Content of the article:
Freezing pipes is one of the most unpleasant problems that the owner of a country house can face. We will share tips on how to deal with this disaster and make the ice melt.
Iced communications can cause leaks becausefrozen water expands, causing cracks in copper pipes. In addition to the fact that the water permeability can be reduced to a minimum, or stop altogether, you run the risk of facing the need for serious repair of cracks when the pipes are thawed.
How to prevent
pipes from freezing First, all water pipes should be located away from the outer walls so that the cold winter weather does not affect them. If there is no other way than to install the pipes on the outer partition, then take care of their good insulation. The best materials for this are rubber or glass wool.
Pipes should also be insulated in all unheated premises( cellar, basement, attic, and garage).Find sources of drafts( openings for cables, ventilation shafts, windows) and insulate the pipes in these places.
Before the start of winter, turn off the main valve, which is responsible for supplying water through the remaining pipe lines. Then open the tap of each line and let the remaining water flow out until the liquid stops dripping. After that, close the taps.
How to protect pipes from ice formation at low temperatures
Always keep the garage doors and entrance doors closed. Any sources of drafts should be sealed.
Slightly open the hot and cold taps to start trickling a little trickle. This will ensure the continuous movement of water through the pipes, not allowing ice to form.
Set the thermostat to maintain the temperature not lower than + 13ºC day and night. If the house is not very well insulated, then heating is better to strengthen. Keep all doors open to allow heat to fill the entire house and warm the pipes in the walls.
Open cabinets under sinks in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Thus, the warm air from the room will circulate around the plumbing connections located there.
Ensure that cleaning products and other chemicals are out of the reach of children and animals.
Check with the weather forecast to be aware of upcoming frosts.
What to do if the pipes are frozen. How to make the ice thaw
If the water has ceased to flow from the tap, or barely goes, then, most likely, the pipe is clogged by the formed ice. Check all taps to determine if the entire water supply is frozen. If so, turn off the main valve, leave all taps open and call a plumber.
If only one pipe is frozen, open the appropriate tap to help the water start moving as soon as it thaws. Find the valve closest to the mash and do not block it until you are sure that the pipe has really cracked.
Try a trick with a hairdryer. First, find the area where ice forms. Then, starting from the faucet and moving along the pipe to the frozen zone, heat it up with a hairdryer from above and below. Do this until the full water pressure is restored in the open tap. Then reduce the pressure to a small stream and allow it to flow until the ice has completely melted.
When working with a hairdryer, make sure that it does not come into contact with water, which may begin to flow from a crack in a pipe.
. If the water flows during warming up, immediately turn off the dryer and close the nearest stop valve. Keep the crane open. After that, call the plumber to fix the damage to the pipe.
If you don’t get to the problem area with a hairdryer, you should also turn off the water supply valve and leave the water tap in the open position.
