Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes

2/1/2021 (Permalink)

As the temperature drops, many businesses will experience water damage from ruptured pipes. Keeping the pipes at your Athens, GA , commercial property from freezing is key to protecting your business this winter.

How To Prevent Frozen Pipes

Some pipes are more vulnerable to freezing than others. Any uninsulated pipe in an unheated area is at high risk. Pay close attention to pipes in the following areas:

• Exterior walls
• Basements
• Cabinets
  
  

Insulating exposed pipes is a good way to prevent them from freezing. In other cases, you can insulate the room where the pipes are located to help minimize temperature variance.
Sometimes the temperature drops quickly, and business owners find themselves scrambling to prevent water damage from broken pipes. If you haven’t had time to properly insulate exposed pipes, newspaper or towels can act as temporary insulation. Leave cabinet doors open to allow heat to reach those pipes. Don’t lower the thermostat at night, and consider letting warm water run through the pipes overnight.

How To Thaw Frozen Pipes
If you notice that water pressure is low, you may have a frozen pipe. The first thing you will need to do is locate the frozen pipe. Turning on all the faucets in the business and seeing which ones have weak or no water flow can help you narrow down the potentially frozen pipes. Leave the affected faucet(s) on while you work. Check the most vulnerable, i.e., coldest, areas first. Remember that there may be multiple frozen pipes. When you have located the affected pipe, you can thaw it out using a hair dryer. Other heat sources, such as heating pads, will also work. Be sure not to use a heat source with an open flame.
Having a plan to thaw out frozen pipes and prevent freezing in the first place is important for all business owners. Unfortunately, there are times when pipes do burst and cause water damage. In those cases, a certified restoration service can help with the water cleanup.