When the temperatures plummet outside, the risk of your property’s pipes freezing goes up. Frozen pipes can be a major inconvenience, leaving your building without water until they thaw. More than that, though, they can cause significant damage to your piping and property.
Let’s take a look at why frozen pipes are so problematic and some things you can do to prevent this from happening this winter.
The Consequences of Frozen Pipes
Imagine you leave a plastic bottle of water in your car. The temperature drops down to 15 degrees overnight. The next morning, you head out to your car and see the water bottle sitting in the center console. But it looks distended — it still has a bottle-like shape, but the ridges along the bottle are no longer pronounced.
This is what happens when water freezes. It expands. And when it’s contained within something like a bottle or a pipe, it’s going to try and push past the bounds of that container.
This is why frozen pipes can be so disruptive and destructive. In addition to blocking the flow of water to your facility, the expanded ice and increased water pressure can rupture your pipes.
Broken pipes can do a ton of damage to the infrastructure of your property. If the water gets inside, it can also destroy furniture, carpeting, inventory, equipment, electrical wiring, and other valuable assets.
Tips for Preventing Frozen Pipes in Commercial Properties
As a building owner or manager, here are some things you can do to lessen the chances of frozen pipes:
1. Know the Signs
There are certain tell-tale signs when a building’s pipes have frozen or are about to freeze:
- There’s frost or ice on the pipes outside your building.
- Your plumbing is making all sorts of banging or clanging noises.
- There’s very little (if any) water coming out of your faucets.
- Your drains have a funky smell coming from them.
Ideally, it won’t get to that point. By keeping an eye on your pipes (the ones you can see inside and outside), you may be able to catch it even earlier. For instance, touching a pipe to see if it feels cold enough to freeze can help you gauge its status. Also, keep an eye out for excessive condensation as well as leaks.
2. Seal Up Your Building
To keep internal plumbing from freezing, the ambient temperature in your building needs to stay warm.
One way to prevent the cold from getting in is to close up any drafts or leaks. Look or feel for gaps around your doors, windows, and other openings to the outside. If you find any, seal up the cracks to strengthen the insulation.
3. Keep the Thermostat Steady
Keep an eye on your thermostat as well. Even if your property closes up for a holiday break, the weekend, or another extended period, it’s vital that the inside temperature stay above 55°F.
In addition to keeping your thermostat running, monitor your property regularly for temperature imbalances. Because while one space may feel 55°, another may not be getting as much heat as it’s supposed to.
4. Drain Pipes That Aren’t in Use
Removing water from your pipes is another way to keep them from freezing over. But this should only be done with piping that you’re not using.
For example, if your building has any exterior faucets or irrigation systems, drain them completely before the winter season. The same goes for any internal areas of your building that aren’t being used during the winter.
5. Call Your Plumber to Winterize Your Pipes
Preventative maintenance is a great way to address these kinds of seasonal issues before they have a chance to become emergencies. If you’re currently paying for a commercial preventative maintenance plan, schedule it just before the winter season gets underway. And talk to your plumber about what you can do to winterize your plumbing.
They may be able to point out weaknesses that should be fixed beforehand, like pipes lacking proper insulation. If frozen pipes have been a continual problem over the years, they might recommend switching to more flexible and resilient pipes made of PEX, for instance.
Protect Your Building and Assets from Frozen Pipes
Despite your best efforts, your building’s pipes may still freeze. If that happens, it would be helpful to have an emergency response plan in place.
For example, your plan might look like this if your pipes freeze and burst:
- Turn off the main water supply immediately.
- Turn off the electricity to that area.
- Notify your tenants or visitors, and evacuate as needed.
- Clean up standing water or place buckets beneath the leaks.
- Move valuables out of the area.
- Document any damage to your property.
Contact your plumber as soon as possible, too. Plumbers like Dean E. Norris offer 24/7 emergency response services and can be out to your property ASAP to help you get the hole patched or pipe replaced.