Frozen pipes can be a real hazard in your home, particularly if they result in burst or split pipes and your home ends up being flooded. Fortunately there are a number of simple things you can do to avoid this situation and successfully get through winter without any such disasters.

Let's face it, chances are there's been one or two times when you have left the house for a few days and forgotten to leave the power on. Most likely, you left during the fall and the weather wasn't too bad, but while you were a way the temperatures plummeted down to freezing. I have to admit to it happening once or twice, I was so looking forward to getting away for a long weekend and when the weather changed on the Sunday evening, I was really worried by the time I got home that the pipes would have not only frozen but burst.

I was fortunate, but resolved to never do that in the future. A broken pipe can make a huge mess and destroy not only furniture and carpet, but can also cause rot and mold as ithe water dissipates through the floor boards.

There are a few steps you can take to ensure this doesn't happen to you. First, insulate exposed pipes - especially the ones under the house. This will not only help you stave off a flooding disaster, but will also save you significant amounts of money in lost heat from the pipes.

If you live in an area where it is frequently below freezing, over the winter, it's a good idea to empty your irrigation system and hose and coil up your hose and hang it up. It's simple to empty a hose, but a whole irrigation system could be more difficult. Certain plumbing systems have a draining mechanism, and if you think it'd be useful, look for this type of system when making a purchase.

Inside, it is a good idea to always leave a tap dripping slowly. This flies in the face of advice for saving water, but if your pipes are likely to burst from freezing, you must do this since moving water is much harder to freeze that standing water. In the case that you're going to be away for awhile and the weather will go below freezing, you'll have to drain the water from your pipes. However, if you live in an area where the tempertaures drop to around freezing, just make sure you keep your heating half on in your house so that the water doesn't freeze, as well as leaving a single tap dripping if needs be.

If you've just moved to the area and you're not sure which option is best, then ask your neighbours and they'll be able to tell you which of these precautions are required.

And if you are at home and you're worried that your pipes may be freezing, you can use a heater or a hair dryer to warm them. Also, if you are troubled by the worry that they might have frozen already, but haven't yet burst (this could mean you do not have the proper valves open), call a plumbing professional right away. He'll analyze the situation and determine what's best to avoid the burst. While you wait for the plumbing contractor to come, get buckets and towels ready. If the water has frozen, and there appears to be a weakness in the pipes, warming the water may only cause the frozen water to leak through the damaged pipes and cause a significant problem.

About the Author

Scott Rodgers is a plumber who has recently begun writing articles for both a plumbing and non-plumbing audience. To view more of plumbing articles, visit eLocalPlumbers.com

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