Frigid Winter and Frozen Pipes. How to prevent them, and is subsequent damage covered?

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Frigid Winter and Frozen Pipes. How to prevent them, and is subsequent damage covered?

Jan 27, 2022

Frozen Pipes Can Result In An Array of Damage to Your Home

Tis the season for frigid temperatures. What comes with arctic cold snaps? Burst pipes and subsequent water damage.

Losses caused by frozen plumbing can be as minimal as excess water in a basement, multi-room destruction, and even total property losses.

As the temperatures continue to dip, what can be done to protect your home from this kind of disaster?

Early signs of a frozen pipe include restricted or stopped water flow. Those with basements should check there first to see if any signs of water show in the lower portions of your home.

If no leak is found, see if you can locate an area where water pipes might have been exposed to extreme cold to check for ruptures. Copper piping is more vulnerable to rupturing than is the more modern Pex.

If your search reveals your pipes are frozen but have not yet burst, you have a couple of choices:

Call a plumber: Most times, it is a better option to let a pro seek out the problem and safely correct it.
DIY: Beware. Frozen pipes can create a deluge in a hurry. It might be a good idea to shut off the water main ahead of any attempt to thaw what appears to be a frozen section.

Prevention is worth a pound of cure. Numerous steps can be taken to ward off bust pipes. Some may be obvious, but here are a few:

Drain water from pipes that are prone to freezing. This includes a swimming pool and sprinkler supply lines.
Disconnect hoses from outside your home. Drain the hoses and store them in your garage or shed. Close the valves supplying outside faucets.
Insulate areas that may allow cold air to enter where plumbing exists in your home. Look for wall cracks, windows, and vents to the outside.
Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets that surround plumbing to allow warmer air to circulate.
Allow faucets to drip cold water on the coldest days. Even a little water movement will make it more difficult for water to freeze.
Keep thermostats at a reasonable temperature even at night or away from home.

One of our core companies, Erie Insurance, realizes 2,000 claims per day during an average January winter, according to Chris Zimmer, Senior VP of Claims. A number of them are due to frozen pipes.

Like to know if your homeowners’ policy covers frozen pipes? Don’t hesitate to give our office a call or drop an email to: Service@RyanAgency.com