Coming to your NY apartment after a long holiday to be greeted by a flooded kitchen, soaked appliances, and waterlogged computers is no fun. Instead of unpacking your suitcases, you call over your local New York plumber for express emergency repair. Freezing pipes is a common plumbing problem during winter. As temperature drops, water running through exposed lines may freeze and take up more space inside pipe. When pipe is allowed to freeze completely, ice will break through the pipe. Split or burst pipes will let melted water escape and flood your home. Save yourself from expensive water related damages by avoiding frozen pipes all together.

Plumbers in NY will always recommend pipe insulation as your first line of defense against freezing pipes. Foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass are great pipe insulators that can keep exposed pipes warm during the cold months of the year. Wrapped around pipes, electrical powered heating stripes will heat the section of the line vulnerable to freezing. Both insulation and heating stripes will minimize chances of frozen pipes.

Without applying insulation to vulnerable pipes, we should not be too surprised when encountering freezing pipes. Ice inside freezing sections along pipeline will obstruct water flow and cause reductions in water pressure. Dropping water pressure is your warning sign indicating that parts of the pipe are frozen. Pick up on this red flag and repair early the pipe to avoid expensive water related damage to your home.

NYC plumbing companies instruct consumers to shut off water supply once detecting freezing pipes. Next, turn on a couple of faucets to let out trapped steam and melting water. Freezing pipes require gentle thawing to melt ice and relieve pipe from extra weight. Applying direct heat on the frozen section may cause more damage than good. Intense and direct heat may turn trapped ice into boiling water that in turn will also split open the pipe due to steam pressure. As a thumb rule, do not let pipes heat up to the extent that they become too hot to touch. Gentle thawing of freezing pipes can be conducted using one of the following methods:

1. “Blow dry” the frozen section of the pipe with a hairdryer2. Direct a space heater towards the frozen section.3. Dip rags in hot water and wrap around the frozen section. 4. Cover frozen section with electrical powered heating stripes.

Pay attention to your plumbing pipes. Catching early freezing pipes can save you time and money otherwise invested in repairing burst pipes and draining water from your home. NYC plumbers recommend the simple way out – just insulate exposed pipes and lines running along external walls, and spare the time consuming hassle of freezing pipes.

Samantha Richardson

New York Plumber

http://www.new-york-plumber.com.

http://www.new-york-plumber.com/service/pipe-fitting.

(888) 317 – 4264
509 E 78th St. 10075 New York

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http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Fix-Frozen-Pipes&id=2829422

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My fiance and I are looking at buying a house. The house we are the most interested in currently has burst pipes that got frozen over the winter. If we bought the house it would be our responsibility to fix them. I was just wondering if anyone has a general idea on how much this would cost us…

That’s going to depend entirely on whether you will hire the job out or do it yourself!

Hiring out? Pretty damn expensive.

Do it yourself…after learning how at Home Depot? Go for it, not so expensive.

When I plumbed my entire house, it cost me about 250 dollars in parts, and a bunch of practice…got it right without a leak!

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That sounds pretty strange. Both of the pipes should be running next to each other throughout the house. It seems that if one freezes, the other one would too. Anyway, Keep one of the hot water faucets open. This will relieve any pressure building up in the line. It should thaw out in time, if that is the problem. Next time you are expecting real cold weather, leave one of the hot water faucets running at a trickle. That will keep it from freezing.

Good Luck!

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Protect your property with these thoughtful tips and look for other ways to keep your home free from cold-weather mishaps.

The last thing you want to deal with in your home — new or old –is frozen pipes or other winter related mishaps! Here are helpful home safety and maintenance tips to make sure winter doesn’t disrupt your year-round enjoyment of your homestead.

Be sure to use weather stripping around windows and doors — anywhere cold air might get in (and that expensive warm air might get out).

If you are in an older home, adding new double-paned windows is a very worthwhile investment. Not only will they insulate your home in cold weather, they can be a cost-saver in hot summer months as well. They improve your property value, too and some utility companies will even help with the cost to purchase and install double pane windows.

Clear out those rain gutters. Make sure you remove wet leaves and other debris so they don’t freeze (if gutters do get overloaded, icy and heavy, they could even pull right off your house).

Repair any roof leaks fast! Be sure to replace damaged or missing shingles too. Roof leaks can have far-reaching results that lead to very costly damage.

Do you have a small barn, chicken coop or outdoor dog run? Ventilate these spaces so fresh air is available; this is essential to both the animals and to anyone working in these out buildings. Put clean, correctly fitted blankets on your animals* (dogs or horses) when it gets too cold (usually below 30 degrees). *No need to blanket the chickens; they hate that.

Cut back any tree branches that could fall onto your home or out buildings if high winds or other storms blow in. Have you thought about putting up a windbreak? Those can really help keep your place warmer, and prevent property damage.

Cover any exposed pipes with insulating foam wrap. You can pick it up at most home improvement stores at a very affordable price. There are insulated bags available for hoses, too. If you need to keep hoses outdoors (for watering livestock, for example) these can offer a great deal of convenience!

Of course, adding the protection of a home security system (security lighting, house burglar alarms and motion detectors on your windows and entry doors) is a smart way to add home safety no matter what time of year. A home security system can be, quite literally, a real life saver.

Making sure your home is insulated from winter weather can save you time, money and frustration. Protect your property with these thoughtful tips and look for other ways to keep your place free from frustrating cold-weather damage.

S.L. Robertson writes about affordable home landscaping, decorating tips and ADT home security for the budget-conscious home owner. She is considered an expert in the field of home safety systems. Robertson has published hundreds of articles advising consumers what to look for when considering a reliable home security system and practical home and yard maintenance solutions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S._L._Robertson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Dont-Let-Frozen-Pipes-and-Other-Winter-Related-Mishaps-Disrupt-Your-Homestead&id=3388745

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frozen pipes – How to Winterize your Plumbing System During A Lengthy Power Outage

Homeowners usually know to turn their main water valve off if they are leaving on vacation and to have someone periodically check their home while they are away.

However, what do you do if you experience a power outage and the outdoor temperature is below freezing? The further the temperature gets below freezing, the more likely there could be damage with freezing pipes. Freeze-ups typically occur when it is below 20° and windy. http://www.anthonyphc.com/Anthony%20Videos/Frozen-Pipes.html

Duration : 0:4:12

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Avoiding frozen pipes at the cottage

In this segment Master Plumber Patrick Donovan demonstrates how to close up the cottage for the winter and avoid frozen pipes.

By taking a few simple steps now it can ensure that you don’t spend your first weekend in the Spring under the cottage repairing burst pipes.

Duration : 2 min 47 sec

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Never had frozen pipes before in this house but its -30 below zero outside, a little too cold for them I guess.

You have two things to be concerned about: the frozen pipe and whether it has burst because of the ice. Until the pipe thaws, you won’t know if there is a split in the pipe. Best thing to do is turn off the main water valve (not the one under the sink, but the whole house) before you thaw the pipe.

Then open a faucet in the lowest part of your house (basement or first floor) and another one or two on the highest level. This will drain the water out of your plumbing system so no more can freeze. Then heat the pipes that are frozen with a hair dryer; you are risking a fire if you use a propane torch or other open flames.

Turn off all the faucets and carefully turn on the main valve. If you hear water running in a wall somewhere you know you have a burst pipe and can immediately call a plumber. IF you don’t hear anything, chances are you are OK.

I’ve been through this, and no one told me to turn off the main valve. Fortunately, I was home when the burst pipe thawed. If I hadn’t been, the water would have been running for 8 hours before I got home from work and would have been a disaster.

Next time leave both the hot and cold water running at a trickle during cold weather. The water moving keeps the pipes from freezing.

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The first time you experience a frozen pipe you realise just how important it is to protect this from happening again.  And, if you own a holiday home in a region where it freezes, make sure you protect your pipes from the costly expense of them bursting.

We have lived in a home with freezing pipes, even been out with the blow torch thawing out the pipes (we don’t recommend this method to others) and understand just how miserable it is living in these conditions.

We also provide you with information on how to keep pipes from freezing and save you from the damage frozen pipes can cause.

So bookmark frozen-pipes.com now – you may need us again in the future!

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