Archive for Frozen Pipes
What To Do In MN When Plumbing And Heating Pipes Are Frozen and Broken?
Posted by: | CommentsAs I write this we are beginning the recovery of another frozen house. This is what we call a house that has lost heat and has frozen and broken water pipes and hot water heat lines. This has been a record year for calls regarding homes that have lost heat which has resulted in frozen pipes breaking and causing damage in the home.
The most recent call we received was from a homeowner who was out of town and had a hot water pipe freeze and break which resulted in water shooting over to the boiler and causing the pilot lite to go out. With no heat the house proceeded to get colder to the point of freezing the plumbing and heating pipes. This resulted in broken baseboard heat along with broken piping for both the heating lines and plumbing lines.
The actions taken by another contractor before we were called has prompted me to write about what to do and more importantly, what not to do. The actions you take at this point could dramatically affect the cost and length of the rehabilitation.
- Remove Radiators and Toilets – If they are cracked, you will want to remove them before they have a chance to thaw. Radiators will leak a black sludge and cracked toilets will cause a lot of water damage.
- Shut Water Off – This should be done right away. Pipes that are frozen and broken will start leaking and shooting water if they start to thaw and they are under pressure. You will not know if there are any breaks until water is in the pipes or they are pressurized with air. You may need the city to shut the water off at the street if your water shut off at the water meter is frozen.
- Remove Valuables - This includes electronics, papers, pictures etc. They may not be damaged yet but will be exposed to dampness and water during the thaw and rehab process.
- Call Your Insurance Company – They will need to be notified as soon as possible. Most house freeze ups result in thousands to tens of thousand of dollars in damage.
- Call Your Plumber – Insurance companies will let you choose who you want to use as your contractor. They usually ask you who you are using for the repair. Make sure you contact a licensed plumbing contractor who has experience in working with frozen houses. Not every plumber has the necessary experience to know what to do first.
DO NOT TURN ON THE HEAT!!!
The house we are doing now and a number of homes we have done in the past were started by a contractor who thought the first thing to do is warm up the house so they could work on it. This is the worst thing you can do. The damage will increase greatly by doing this. Experienced plumbing and heating contractors know that it will be cold and uncomfortable for a day or two while radiators and toilets are hauled out and water is turned off.
No more damage will be done to your house once it is frozen solid. While it tempting to get warm, don’t do it.
Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air has been helping homeowners with frozen homes for almost 100 years. Nobody has more experience then us. Call us or contact us online if you have any questions.
Toilets and Showerheads Result in Big Savings in Your MN Home!
Posted by: | CommentsEverybody is looking to find ways to save money. Some ways of saving money can be painful and require sacrifice and big changes in lifestyle. I personally like the changes that require minimal effects in my life other than a bigger savings account.
Water is going to be a very valuable commodity in the future. Some people say it will be even more precious than oil or gold. If this happens, the price of water will go up significantly. Learning ways to conserve water will help the pocket book now and will increase in the future.
Below is a list of great ways to save water and thus save money. Feel good while thinking about the future.
- Low Flush Toilet – Conventional toilets use 3.5 to 5 gallons each flush. The new ultra low flow toilets only use 1.2 gallons per flush. The average person uses the toilet about 4 to 5 times per day. This means a low flow toilet has the potential to save a family of four more than 14 thousand gallons a of water per year.
- Low Flow Showerhead - A standard showerhead drops 4.5 gallons of water a minute. Low Flow or Energy Efficient Showerheads only release 2.5 gallons a minute. A quality low flow showerhead can save a family of four as much as 20 thousand gallons of water a year without a reduction of rinsing ability. This will also save hot water. Between 14% and 25% of your home energy use goes to heat water.
Below are 15 more ideas that combined will help you save a lot of water.
- When doing the dishes, fill one sink with soapy water and the other with rinsing water.
- Don’t plant grass in areas that are hard to water or do not retain water like a sloping area or along sidewalks and driveways.
- Keep drinking water in a jug in the fridge so that every drop of water goes down someone and not the sink.
- Check out your bill and water meter to gauge your water use.
- Collect your leftover water for watering plants.
- Shorten your watering time. Early morning is the best time to water grass.
- Adjust the lawn mower to a higher blade setting. This will help hold water. I believe it also makes the yard look better and hides any imperfections.
- Check outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses for leaks. Call your plumber if leaks are found.
- Use the water from your fish tank to water your plants when you clean it out. The water is nutritious for the plants.
- In your toilet tank, put food coloring to see if it seeps in your toilet bowl. Replace inside parts if it is leaking.
- On driveways and other walking areas on your lawn, use porous materials. I keeps water in your yard and prevents runoff.
- Bathe you pets in a dry area in your yard.
- Install new water saving appliances, like washing machines that save up to 20 gallons per load.
- Aerate your lawn by punching holes in your lawn about six inches apart. Water will reach the roots rather than run off the surface.
- Know where your master shut off is and make sure it works. It will prevent a lot of damage and water loss if your pipes leak or break.
Contact Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air if you would like help with any of your plumbing problems or suggestions on water saving devices for your home. You can reach us either online or by phone.
What Can I Do To Prevent Frozen Pipes in MN?
Posted by: | CommentsIt is that time again where the potential for frozen pipes increases. I thought I would remind homeowners of the ways you can prevent frozen pipes and what to do if they do freeze.
Steps for preventing frozen plumbing:
- Let a faucet drip that has a supply pipe running along an outside wall. You do not need a strong flow, just enough to keep the water flowing. Flowing water freezes slower than standing water in a pipe.
- Do not turn your heat down during windy cold days. The cooling down period allows the cold to seep into the walls before it comes into your house. The pipes are exposed to this cold air. Hot water heat is more prone to freezing due to the hot water in the heating lines. Hot water will freeze faster than cold or room temperature water.
- Leave cabinet doors under sinks that are next to outside walls open. These areas are not generally heated but, do receive the cold air coming in through walls. This will help prevent frozen water supply plumbing and waste piping lines.
- Insulate walls where your plumbing pipes run. Opening walls and checking is not always practical. However, checking for insulation when walls are open for repairs remodeling is a great idea.
- Keep garage doors closed. The cold air will freeze plumbing pipes exposed to garage walls.
- Shut off water to outside faucets. Leaking outside faucets and plumbing pipes to them are caused by freezing over the winter. We replace many outside faucets and plumbing pipes in the spring due to freezing.
- Have a neighbor, relative or friend check on your house when you go out of town. Total house freeze ups that require major repair result from homes that the heat goes out and the house gets down below 32 degrees. All the plumbing freezes including toilets, faucets etc. This could amount to costs well over $10,000 and may not be covered by insurance.
- Tune up your furnace or boiler to help insure that you will have heat in the house.
If your plumbing is frozen you have some options:
- Expose the pipe and put a space heater in the room or next to the pipe. This works if you have a small room where the pipe is frozen. Under sink frozen pipes can be thawed this way since it is a very small enclosed area that will heat up quickly. Leave the faucet on so the water can flow when it starts thawing.
- Put space heaters in the room that may have frozen pipes or if the pipe is not exposed. This will not work in a large room.
- Do not thaw the pipe if you notice a crack unless you shut the water off first.
- Call a plumber. Plumbers carry equipment that will electrically charge the pipe to warm it up to thaw the pipe. It is recommended that you have a professional plumbing contractor do this due to the possibility of damage if not done correctly.
Do not ignore the problem if the pipe is frozen and do not use a blow torch. Both these options may result in more damage and cost more than having a plumber solve the problem for you.
Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air is here if you would like to learn more or need help with any of your plumbing, heating, air or drain cleaning issues in your home. You can reach us by phone or schedule online.
What Would a Flooded House Cost You? Too Much!!!
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Full House Water Shut Off And Alarm
Picture this. You come home from work or a weekend away and you are greeted at the door by water pouring out your door. This is not the way
anybody would like to be greeted. The potential damage is devastating and insurance companies are starting to exclude the coverage from your home owners insurance policies.
The average house has at least 15 places that could spring a leak. It is not a matter of if, but when a leak will occur. Water Heaters, Toilets, Faucets are just a few example that can cause a lot of damage if they start leaking or produce a large amount of water pouring out. Another cause is frozen pipes that occur when you are home and when you are not.
The good news is that a flooded house does not have to happen. There is a product that help prevent such a problem. It is called a FloodStop . The one pictured here is for a full house situation that would be hooked up to the water main. There are also FloodStops for water heaters, washing machines, ice makers and sinks.
The way they work is they sense water leaking and shut down the water flow. It can then call you via a phone dialer or sound an alarm. This is a great insurance policy that you only have to pay once for.
Contact Minneapolis Saint Paul Plumbing Heating Air to learn more about how you can have this great flood prevention installed in your home.