Helpful Tips to Prevent Pipe Breaks This Winter in Your New Paltz Home

12/18/2019 (Permalink)

This is an unfortunate example of how un-insulated water pipes can freeze and burst in the winter months!

In the coldest months, water damages from a pipe break are one of the most common damage calls that we receive here at SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz.

When water freezes it expands. If water freezes inside a pipe, that pipe can expand enough to the point that it bursts. However, it’s not necessarily the frozen water that caused the direct burst. It's the water pressure between the ice and the closed faucet. That pressure is enough to break a pipe and cause water damage in your home or office.

Helpful Preventative Tips:

• Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells in any room that has a sink and especially in the laundry room or basement areas. This allows warm air to circulate around pipes.
• Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets, especially if the pipes run through unheated or un-insulated areas of your property.
• Keep your home at a temperature no lower than 55°F. When going away, ask a friend or neighbor to check your house daily to make sure it’s warm enough to prevent freezing.
• Seal leaks that allow cold air inside where pipes are located. Use caulk or insulation to keep the heat in. Door and window drafts, garage door areas, basement back doors, etc. should all be considered.
• Insulate pipes in crawl spaces and the attic. These exposed pipes are most susceptible to freezing. Pipe insulation is quite inexpensive and sold in most hardware and home goods stores.

If you do end up experiencing any kind of water damage, SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz is here to help 24/7. No matter the size of the damage, we’ll make it “Like it never even happened.”