. If water fills a pipe, and then expands, the pressure within the pipe can easily cause a pipe to burst. Even strong metal pipes can be susceptible to damage. The main issues come once the water has thawed, as by now the pipe is probably ruptured, which means that water can leave the pipe and cause damage to its surroundings. This can add considerable expense later, and can cause severe damage to household items. The pipes most vulnerable to freezing are ones located in unheated areas of the home, such as garages and cellars. Lofts are also commonly affected, though with proper insulation in the loft and around the pipes, frozen pipes can be prevented. Outdoor pipes are also vulnerable, particularly hosepipes, which often trap water when not in use.

The key to avoiding frozen pipes is prevention. There are a number of measures a homeowner can take to prevent the stress and expense caused by a ruptured pipe.

• In winter, any hosepipes should be drained and disconnected, and ideally should be stored indoors
• You should visually survey your property, looking for pipework which may be affected during freezing weather. Areas such as lofts, cellars and garages should be checked, and the pipes should be insulated if required.
• If pipes are not insulated, consider investing in some professional pipe insulation products. These can be expensive, though in the long term could potentially save a fortune. An alternative method is to use newspaper rolled around the pipe - this is not as effective, but it does provide a basic short term protection. If a cold snap is approaching, and you are concerned about the pipes in the very short term, a heater or a heat lamp could be engaged - simply directing the heat to the pipes. Bear in mind that smaller diameter pipes will be affected sooner than wider pipes such as drains and sewers.
• If you have water pipework in your garage, do not leave the garage door open for long periods of time in cold weather, as it will not take long for pipes to freeze. If you have an internal door between your home and garage, it may be worth leaving it ajar, allowing heat to pass from the heated home to the un-heated garage.
• During cold weather, taps connected to exposed pipework should be turned on periodically, allowing water to flow. The temperature of the running water will help prevent the pipes from freezing.
• If you go away during winter, leave your heating on. Every year people go away without doing this, returning home to flooding and large plumbing bills.

The first indication of a frozen pipe is usually when turning a tap on fails to give any water, or give nothing more than a trickle. In this case, your first priority should be to trace the pipe leading to the tap in question and attempt to find out where the pipe is frozen. Leave the tap open, so that when thawing occurs, the water can flow without putting pressure on the pipe.

There are several methods of thawing the pipe. The most obvious is to apply heat to the affected area. Ideally, this should be done using a heat lamp, portable heater or a heat pad, though hairdryers or cloths/towels soaked in hot water will provide the same effect, and are probably easier to come by in most homes. Under no circumstances should you use a blowtorch or any other open-flame device on the pipes, as this could well cause the water within to boil and explode the pipe; and in the case of plastic pipes could also melt them. Additionally, some insulation materials are combustible, and would react with the flame, causing even more issues!

If frozen pipes are located close to gas pipes, proceed with extreme caution. In most cases, you should call an experienced plumber out to the pipes, as heating the pipes could have an adverse effect, and again could cause even more problems.

If you have successfully thawed the frozen pipe, water should begin to flow from the tap you left open earlier. At this point, other taps in the home should be checked, as it is possible that other pipes may also be frozen.