Turn Up the Heat on Frozen Pipes

Colorado winters have a whimsical way of making our plumbing systems resemble the frozen caverns of the Ice Planet Hoth (yea, your plumber just referenced Star Wars, we’re cool like that).

See what I mean?

Anyways, as we all know prevention is better than reaction. So with that in mind we give you the number one way to prevent your pipes from freezing:

KEEP YOUR HEAT SET TO AT LEAST 65°F AT ALL TIMES!
(when it’s below freezing outside, of course)

Yep, that easy. Fight the freeze with heat!

Is it 100% effective? No, it certainly isn’t. Winter in Colorado can be brutal and when it hits 10 below outside there’s a good chance a pipe in your garage or along an exterior wall will freeze, but this will prevent the other, easy to avoid problems.

Now, you may ask, “Chris, why do I care if a pipe freezes, won’t it just thaw?”

Great question!

The answer is yes, over time it will thaw. But when the weather is consistently below freezing this can take a VERY long time; days even. It’s best to just prevent the pipe from freezing than worrying about thawing it.

“But can’t plumbing companies come out and thaw my pipe?”

Sure, some can, if they can find it. Because of the amount of and complexity of the waterlines in your home it may be difficult or impossible to locate the freeze, and even worse it may involve making several holes in your drywall and ceiling before successfully located. There’s also a higher than 50% chance that the thawing machine used to warm the freeze will cause the copper line to split, forcing you to repair the line at an additional cost. That’s why McAdams Plumbing doesn’t recommend this practice.

“But I have PEX piping, not copper, what about that?”

Great! Pex handles frozen pipes much better than copper. It can expand and contract to its original form dramatically. This protects your home from freeze breaks. If you can locate the freeze in your PEX pipe you can easily fix it by slowly warming the spot with a hair dryer. PEX is fracture resistant, so there’s lower chance of it splitting, but it’s still possible. If you can’t locate the freeze, however, you’re still in the same boat of having to wait for the freeze to thaw.

I hope that helps give you a plan for protecting your home from frozen and broken pipes. You can find more tips on how to prevent frozen and broken pipes below in the “More Prevention Tactics” section.

Happy Monday and stay warm everyone!

-Chris

 More Prevention Tactics:

In order to make keeping your heat above 65°F more effective you can also open up all your cabinets, closets, and access panels in the house to allow the warm air to move around freely. The more “cold pockets” you have in your home the more likely it is you will have to deal with a frozen pipe.

Also ensure that any pipes you have running along an exterior wall or exposed to the atmosphere in anyway (outside of home, crawlspace, garage) are heavily insulated. Standard fiberglass insulation and foam pipe insulation are good options for this.

Finally, but most effectively, simply turn off your whole house water and open your faucets before you go to bed. By doing this you remove all water and pressure from your plumbing system while you are sleeping, and when the weather is the coldest, and make it close to impossible for your pipes to freeze. No water, no ice!

*Image courtesy of Starwarsreport.com.

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Frozen Pipes: 7 Easy Precautions to Take

Well I’m sure all of our friends and neighbors noticed the snow over the weekend. That’s Colorado’s way of saying Happy Mother’s Day!

Many folks (myself included)  got a head start on their lawns thinking we were in the Spring free and clear. Not the case apparently.

I’ve posted blogs on how to deal with frozen pipes before, so this will be a refresher. The difference is this time we’ll hear from the great people over at Sobieski Plumbing.

To see the complete blog in it’s origin, click here, otherwise read below to hear their 7 tips for avoiding frozen pipes.

Frozen Yard Faucet

Frozen Pipes: 7 Easy Precautions to Take

Nothing can make a winter more memorable – in a bad way – than frozen pipes. Besides the inconvenience of scheduling repairs and going without water till they’ve been completed, frozen pipes can result in pipes rupturing and potential flooding, resulting in costly damages to home and property. The good news is that with the right preparation and professional assistance, the risk of damage from frozen pipes can be minimized.

1. Drain water from outside basins, pools and water sprinkler lines.

If you use an external well pump, turn it off and open the water valves to reduce the pressure in the lines. Keep the valves open until the pressure drops and water no longer exits from the faucet.

2. Insulate exposed pipes…

…especially in crawl spaces, garages and attics with products designed for water pipes such as “pipe sleeves,” or install thermostatically controlled heat cables. Enlisting the help of a plumbing professional can help save time and effort.

3.Seal air leaks around the home.

Drafts are a source for freezing temperature. Depending on the type of leak, use caulk, weatherstripping or spray foam around window and door frames, dryer vents, electrical wiring, and wherever air leaks are found near exposed pipes.

4. Monitor your thermostat

Keep your home thermostat set no lower than 55 (McAdams Plumbing recommends 62* due to the harsh nature of Colorado winters) degrees F, even when you’re on away from home for a long period. The warmer it is inside, the less chance the pipes will freeze.

5. Open cabinet doors

Keep cabinet doors open in critical areas such as kitchens and bathrooms to allow warmer air to circulate around exposed pipes.

6. Allow your faucets to drip

Have a faucet open just enough to drip. If it’s tied to a hot and cold line, open both lines enough to drip together. Water movement reduces the likelihood of water becoming frozen.

7. Schedule a seasonal plumbing inspection

Finally, having an expert plumbing service perform a system review to identify potential risks can go a long way towards preventing future damage from frozen pipes.

Sobieski Services. "Frozen Pipe: 7 Easy Precautions to Take." Weblog Post. Sobieski Services' Home Comfort Blog. 20 Jan. 2014. 12 May 2014. 

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Careful of Spring Freeze Breaks

Spring is upon us, which means it’s time to keep an eye open for any freeze breaks in the pipes that have been dormant all winter.

As we all gear up to start watering our lawns and playing outside again, make sure you inspect your yard waterlines for leaks.

Common points of freeze breaks include:

• Yard faucet (silcock)
• Pressure vacuum breakers (yard back flow prevention devices)
• Sprinkler system shut-off valves
• Waterlines running to sprinkler heads (Repaired by Sprinler Co.)

Some of these problems will become very obvious very quickly. Other might be a little under the radar.

When you activate your sprinkler system for the first time make sure you walk through each zone one by one and look for any abnormal pooling or inactivity among the spray heads. If there is a break it may prevent water from ever releasing out of the sprinkler. Also, check your sprinkler zone boxes in the ground for water accumulation. If this is happening contact your sprinkler service company ASAP.

Make sure to check your vacuum breaker, shut-off valves, and yard faucets for leaks. These leaks could appear inside or outside of the house, so for your own sake be thorough!

Also, if you fear you may have a leak but can’t find it, check your water gauge at the curb of your home. Make sure all sources of water are shut off inside the house then watch the water dial for any movement. If it shows water consumption but you know everything is in the off position you may have a hidden leak.

In any case of a leak it’s best to have it taken care of right away to prevent any further damage to your home or lawn and also prevent water waste.

If you have any questions or are worried you might have a leak you can’t find, give us a call at 303-465-1900 and we’ll get someone out to you ASAP.

Lastly, make sure your check our Specials page before you call to take advantage of any deals that my apply to you, including $25.00 off any yard faucet repair/replacement!

As a final thought, remember that the weather is still a bit unstable right now. So if you have already started enjoying your lawns, be sure to shut down your system when not in use and disconnect your hoses from yard faucets. A quick Colorado snow can be enough to break those connections overnight.

Thanks for reading along and happy Monday everyone!

The Proof is in the Plumbing!

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Looks Like Colorado Found the Winter

Happy Monday Colorado, and it looks like we finally found the winter!

So we know what winter means: Slick roads, early darkness, and temperatures dropping well below zero, especially at night. The most important thing to remember when the weather starts changing like this is to drive safe, keep your headlights or running lights on, even during the day, and be patient. Allow yourself extra time to get to and from work. Be forgiving to other people on the road and don’t let all the darkness get you down.

Also, from the plumbing angle, make sure to take a few steps to keep your home protected from potential freeze breaks and other weather-related issues. Try the following steps:

• Make sure to keep your heat on and set to no less than 64° F
• Keep the doors, closets, and cabinets open to ensure that warm air circulates
• Keep you garage door shut
• Don’t be fooled by random warm days; if you get a warm day and decide to do some gardening, make sure you disconnect your hose and fully shut the valve off
• If you’re leaving for more than 24 hours, shut your main water off and open a kitchen faucet to allow warm air in

These are just a few easy steps you can take to protect your home from the dangers of freeze breaks. If you do run into any frozen pipes, check out our Do-It-Yourself pipe thawing section. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to call, email, or leave a comment below. We’re here to help.

The Proof is in the Plumbing!

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Grease: Your Drain’s Worst Enemy

Thanksgiving is around the corner, which offers us this week’s blog topic: grease in your drains. It’s important that you remember after that big meal full of sleep inducing turkey, not to pour grease and food scraps down your drain. Most people are under the impression that you can put some food in your garbage disposal, I mean, that’s why it’s there right? Wrong! Even though your garbage disposal may be able to handle small, non-fibrous food scraps, your drains are not designed to. Food waste, grease, and debris builds up in your drain pipes and causes blockages.

The best way to avoid this problem is to ALWAYS brush all of your food scraps into the garbage before you wash your dishes. This will ensure you keep your drains clear and clog free and your garbage disposal free of performance reducing grease. In order to properly dispose of grease and oils, especially if using a turkey fryer, follow these steps:

• Once cooled, pour cooking oil and grease into a non-recyclable container; add kitty litter or coffee grounds, seal the container, and place in the trash.
• Scrape food scraps from dishes into trash. Minimize the use of your garbage disposal because even cooked foods contain oil and grease that can clog sewer lines.
• Remove oil and grease from dishes, pots, and pans with a paper towel or napkin.
• Pre-wash dishes, pans, and pots with cold water before putting them in the dish washer. Hot water does not remove oil or grease but rather liquifies them. Once they cool they return to solids and can clog the sewer lines.

For additional information about how to care for your drains in a safe, natural way, please take a look at this article from our friends at Networx.com:

http://www.networx.com/article/care-for-your-drain-the-natural-way

Hope you enjoyed the blog. If you have any questions or comment please leave them in the comment section below or call us at 303-898-0851. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Google+.

The Proof is in the Plumbing!

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Getting New Counters? Think Plumbing!

If you’re thinking about have new counters installed, make sure you talk with you plumber first!

What many people don’t know, and what many counter installers won’t/can’t tell you, is that if you have new counters installed in your kitchen or bathroom, you may need to adjust your plumbing. The plumbing under your sink is set to a certain elevation, and because of the Uniform Plumbing Code, must maintain specific standards. If the counters you are installing are thicker, or are going to be set higher or lower, it could mean you need to drastically alter the existing drain pipes. Also, You must make sure the the counters are drilled to the same measurements of your current sink basin. If this step is overlooked than the counters you receive may cause you to have to buy an entirely new sink, whether you wanted one or not.

The reason many counter installers won’t tell you all of this information is because they may not know. They are not plumbers, so we shouldn’t expect them to know all the rules of plumbing. However, they should know to tell you to contact a plumber to make sure the counters you are installing will match your current set-up. You’re likely going to need your plumber afterwards to set all of you kitchen/bathroom fixtures and pipes back up afterwards, so you might as well include them from the get go and make your life a little easier. It sure spares the headache of making adjustments after the counters are already in place.

Thanks for reading along. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future blog posts please feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Remember, with McAdams Plumbing, The Proof is in the Plumbing!

-MP

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Fun Fact of the Week

Time for another Mcadams Plumbing Fun Fact of the Week! I know, you’re all just sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to see what we’re up to. Well, let’s end the suspense!

This week we’re going to talk about copper pipes. Now, I know we’ve touched on this subject in a previous Fun Fact when we told you that over 5.3 million miles of copper piping has been installed in U.S. buildings. That’s a lot of copper! But do you know how long copper pipes have been used?

The copper piping that we use in homes and building for our plumbing needs is the same material that the Egyptians used some 3000 years ago! That’s pretty awesome! Those Egyptians, smart people…

(Credit http://shirt.woot.com for the picture)

Anyway, that’s all we have for today. As always we would love to hear your questions, comments, or suggestions for future blogs. You can comment below or contact us at [email protected]. Thanks, and remember, the Proof is in the Plumbing!

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