{"id":13897,"date":"2025-02-17T16:29:05","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T22:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/?p=13897"},"modified":"2025-02-17T16:29:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T22:29:05","slug":"how-to-prevent-freezing-pipes-in-extreme-cold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/02\/17\/how-to-prevent-freezing-pipes-in-extreme-cold\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prevent Freezing Pipes in Extreme Cold"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Frozen Pipes: A Costly Issue or a Preventable Problem?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Temperatures are dropping below 0 degrees this week, and it&#8217;s crucial for homeowners in the Chicago area to take necessary precautions to prevent a costly issue: frozen or bursting water pipes.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;A little prevention now can save you from costly repairs later,&quot; says a spokesperson for the Chicago Department of Water Management. Here are some preventative reminders to keep pipes from freezing or bursting:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep proper heat levels in your home and warm air circulating wherever there are water pipes, especially underneath sinks.<\/li>\n<li>Run a trickle of cold water on each floor at points furthest from your main water service. Remember, moving water prevents freezing!<\/li>\n<li>Insulate your pipes, particularly those on the outside of the home.<\/li>\n<li>And if a pipe does freeze, never use an open flame to thaw it &#8211; use a hair dryer instead!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Identifying Frozen Pipes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you think your pipes may be frozen, here are some signs to look out for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Little to no running water from your faucets<\/li>\n<li>Cracks or bulges in the pipes<\/li>\n<li>Heavy condensation or frost on the outside of your pipes<\/li>\n<li>Whistling, gurgling, or banging sounds coming from your pipes<\/li>\n<li>Puddles, water spots, or water rings on walls or ceilings<\/li>\n<li>A bad smell coming from drains or faucets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Thawing Frozen Pipes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It can take up to 45 minutes to unfreeze pipes, depending on the weather. Here&#8217;s what to do if you suspect your pipes are frozen:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Turn on the faucet<\/strong>: Keep it running. Allowing the faucet to drip even slightly can help prevent a pipe from bursting. When freezing takes place, extreme pressure builds between the faucet and the ice blockage. An open faucet can relieve this pressure buildup, and help prevent a burst from occurring.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Apply heat to the frozen area<\/strong>: Slowly apply heat using a hair dryer. There are several ways to do this. You can wrap the pipes in thermostatically controlled heat tape, or you can use an external heat source such as a hair dryer or space heater. Do not use a propane torch as this can damage the pipe and create a fire risk.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Continue to apply heat<\/strong>: Don&#8217;t stop heating until the full water pressure is restored. Even then, it&#8217;s a good idea to leave the faucet open for a few minutes after the pipe is thawed. This will give the ice time to completely clear from the line.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check all faucets and prevent pipes from freezing in the future<\/strong>: Check each faucet in your home for any other frozen pipes. One frozen pipe may mean that others have been affected as well. If the problem persists, contact a plumber. You can prevent pipes from freezing again by taking a few simple steps:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>FAQs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Q: What are some common causes of frozen pipes?<br \/>\nA: Insufficient insulation, poor home maintenance, and extreme weather conditions can all contribute to frozen pipes.<\/p>\n<p>Q: How long does it take to unfreeze pipes?<br \/>\nA: It can take up to 45 minutes, depending on the weather.<\/p>\n<p>Q: What are some ways to prevent pipes from freezing in the future?<br \/>\nA: Insulate your pipes, keep your home warm, and run a trickle of cold water on each floor at points furthest from your main water service.<\/p>\n<p>Q: What should I do if I suspect my pipes are frozen?<br \/>\nA: Follow the steps outlined above, and contact a plumber if the problem persists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Frozen Pipes: A Costly Issue or a Preventable Problem? Temperatures are dropping below 0 degrees this week, and it&#8217;s crucial for homeowners in the Chicago area to take necessary precautions to prevent a costly issue: frozen or bursting water pipes. &quot;A little prevention now can save you from costly repairs later,&quot; says a spokesperson for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13897","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-weather"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.nbcchicago.com\/2019\/09\/frozen-pipes-shutterstock-tlmd.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&resize=1200%2C675&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13897"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13899,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13897\/revisions\/13899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}