In cold temperatures, water service lines can freeze if frost is pushed below the water line. Water lines inside the home and on outside walls can also freeze due to extreme wind chill and cold drafts.
Repair costs associated with frozen pipes are the responsibility of the homeowner. You can help prevent frozen pipes by keeping your home heated at normal levels to avoid cold spots.
The sooner a frozen line is thawed, the better. Over time, freezing will extend further along the line and make thawing more difficult, time-consuming and potentially more costly.
To prevent a frozen water line
- Insulate the outside lines: wrap any water lines near outer walls or doors with insulation. You can wrap your exterior water lines with heat tape to help prevent pipes from freezing.
- Keep the water flowing: frequently drawing water from the tap, or leaving a small trickle running from a tap, may prevent freezing because it creates a constant flow of water.
- Turn off outdoor hoses: double check your outside hose faucet to ensure they're closed off; if they freeze, they can burst and may cause water to drain into your home.
To determine if a service line is frozen...
You can help diagnose the problem by turning on all the faucets inside the house and flushing each toilet. If there is no water flowing from any fixture and no known water main break in your area, it's likely you have a frozen service line outside your home on your property.
