By Laura Wagner
Northeast News
Jan. 19, 2011

During the winter months it’s not uncommon for pipes to freeze in a home.

Dennis Hammontree, owner of H&H Plumbing in the Historic Northeast, has tips to avoid the costly problem.

“Most homes with areas that stay above 20 degrees are usually fine,” Hammontree said.  “The wind is the worst.”

Pipes that run against outside walls or inside a wall connected to an outside wall may have a draft, unbeknownst to the homeowner, he said.

That draft can blow cold air directly on the pipes and cause them to freeze.

To keep pipes safe, Hammontree recommends keeping water running. Use both hot and cold taps to protect both lines from freezing, he said. Also, don’t run water at merely a trickle.

For those worried about a higher water bill, Hammontree said, “A plumber costs more than the water you will be using.”

Open cabinet doors that house pipes, which exposes pipes to warmer air, he said.

If the bathroom gets cold, keep the door to the bathroom open to the rest of the house.

It’s also important to wrap the pipes.Wrapping pipes doesn’t guarantee the pipes won’t freeze, but it offers additional protection, he said.

Try to heat pipes from underneath if rooms like your bathroom or laundry room were built over an old porch or unheated crawl space or basement.

Add a space heater under the addition and repair broken basement windows that let in cold air.

When there is nothing but cold air circulating under the floor, pipes are more likely to freeze, he said.

If there’s a room that usually freezes and you don’t need to use it, winterize it.

“Bail out the toilet, bail out the tank,” Hammontree said. “Shut off the water and flush the lines.”

Add antifreeze to the lines and close off the room until warmer weather arrives.

Vacant houses should also be winterized.

“Vacant houses are a real problem, especially with the number of rental units we have in the Northeast,” he said.

To winterize a home, drain the water from the hot water tank, flush all the water lines to the home, bail out all toilets and tanks and bail out the water meter. Also, add antifreeze to the lines.

Contacting a plumber for details on total winterization of a home is also recommended.

If a resident or homeowner wakes up to frozen pipes, Hammontree warns not to use an open flame.

An open flame could burn down the home. Instead, use a hair dryer and slowly thaw the pipes, he said. That method does less damage to the pipes and to the home.