Frozen pipes and how to prevent them?

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Frozen Pipes, Prevent Them: Don’t be left out in the cold! Even if your heat is on and you’re warm inside remember that when the temperature outside drops below freezing your pipes can freeze.

As the water inside your pipes freezes, it turns to ice and the ice expands. Pressure from expanding ice inside your frozen pipes can cause them to form cracks, that leaked water behind your walls and floors or ceilings. In no time flat, cracked pipes can become burst frozen pipes when they defrost, leaving you with a flooded basement and an on going threat of water damage.

^{Here Are Some Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes:}

1. Locate your water shut-off valve
2. Show everyone in the house including your tenants where to find the water shut-off valve and show them how to shut it off
3. Position a couple of flashlights by the water shut-off valve in case you lose electrical power
4. The outside water supply needs to be turned off before temperatures drop below freezing.  Let the taps drain and unscrew any hoses
5. Prevent cold air from entering through your dryer vent, electrical wiring, windows and doors
6. Turn on a cold water tap and run a pencil-thin stream of water in the lowest point of the house like a laundry room tub or sink to prevent the water inside the pipes from freezing

When you’re at risk of bursting your pipes because your pipes are frozen, and water is not running from the faucets, check for cracks and leaks in the pipes by listening for water sounds behind walls and look for water marks on ceilings and floors. If you think you hear water or see signs of water call an emergency plumber.

^{Follow these steps while waiting for your emergency plumber:}

1. Turn off the main water supply to the house. Look in the basement for the shut- off valve that supplies water to your house plumbing.
2. Turn on a cold-water tap in the basement or a sink in the next lowest point in the house like the kitchen, to drain the remaining water in your pipes.
3. Close the garage doors
4. Turn the heat up in your house if your furnace is working and light your fire-place or wood stove
5. Let the warm air circulate around the plumbing by opening the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom doors and cabinets.

If your basement is flooded you’ll need to safely remove the water and any mold that may have grown behind the walls, floors or ceilings. The rooms and your belongings need to be disinfected and dried out in addition to repairing and replacing the damaged pipes. Call a water damage restoration company like GTA Restoration, serving Toronto & the GTA, and they can assist you with water extraction, drying and restoration of furniture and belongings.

Professional restoration companies are properly equipped to pump out the water, clean, disinfect and, most importantly thoroughly dry and repair your space safely.

^{How to Thaw Frozen Pipes inside your Home or Commercial Property:}

1. Look for the water shut-off valve and turn it off
2. Drain the remaining water inside the pipes by turning on a cold water faucet in the basement or the lowest point of the house
3. Find the location where the pipe is frozen by checking where the service pipe enters the home and check the pipes near the exterior walls
4. Warm the air around the frozen pipe by turning up the heat in the house, opening doors and cabinets to increase warm air circulation, and closing the garage doors
5. Using a space heater, hair dryer, electric heating pad, or a warm towel, apply heat directly to the pipe
6. Do no use any open flame like a welding torch to thaw a frozen pipe
7. Do not use kerosene, propane heaters, or charcoal stoves
8. Never leave an electrical heating device on and unattended
9. Depending on the temperatures outside thawing might take several hours
10. Once the pipes have thawed turn the water back on slowly
11. Listen for water sounds behind walls and look for water marks, on ceilings and floors.

Call a licensed emergency plumber immediately if you think that your pipes have cracked and water is leaking. GTA Restoration Inc. has licensed plumbers ready to take your call at (416) 358-6666, 24 Hours a day, 7 days a week. With expert knowledge and industrial equipment, their restoration crews can repair your plumbing and your building structure, clean it up, disinfect, dry and restore your property like new.