Water has a very unique property wherein it expands once it freezes. The expansion can put a lot of pressure on anything that contains it, including plastic or metal pipes. Regardless of the strength of the container, pipes can break the moment water expands.

What pipes freeze most frequently?

Pipes exposed to extreme cold such as swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkle lines, and outdoor hose bibs.

Pipes running against exterior walls with no or little insulation.

Water supply pipes are located in unheated interior areas such as crawl spaces and basements, garages, kitchen cabinets, or attics.

Since frozen pipes are the last thing you want to happen, it is important to know how to avoid and thaw frozen pipes.

How to Avoid Frozen Pipes

Always keep the garage doors close if water supply lines are located in the garage.

If the weather is extremely cold outside, allow cold water to drip from the faucet being served by the exposed pipes. Letting the water run through the pipe, even the smallest trickle, can help prevent pipes from freezing.

Open bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors to let warmer air circulate around your plumbing. See to it that you move any dangerous household chemicals and cleaners up out of children’s reach.

If you will be away from your home during cold weather, don’t forget to leave the heat on in your house and set the temperature not lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Keep your thermostat set to a similar temperature both at night and during the day. Through a temporary suspension of using lower temperatures at night, you might get a higher heating bill but you will be able to prevent a more expensive repair job if the pipes freeze and end up bursting.

Also, make sure to monitor your pipes regularly for drain and sewer clogs.

How to Thaw Frozen Pipes

If only a trickle comes out when you turn on the faucet, you should suspect that the pipe is frozen. Possible areas for frozen pipes include against the exterior walls or where the water service enters your house through the foundation.

Let your faucet stay open. While treating the frozen pipe and the frozen spot starts to melt, water will also begin to flow through the frozen spot. You can melt the ice inside the pipe if you run water through it.

Check the rest of the faucets in your house to determine if there are other frozen pipes. When one pipe freezes, the rest may freeze as well.

Apply some heat to the part of the pipe by wrapping the pipe with an electric heating pad, a portable space heater, or an electric hair dryer, or you can also wrap the pipes with towels dampened in hot water. Never use propane or kerosene heater, blowtorch, charcoal stove, or any other open flame devices.

Continue applying heat until you restore the full water pressure. If you cannot locate the frozen spot, or you don’t have access to it, or you cannot simply thaw the pipe, contact a licensed plumber or professional drain cleaner.

As a homeowner, you need to consider several factors to purchase the right water heater. In so doing, you will be saving utility costs, and repair and maintenance costs. Here are factors to consider:

Energy efficiency rating

Since you will depend on the water heater for about 10-15 years, you can end up wasting a lot of money paying utility bills. Therefore, consider SEER rating to get an energy-efficient appliance which is economical. The higher the SEER rating, the higher the energy efficiency and the higher the purchasing cost. However, it is advisable to spend a few hundred dollars when buying the appliance than paying high utility bills every month for a decade. In fact, you will end up saving a lot of money in the long run if major water heater repairs aren’t needed.

Size of the appliance

You need to consider the size of your family to determine the size of water heater to buy. If you’ve a big family, hot water requirements are high and hence you need to purchase an appliance that will be able to support the family. Therefore, the water heater should be having a large tank that can store more water for reliability and energy-saving purposes. However, you don’t need to buy such an appliance if you live alone or you have two or three family members. You need a medium to small appliance because it can comfortably provide enough hot water.

Type of water heater

Your plumbing system may determine the water heater type to install in your home. Sometimes, you may have to change your plumbing system or the ducts used because they are not compatible with the appliance bought. You need to do little research about available types to make the right decision. This will help you avoid high installation costs after buying the appliance. In addition, there are modern appliances which are energy efficient and effective and you should consider installing them. You will not only benefit from energy efficiency but also low repair and maintenance costs.

It is recommended to seek help from an experienced plumber for advice and suggestions when purchasing and installing a water heater. Alternatively, you can research online from different websites, and read comments and reviews from other people to make the right choice.