What’s worse than one thing in your home
breaking or malfunctioning? Multiple things in your home breaking or
malfunctioning at once, and that’s exactly what you’ll have to deal with when
your home isn’t properly insulated.
A home that is not properly insulated will not
only be cold but will also lead to ice dams in your gutters that can lead to a
leaky roof and water damage to your walls, and frozen pipes that can burst at
any time.
If your pipes freeze you know that insulation
is the root of your problem, but as a short-term and more immediate solution,
here’s what you should do:
- Turn
the water on, if it only trickles you can likely suspect a frozen pipe.
- Keep
the water on as you open cabinets to allow the heat to reach the pipes
more easily.
- You
might want to try and thaw the pipe using either a hair dryer or by
wrapping a heating pad around the frozen pipe.
- The
quicker you thaw your pipes the better. Once they become completely frozen
they can burst as water expands and freezes.
- If
your pipes have burst you should call a plumber immediately to resolve the
issue and then evaluate your insulation and heating.
- To
prevent pipes from freezing consider wrapping them with insulating sleeves
and be sure to avoid turning your heat too low as you go to bed or leave
your home.
Although frozen pipes often come to a surprise
by many homeowners, you can easily prevent them from freezing by evaluating
your heating and insulation as you prepare your home for winter.
