Your Guide to Preventing Frozen Pipes in Your Yorkville Home This Winter

Winter in Yorkville is beautiful, very chilly, and windy. It is common for temperatures to drop to 16 degrees, with the sky partly cloudy most of the time.

This extreme chill factor brings the risk of frozen pipes in most homes in Yorkville. If the water in your pipes freezes, it will expand, potentially resulting in cracked or burst pipes.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can prevent this from happening. Keep reading to discover why pipes freeze and what you can do about it.

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Why Frozen Pipes Are a Concern in Yorkville

Illinois is well known for its harsh winters, and Yorkville is not spared. When there are cold fronts or polar vortexes, it hits the state hard.

Bone-chilling temperatures mean very cold air outside and inside your home. This also means that the water in your plumbing pipes will likely freeze unless you intervene.

If you have an older Yorkville home, you will also have to make an extra effort to prevent your pipes from freezing. If you don’t, frozen pipes can burst, flooding your home and costing you a ton of money in repairs.

Signs That Your Pipes Are Frozen

If your pipes are starting to freeze, there will be obvious signs. But you will only notice them if you know what to look for.

For instance, reduced or zero water flow from a faucet may indicate that the water is already frozen inside the pipe. If you notice frost on the surface of a pipe or smell strange odors from your drains, it could also mean the pipe is frozen.

Preventing Frozen Pipes in Your Home

You should not wait for the dead of winter to protect your plumbing pipes against the cold. Instead, do the following during the last weeks of fall (or earlier):

• Maintain a consistent indoor temperature. If you usually leave your thermostat off during the day, you need to practice leaving it on as the days get colder. Leave the heat on even when you are not home, and ensure the temperature indoors is above 55°F. If you leave home, open the cabinet doors under your kitchen and bathroom sinks. As your home heats up, the warmer air will swirl around the pipes there, preventing them from freezing.
• Do not close your faucets on extremely cold days. When a polar vortex hits, leave one or two faucets slightly open. The slow drip or trickle of water will make it harder for the pipes to freeze.
• Insulate your home against cold drafts. Cold drafts can add to the risk of frozen pipes. These drafts usually enter your home through cracks, holes, or openings around windows, doors, ceilings, and walls. If you notice a draft in your home, look for these defects and seal them using caulk or spray foam. Add extra insulation to colder rooms in your home, including the basement, attic, and garage.
• Protect pipes in unheated areas. Insulating the colder areas in your home is not enough to prevent pipes from freezing. You also need to insulate the pipes themselves. Focus on pipes near exterior walls and windows, where there is more likely to be colder air. Heat tape or cables can provide extra protection by keeping pipes consistently warm.

Preventing Outdoor Frozen Pipes

It is important to protect outdoor pipes and water supply lines as well. Remove garden hoses from bibs and drain them. You should also shut off the water supply to these outdoor pipes (if you have a secondary supply line). You do not want water to remain in the pipes, as it can quickly freeze.

Consider adding insulated covers to outdoor bibs and spigots. You can replace your old spigots with frost-free versions if you have a newer home.

What to Do When a Pipe Freezes

If a pipe freezes in your home, it may burst and flood the interior. If there is sudden flooding in your house or basement, turn off the main water valve and call a professional plumber.

Be careful not to touch any electrical appliances where the house is flooded. Stay far away if the water covers these appliances or flows around them. If you can turn off the electricity safely, do so. If not, wait for the professionals to help you.

If there is no burst pipe but no water is flowing from the faucet, you have a frozen pipe. You can try to thaw the pipe but do not attempt this with an open flame, as it can start a house fire.

Only use a hair dryer, heating pads, and hot towels. Wrap the pads or towels around the pipe as close to the faucet as possible. You want to work your way from the frozen section of the pipe.

It will take a while, but eventually, the ice will melt. Just leave the faucet open so the water can drip out. If the ice does not melt, call a plumber for help.

Why Preventing Frozen Pipes Is Worth the Effort

Preventing a frozen pipe is much more cost-effective than fixing or replacing one. And, with burst pipes due to freezing, you will also have water damage and potential structural damage, adding to your expenses.

It is better to try to prevent pipes from freezing in the first place than to remedy the situation afterward.

Summers PHC Is Here to Help

If you need help protecting your plumbing system or already have a frozen pipe to deal with, Summers Plumbing Heating & Cooling can help. We can assist you in winterizing your Yorkville home or repairing damage already done.

Make the most of our local specials when you book a repair service, maintenance, or inspection. Call 630-409-0188 for more information or schedule a service online.