My pipes are frozen

Water expands as it
freezes, which puts
tremendous pressure
on metal or
plastic pipes. No
matter how strong a
pipe is expanding
water can cause
them to break.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are those that
are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hoses,
swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines,
and water supply lines in unheated interior areas.
Also, pipes that run against exterior walls that
have little or no insulation are subject to freezing.
An eighth-inch (three millimeter) crack in a pipe
can spew up to 250 gallons of water a day. Both
plastic (PVC) and copper pipes can burst.
You can prevent your pipes from freezing
by draining water from sprinkler lines and
swimming pools. Remove, drain, and store hoses
outdoors. Close the inside valves supplying outdoor
hoses bibs. Open these outside hose bibs
and allow water to drain, keep the bibs open to
allow any remaining water to expand without
causing the pipe to break. Check around the
home for other areas where water supply lines
are located and in unheated areas. Look in the
basement crawl space, the attic, the garage, and
under kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Both the
hot and cold water pipes in these areas should
be insulated.
During cold weather keep your garage
doors closed if there are water supply lines in the
garage. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet
doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the
plumbing. When the weather is very cold outside,
let the cold water drip from the faucet served by
exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe,
even at a trickle, helps to
prevent pipes from freezing.
If you will be going away
during cold weather, leave
the heat in your home set to
a temperature no lower
than 55°F. Consider relocating
exposed pipes to
provide increased protection from freezing. Add
insulation to attics, basements, and crawl
spaces. Insulation will maintain higher temperatures
in these areas.
The damage caused by frozen and broken
water pipes is second only to hurricane damage.
Repair costs typically range in tens of thousands
of dollars. Most freeze damage occurs
within a few hours of a house being filled with
water from burst pipes. The damage can include
ruined drywall, mold and mildew in the walls,
warped wood, ruined carpet, and destroyed valuables.
If you do have a pipe burst you should
immediately shut off the water at the main valve.
If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on
top of the hot water heater
should be closed. Call a
plumber. Keep an emergency
number nearby for quick access