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3 Ways to Prevent a Burst Pipe

A burst pipe is one of the worst home-related disasters you can experience. Not only will a burst pipe create a huge mess in your home and a lot of damage, your homeowners insurance is unlikely to pay for any of that damage. The best way to avoid a burst pipe is to take preventive action. Here are three ways to prevent a burst pipe.

Ensure your pipes are insulated

The No.1 reason for pipes to burst is because they freeze. To ensure they don't freeze, you have to make sure they are properly insulated. For pipes in the interior of your home, this shouldn't be a problem. They are likely shielded from the cold by layer after layer of walls.

But pipes close to the exterior of your home are a different story. Pipes in a basement or crawlspace are often the most vulnerable. If you don't have adequate insulation in the space in which the pipes sit, your next best bet is to insulate the pipes themselves, using old towels or pieces of foam.

You also can run a space heater near the pipes to warm them, but make sure there are no flammable materials nearby.

Properly attend to outside pipes

Any pipe that feeds outside, no matter how well insulated, is in danger of freezing and then bursting. To prevent this, there are some steps you need to take. If you have a sprinkler system, you need to drain all the water out of it and then shut off the water connection to the system if you can. You also should turn off the water to any outside spigots if you can. If not, make sure the spigot is closed all the way and that you disconnect any hoses.

Open your faucets

Pipes don't burst because they freeze; they burst because of the pressure that builds up due to the blockage in the frozen section. If you have pipes you just absolutely can't insulate properly and you worry about the risk of freezing, you can alleviate that by leaving open a faucet connected to that pipe just a tad, so that water can drip or trickle out. This will reduce the pressure in the pipe and should prevent it from bursting if it freezes.

Avoid a costly pipe burst with these key tips! Call Kellie Plumbing at (317) 738-2707 for repairs in your Franklin, IN home.