Lots of snow and winter weather offers fun activities like sledding down a nearby hill or snowball fights in the front yard. However, winter weather can be difficult on your home. Severely cold conditions can encourage the water lines in your plumbing to freeze and burst, which could result in serious water damage and long-lasting negative effects.

If your pipes are frozen solid, you might need to hire a plumber in Omaha to handle the problem. That being said, there’s multiple things you can attempt to stop this from happening – and even a little prevention can go a long way.

What Pipes Are at More Risk of Freezing

The pipes at the largest risk of freezing are uncovered water lines. Prevalent locations for uncovered pipes are within attic crawlspaces, near exterior walls, in the basement or even running under a modular home. Water lines that are not correctly insulated are at the highest risk.

How to Prevent Pipes from Freezing in Your Home

Properly insulating uncovered water lines is a great first step to keeping your pipes safe. You’ll generally locate lots of these materials from a local plumbing company, and could also already have some somewhere in your home.

Be careful not to wrap other flammable insulation materials where they may catch fire. If you don’t feel comfortable insulating the pipes yourself, get in touch with your local plumbing services professional in Omaha to handle the job.

If you do prefer to insulate the pipes yourself, good insulation materials for pipes include:

  • Wraps or roll insulation: Multiple plumbers, hardware stores and big box retailers provide insulation – usually fiberglass, foam wraps or pipe sleeves – that you can wrap or fit around your pipes. They are offered in numerous lengths and sizes to satisfy the needs of your home.
  • Newspaper: In a pinch, newspaper can be used as insulation. If the weather is going to get cold and you aren’t able to put in more insulation soon enough, try wrapping uninsulated pipes in this.
  • Towels or rags: If you don't have the chance to add insulation and don’t have any newspaper handy, wrapping especially vulnerable pipes with towels or clean rags as a final effort could be just enough to keep the cold air off the pipes.

One other preventative step you can attempt to keep pipes from being covered in ice is to seal up any cracks that could let cold air inside your home. Pay close attention to window frames, which can allow in surprisingly strong drafts. This not only will help to keep your pipes from freezing, but it will have the extra benefit of making your home more energy efficient.

Five More Ways to Keep Your Pipes from Freezing:

  • Open the cabinet doors. Opening the cabinet doors under the sinks and other rooms of your home with pipes will permit more warm air from the rest of the room to reach the pipes.
  • Letting water drip. Letting water flow by letting your faucets trickle even a small amount can help thwart frozen pipes.
  • Open interior doors. By opening doors for rooms or hallways, your home can be heated more evenly. This is particularly important if there's a room that is frequently colder or hotter than other rooms.
  • Close the garage door. The exception to the open doors advice is the garage door, which you should keep shut – especially if your water lines can be found near or under the garage.
  • Keep the heat consistent. Experts encourage setting the thermostat at a constant temperature and leaving it there, rather than letting it get cooler at night. Set it no cooler than 55 degrees.

How to Stop Pipes from Freezing in an Unused Home

When you’re in your own home, it’s not difficult to recognize when something isn't right. But what additional steps can you attempt to keep pipes from freezing in an empty home or vacation home when the damage from a frozen pipe might not be discovered for some time?

As with a primary residence, insulating any exposed water lines, opening interior doors throughout the home and winterizing the vacant home are the best steps to attempt first.

Additional Steps to Prevent Pipes from Freezing in an Empty Home:

  1. Leave the heat on. Even though you aren’t going to be there, it’s best to keep the heat on – even if you switch the thermostat down lower than you would if you were there. As with a primary home, experts recommend keeping the temperature at no lower than 55 degrees.
  2. Shut water off and drain the lines. If you’re going to be away for a long time or are winterizing a vacation cabin or cottage, switching the water off to the house and clearing the water out of the water lines is a good way to keep pipes from freezing and bursting open. Try not to forget to drain the water out of your appliances, like the hot water heater, as well as the toilets. Confirm you empty all the water from the pipes. If you're uncertain of how to drain the water from the pipes, or don’t feel comfortable handling it yourself, a plumber in Omaha will be happy to offer support.