Frozen pipes are a major plumbing problem. Not only do they stop your water supply but they can also present a plethora of other related problems. Some people try to attend to this problem on their own; I guess they have a secret wish of becoming a super plumber! Trying to solve this issue of frozen pipes on your own might work at times, but in most of the cases you will end up causing more damage than any useful repairs.
During the cold season, a lot of us come home from work to an unpleasant surprise of frozen pipes. The surprises become more unpleasant when you wake up in the morning and find that the water supply pipe has frozen. You are left with no water to even do our daily morning business. In this article we will discuss the root cause of the problem and we will also try to find a useful solution to this problem.
- The cause of frozen pipes:
To be straight forward, the main cause of frozen pipes is the chilly cold winter season and there is very little you can do when mother earth unleashes its fury. But sometimes the problem persists even when the mercury has not dipped too low. Now here is something you can do. Usually when the temperature has not fallen too much and you still find that your pipe has frozen then it means that your pipe has poor insulation. Poor insulation leaves the pipe exposed to the cold winter season and hence it freezes over.
- Other problems that a frozen pipe can cause:
Frozen pipe is one problem. But it can lead to a plethora of other associated problems and can become a plumbing nightmare. You must have read that as the water freezes, it expands and occupies more volume. Since the pipes have a limited volume and become brittle during winters, it directly leads them to crack. Fissures caused in the pipes due to frozen water, becomes a major problem when you unfreeze the pipe. As the water starts to flow in the pipe, it leaks from the fissures and becomes a source of moisture in the walls. This moisture dampens the walls and weakens their structural integrity. If this problem is left unnoticed then it can even cause the entire structure to come down. In the worst case scenarios this moisture can even seep into the walls of your neighbors if you live in an apartment building. The moisture not only causes the walls to lose their structural integrity but it can also become a health hazard as moisture is the primary cause for the growth of mold.
- What can be done in order to avoid the problem of frozen pipes?
The best solution is to insulate your pipe. Don’t try to do it yourself. This is the job of an expert plumber who has plenty of experience and who knows what level of insulation will be enough. And if you already have a frozen pipe then instead of acting as a plumber yourself, give a call to your local plumber who knows how to diffuse the situation.
