How to prevent frozen pipes in your home

Every year many Boston area residents are faced with the cost and headache of dealing with a frozen accident, called a pipe. These pipes are often located in basements because of their proximity to the outside in a space not typically heated. However, in a particularly bad cold snap, a frozen pipe can happen anywhere. Know that there are mitigation techniques. Below are some, as presented by The Boston Globe.

New England freezes

New England has become accustomed to warmer winters during the past several years, but the big freeze is back. Temperatures have plummeted in recent days, with lows reaching single digits in many parts of the area. This has plumbing companies working overtime.

Mike Sullivan, of CBS News, Boston, interviewed Dominic Federico, a plumber with 128 Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electric on December 23rd. “We have been very active lately with a lot of frozen pipe calls and no heat calls.” Federico added, “in the last week, it was over 100 customers.”

How to prevent frozen pipes

Federico offered some tips to prevent frozen pipes: “If you haven’t done this before, homeowners should disconnect hoses from outside spigots and shut them off inside to reduce the chance of frozen pipes. More seasonal preparedness tactics ahead of winter include “checking the batteries in thermostats, and to make sure furniture does not block baseboards,” he added.

Offering more safety related advice, Federico said: "With any high efficiency equipment or a power water heater you have to make sure the vent outside is not frozen or covered in snow or anything like that because then carbon monoxide is going to back up into the house.”

Advice like this is especially important in older homes with less insulation. Newer homes include systems with safety alerts built in. "Now there is smart technology to find out you are having a problem before you have a problem," added Federico.

This real estate agent adds that even with pipes located inside the house but in an area where temperatures remain cold during the winter months, such as a basement, wrap them in a thermal material, such as heat tape or thermostatically controlled heat cables.

Temperatures are expected to remain frigid for several days, especially overnight.

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