Preventing Frozen Pipes And What To Do If They're Already Frozen

CINCINNATI, OH (Sunday, January 01, 2006) - The extreme cold combined with extreme wind chill creates a substantial risk for frozen or bursting pipes in both residential and commercial buildings. Be aware that when pipes freeze, water pressure builds causing cracks – no matter if the pipe is made of plastic, copper or steel. Even a tiny crack can unleash more than 250 gallons of water in a single day.


Roto-Rooter, America’s largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services, repairs more frozen pipes than any other plumbing company in the U.S. and Canada. Roto-Rooter expects that its technicians will be very busy repairing pipes and assisting customers with frozen or bursting pipes. Roto-Rooter would like to offer a few tips for preventing frozen pipes, which can cause flooding resulting in expensive repairs. By taking a few simple preventive measures, home and business owners can minimize the risk of a plumbing catastrophe.



Disconnect outside water hoses. If left connected, water in the hoses can freeze and expand causing faucets and connecting pipes inside your home to freeze and break. Cover outside faucets using a faucet insulation kit available at home centers.



If outside faucets are dripping or leaking, make the necessary repairs or call a plumber before freezing temperatures arrive.



If your home is equipped with interior shut-off valves leading to outside faucets, close them and drain water from lines.



Allow a trickle of hot and cold water to drip overnight in sinks and bathtubs. However, be careful not to run the water into a drain if the drain line is exposed to extreme cold because the line could freeze and cause back-ups.



Open kitchen and bathroom cabinets under sinks to allow heat in the room to circulate around uninsulated pipes.



Insulate pipes in unheated areas, such as garages or crawl spaces. Apply heat tape or thermostat-controlled heat cables around pipes that are exposed and prone to freezing.



Inspect and clean sump pump and sump pit if your home has a basement. Pumps exposed to extreme cold can freeze preventing the pump from operating.



Be sure the heat is on and set no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
What to do if your pipes have already frozen



Shut off the water main leading into the structure. This will reduce pressure on the frozen pipes and minimize flooding if the pipes burst.



If the frozen pipe is exposed and visible, use a hair dryer to thaw the ice blockage. Do not use an open flame!



Examine exposed pipes for leaks. Even with the water main turned off, there will be enough pressure to reveal leaks once the pipe has thawed.



Contact a professional plumber equipped with pipe-thawing equipment to get your pipes flowing again and if necessary, have repairs made to damaged pipes.



Even if no leaks are found, a plumber should examine pipes that experienced a hard freeze. The pipes may need to be replaced since the material has experienced stretching and fatigue, putting the pipes at risk for future failure.


www.rotorooter.com is a good source of information for all plumbing questions. The site features informative video clips, which take a step-by-step approach to preventing frozen pipes.


Roto-Rooter service technicians will be on the job day and night to respond to plumbing problems associated with the extreme cold.


Roto-Rooter technicians are available for commentary and to offer tips to the media. We welcome the media to join Roto-Rooter on the job to see how frozen pipe calls are handled.


Roto-Rooter was established in 1935 and is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in North America. Roto-Rooter operates businesses in more than 100 company-owned territories and more than 500 franchise territories, serving approximately 91 percent of the U.S. population and 55 percent of the Canadian population. For more information about Roto-Rooter and to see a selection of our current news releases, please visit our new online pressroom at www.rotorooter.com

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