Wet basement or attic from icy FROZEN pipes in Bronxville NY 10708

With crazy low temps that I'm calling "Bi-polar weather" -- heck with Polar Vortexes -- some of us may have the messy and often expensive issue of frozen pipes.  If it could just be normal in the mid-Atlantic without Climate Change -- extreme high and low temps --and get above freezing for days, right?!  

We are now national partners with The American Red Cross (ARC), who's teams were so helpful to New Yorkers after Superstorm Sandy.  Along with the many local floods and fires that our Servpro of Scarsdale... responds to annually, we are partners in helping local home and business owners avoid the damages and trauma of a flood or fire.  

Below are some of ours and the ARC's information, with some suggestions about preventing water pipes from bursting in your home or business:  

Keeping your property's water pipes from freezing, and knowing how to thaw them if they do freeze, can help as our ARCTIC 2015 continues:

Why Pipe Freezing is a Problem

Water has a unique property in that it expands as it freezes. This expansion puts tremendous pressure on whatever is containing it, including metal or plastic pipes. No matter the "strength" of a container, expanding water can cause pipes to break. Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets. Pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation are also subject to freezing.

 Preventing Frozen Pipes

Before days of freezing weather impacts your properties pipes, the following recommendations can help prevent a top down flood from pipes bursting in your attic, or a wet basement / lower level:

·     Drain water from water sprinkler supply lines following manufacturer's or installer's directions. Do not put antifreeze in these lines unless directed. Antifreeze is environmentally harmful, and is dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife, and landscaping.

·     Remove, drain, and store hoses used outdoors. Close inside valves supplying outdoor hose bibs. Open the outside hose bibs to allow water to drain. Keep the outside valve open so that any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break.

·     Check around the home for other areas where water supply lines are located in unheated areas. Look in the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated.

·     Consider installing specific products made to insulate water pipes like a "pipe sleeve" or installing UL-listed "heat tape," "heat cable," or similar materials on exposed water pipes. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes – even ¼” of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that usually do not have frequent or prolonged temperatures below freezing.

During Cold Weather, Take Preventative Action

·     Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.

·     Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children or pets.

      Forrest and I hope you never need us for a flood, or have to get help from any other qualified restoration company.  That's why I offer helpful Home Safety Tips from Hillary like this one.  Be warm, watch out for frostbite tonight.  Plus wrap any exposed pipes as temps stay below freezing this week everyone!

Take care of your Bronxville Home or Business, as our overnight temperatures goes up and down, weakening older pipes in the next two weeks -- and, you can avoid a flood disaster.  

Happy Valentines Day!