Defrosting and  Protecting Pipes

Exposure to temperatures below 20 degrees can cause pipes to freeze and break. A few simple steps can help protect pipes from freezing or defrost them when they do.

Duration : 0:2:50

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Help Protect Your Home From Bitter Cold

People, cars and even your home feel the strain of a bitter winter cold snap. So how do you protect your home from freezing pipes?

Steve Burbridge of Anthony Plumbing, Heating and Cooling said it pays to have a heated garage. “There’s plumbing that’s running in garage ceilings or exterior walls. So having a heated garage helps keep the bathroom above from freezing.

(It) certainly warms anything above the garage,” Burbridge told KMBC’s Donna Pitman. “This particular one runs on natural gas, and has a thermostat. So if there’s a power outage, you still have heat and don’t have to worry about your bathroom freezing above the garage.” Homeowners should also make sure that the cold outside air doesn’t get in.

“This is Fiberglass insulation. It resists air flow,” Burbridge said. Burbridge said to make sure the heat from your furnace will reach your pipes. “If (homeowners) really have a situation where they know it’s going to freeze, it’s good to leave the hot water and cold running at night,” Burbridge said.

Duration : 0:1:51

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I’m in NC. The boiler conked out in a 4-unit apartment building I own. Today is Friday. A new boiler will be installed on Tuesday. The night time temperature is supposed to get down to 14 degrees F. on Sunday, which is very cold for here. Day time temperatures will be a little above freezing.

How can I keep the pipes from freezing? I can’t put a heavy load on the electrical system. What’s best – - leave the water running a little? (which faucets??)? a kerosene space heater? electric pipe wrap? (on which pipes?) something else? I’m prepared to spend some money. (No problem with the tenants; they are getting rent relief.) Desperate in Durham

You’ll probably be fine if you keep all the faucets at a drip. It is highly unlikely that you will have a freeze-up at those temperatures for a short time. We have freeze-ups in the north east when the temperature is in the teens for 3 days straight. I don’t recommend kerosene heaters. they make you light headed after an hour. A small space heater near the meter, and one in each apartment would probably be sufficient, and not an overload on the electrical box. GL…..Rich

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