Even a tiny break in your pipes can cause hundreds of gallons of water to leak into your home. This can destroy your floors, raise your water bill, and create a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. Prevent it from happening in your Kingman home with our frozen pipes prevention and repair service. Contact our plumbers in Kingman today.

Plumbing By Jake can winterize your home’s water lines against freezing temperatures so you won’t have to worry about a burst pipe ruining your home, pool, or landscaping. We also have an emergency service for busted pipe repairs.

Why Do Pipes Burst When it’s Cold?

When most things get cold, they shrink. Road beds on bridges are a good example. Joints on the ends let the bridge shrink and expand with the weather without cracking. If they weren’t there, the bridge would collapse.

Water is unusual. It expands when it gets cold. So if ice forms in your pipes, it will put pressure against the walls of the pipe. It will also build up water pressure too high throughout your plumbing system.

If the pressure gets too high in a weak part, you get a burst pipe and a flood of water. The burst point may be nowhere near where the block happened. This is why you need a professional plumber to make sure your frozen pipes get fixed completely.

What to Do When Your Pipes Burst

The most important thing to do in any plumbing emergency is to shut off all the water. If you don’t know where your home’s main shut-off valve is, find out now! You can save thousands of dollars by shutting it off before water damage gets too far after a burst pipe.

Your water heater will also have a shutoff valve for the hot water line. This should also get turned off. Once you do, shut off the power to the hot water heater to keep steam from building up in your lines. Finally, turn on all the faucets to drain water out of your system.

Now that the immediate danger of water damage is over pick up your phone and call Plumbing By Jake for immediate service in Kingman for your burst pipe. You can call us 24/7 for emergency service. Do not turn your water back on until a plumber has inspected your system for damage.

Preventing Pipes from Bursting

Plumbing in southern homes often cannot handle cold temperatures for long, but with more polar vortexes each year, things must improve. You can help prevent your home’s pipes from bursting from cold by insulating them.

Our company offers a frozen pipe prevention service that will insulate your pipes and spigots and give you recommendations on how to keep your pipes frost-free and your home free of water damage. Here are some basic tips that could help you prevent a frozen pipe.

If the temperature is below freezing, let your faucets drip. Even a small flow of water will make it much harder for your pipes to freeze solid.
Keep your thermostat at an even temperature above 60 degrees.
Open the doors to any cabinets with plumbing so warm air can reach the pipes.
Keep your garage door closed to keep cold air away from external pipes.

Swimming Pools and Sprinklers

Many homes in Kingman have swimming pools and sprinklers. These can be quite vulnerable to cold because the soil here doesn’t insulate well. If a pipe bursts in these, you could see your water bill spike and could see some damage to your yard.

So it’s important to drain your sprinkler and swimming pool lines once winter starts. Leaving them full of water is a sure way to get them to break if these pipes freeze. If you have an exterior line that breaks, there is a solution.

Plumbing By Jake can dig up the broken lines and splice them with a new pipe so they’ll work as good as new. We can also flush the line in case any soil or sand gets washed into the line through the crack.

Can I Thaw My Own Pipes?

We don’t recommend it without the proper equipment. It’s very easy to apply too much heat and damage your pipes, especially plastic ones. If you have found a frosted portion of pipe and you can reach it easily, try the following:

Shut off the water supply.
Open a faucet on that line so water can flow out.
Check if there is a gas line near the water line. If there is, do not thaw it yourself. Call a licensed plumber.
Turn off any electrical circuits near the frozen pipe section.
Use a gentle heat source like a hair dryer or a heating mat on the frosted area. You can also put an electric space heater near the pipe if the area is dry.
Place your fingers on the pipe every so often. If they are too hot to the touch, they’re too warm. If you leave too much heat on for too long, liquid water trapped around the ice could boil in the pipe!
If the pipe leaks as you thaw it and it’s coming from inside the pipe, do not turn the water back on and call a plumber for advice.
When you think the pipe has unfrozen, turn the main water supply on halfway and check for leaks.
If there is no leakage, turn the water all the way on, then check the water pressure at your faucets. You could have more than one frozen section of pipe.

Call Plumbing By Jake for Frozen Pipes in Kingman

If your pipes aren’t insulated yet against cold Arizona winters, Plumbing By Jake can help you prevent frozen pipes with a quick inspection. We’ll see if your pipes are ready for cold temperatures, offer recommendations on improving plumbing insulation, and even install the insulation for you.

If you know your pipes are frozen or have a burst pipe, shut off the water lines and call our emergency number. We have plumbers available 24/7 to handle emergencies. We’ll swiftly come to your home, offer a flat-rate estimate, and get to work getting your water running again.