What To Do If Your Pipes Freeze

By Sam Strike

Freezing pipes are not uncommon in this area when the wind is this brutal and the temperatures so low.

If you have a frozen pipe, Wayne plumber Alan Epps says there’s not too much you can do, but there are some small things that could help you avoid a disaster. 

• Keep your home’s heat up. Since most of our pipes are not heated and insulated, they need all the warmth they can get – especially with whipping winds that are strong enough to crack pipes.

• Keep your frozen taps open. Once the pipe begins to thaw, keeping the taps open will allow the water a place to flow to.

Epps said he was busy all weekend with leaking pipes from the most recent freeze. If you suspect you have a leaking pipe — you hear water running, see water stains in your ceiling or water outside your house — shut off the water in your home and call your plumber, Epps said.

(Remember, your outside faucets should have been drained and turned off months ago.) 

Don’t try to save money on heat, Epps said. Right now, “Keeping the heat up in your house is the best thing you can do.”