Winter is a big issue for house and property owners- particularly if you've moved and your home is setting empty. Why? PLUMBING!

If your home gets too cold, the water in your pipes can freeze over night and after that burst in the day when it warms back up. This leaves the potential for extensive flooding and water damage to your home. The pipes you need to be most concerned about are those that have the most direct exposure to the cold-- outside tube faucets, swimming pool supply lines, underground sprinkler systems, and pipes in unheated basements, crawl areas, attics and garages. Pipes that run against outside walls are likewise at risk.

What to do ...

When it's cold outside, you ought to periodically examine all the faucets in your home. If it does not work or water is just a drip you may have frozen water in your pipes. Attempt to locate the frozen area by searching in the location most likely to freeze- i.e. the coldest. Utilize a heat lamp, area heating system, hair dryer or electrical heat pad to begin to thaw out the pipelines. Remember to keep the faucet open as you work. That's because running water will help melt the ice much faster. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored, then think about going to your community hardware shop to acquire insulation for the locations of the pipeline that froze (to assist prevent it from occurring once again).

DO NOT utilize any sort of blow torch or open flame to warm the pipes. I can not stress this enough, so let me say it again. DO NOT utilize an open flame. First of all, an open flame is a fire risk and if you are working in a restricted location there is a risk of carbon monoxide gas poisoning. Every year there is a story in the news of some individual burning down their home or suffocating themselves to death while dealing with frozen pipelines.

The 2nd reason not to utilize an open flame is if it gets too hot you can melt your pipelines (especially PVC plastic pipelines). Third, excessive heat too quickly develops the capacity for an explosion. That's due to the fact that water broadens as it gets hot. A blow torch or other gadget will trigger the water to boil, and boiling water caught in the middle of a frozen pipe has no place to expand- so it blows up.

The last piece of advice is constantly the very best ... If you fail to unthaw the pipeline, call a licensed plumbing technician prior to the pipeline breaks.

How to keep it from taking place ...

- Your home should have inside valves on your outdoor water supply lines. Close them, then open the outdoors faucet and let the water drain. Leave the outdoors faucet open all winter season.

- Drain and shop outside garden pipes.

- If you have not currently done so, drain the water from your swimming pool and sprinkler system system. As discussed above, insulate pipes that's most vulnerable to freezing. You can find products at your regional hardware shop, Home Depot, or Lowes.

- Throughout severe winter, let the faucets drip. Although it's no warranty, even a trickle of water can help avoid pipes from freezing and an open faucet gives the water someplace to run as soon as it begins to heat up.

- Keep the house temperature level set to no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I understand it's appealing to turn the thermostat down when you leave town for a couple of weeks or if you have an unsold home that is setting empty, however the higher heat expense is rapidly balanced out by the expense of fixing a pipeline and tidying up water damage.

- Lastly, if you experience flooding or water damage from a damaged pipe, make certain to watch the home for mold or mildew. Black mold can be a serious after effect to a flooded home that's far even worse to handle than the actual water damage.