How to Prevent Frozen and Burst Pipes | Ask This Old House

Summary

This video provides practical advice for preventing pipe bursts during winter. It covers key precautions like draining outdoor faucets, using frost-proof shields, insulating vulnerable pipes, and employing heat tapes to prevent freezing. The expert also discusses the importance of leaving doors open for warmth in cold areas like kitchens and bathrooms and suggests leaving faucets slightly dripping in extreme conditions. These tips aim to protect your home from the costly damage caused by frozen pipes, ensuring that your plumbing stays intact throughout the colder months.

Takeaways

• 😀 A frozen pipe is not dangerous until it thaws, causing high water pressure that can lead to a burst and flooding.
• 😀 Garden faucets (front and back of the house) are common places where water can freeze and burst.
• 😀 To prevent freezing, it's important to drain water from outdoor faucets and shut off the indoor valve.
• 😀 Make sure to open the outdoor faucet to allow water to drain backward, ensuring pipes between the faucet and valve don't freeze.
• 😀 Frost-proof covers for outdoor faucets protect the pipes from freezing by relocating the valve inside the building where it's warmer.
• 😀 Insulating exposed pipes (e.g., in basements or joist bays) is essential to prevent freezing in vulnerable areas.
• 😀 Heat tapes, equipped with sensors, can be used to prevent freezing by automatically activating when the temperature drops below 38°F.
• 😀 When using heat tape, place the sensor at the coldest point of the pipe to ensure effective prevention of freezing.
• 😀 Some pipes are difficult to access (e.g., in external walls of kitchens and bathrooms), which makes insulation or heat solutions challenging.
• 😀 In cases where pipes are in external walls, leaving doors open or letting faucets drip on very cold days can help prevent freezing.

Q & A

What is the most critical moment to watch out for when dealing with frozen pipes?

The most critical moment is not when the pipe freezes, but when it thaws. Once a frozen pipe thaws, the water pressure is restored, which can lead to a significant mess if the pipe bursts.

How can homeowners protect outdoor garden faucets from freezing?

Homeowners should drain the water from the faucet and ensure that the shutoff valve inside the house is turned off. This prevents water from sitting in the faucet and freezing.

What is the purpose of a frost-proof shield on outdoor faucets?

A frost-proof shield helps prevent freezing by placing the shutoff valve inside the house, where it’s protected from the cold. It also allows the water to drain properly, ensuring the pipe doesn’t freeze.

What should homeowners do to protect pipes located in vulnerable areas, such as basements or crawl spaces?

Homeowners should insulate pipes in these vulnerable areas with foam pipe insulation. This is the best way to prevent freezing, especially in areas like open joist bays or cold basements.

How does heat tape help prevent pipes from freezing?

Heat tape is equipped with a sensor that activates the heat when the temperature reaches 38 degrees Fahrenheit. It warms the pipe to prevent freezing, then shuts off automatically when the temperature rises above 45 degrees, conserving energy.

What are some options for protecting pipes in locations that are difficult to access?

For hard-to-reach pipes, such as those behind kitchen or bathroom walls, homeowners may need to leave the cabinet doors open to allow heat from the house to reach the pipes. In extreme cold, allowing a faucet to drip can also prevent freezing.

What can happen if water is left in an outdoor faucet during freezing temperatures?

If water is left in an outdoor faucet, it can freeze inside the pipe. As the water freezes and expands, it can cause the pipe to burst, leading to a flood of water once the ice thaws.

Is it important to insulate both hot and cold water pipes?

Yes, it’s important to insulate both hot and cold water pipes, especially in areas prone to freezing. Insulating both types of pipes provides an extra layer of protection against freezing.

What should be done if a pipe is at risk of freezing and cannot be accessed for insulation?

If a pipe is at risk of freezing but cannot be accessed for insulation, the best solution is to use heat tape or other heating devices that can be applied directly to the pipe to prevent freezing.

What is the best way to prevent pipes from freezing in areas like kitchens or bathrooms that have pipes running through outside walls?

In areas like kitchens or bathrooms, the best preventive measure is to leave cabinet doors open during cold weather to allow heat from the house to warm the pipes. In extreme cases, keeping a faucet dripping slightly can help prevent freezing.