How to Keep Your Pipes From Freezing This Indiana Winter
Central Indiana winters bring stretches of single-digit nights and the occasional polar vortex. When water freezes, it expands, and a split pipe can release gallons into a wall or basement before anyone notices. Most frozen-pipe damage is preventable with an hour of prep in the fall.
Your fall checklist
Disconnect garden hoses. A hose left attached traps water in the outdoor spigot, which can freeze and crack the pipe inside the wall.
Shut off and drain outdoor spigots. If you have an interior shutoff for the hose bib, close it and open the outside tap to drain it.
Insulate exposed pipes. Foam pipe sleeves are cheap and fast to install. Focus on crawl spaces, unheated garages, attics and exterior walls.
Seal drafts near plumbing. Gaps around dryer vents, rim joists and pipe penetrations let cold air hit your lines.
Know where your main shutoff is. If a pipe bursts, shutting off the water in the first few minutes saves the most damage.
Check your sump pump and discharge line. A frozen discharge line can back water up into the basement during a winter thaw.
On the coldest nights
Keep the thermostat at 55°F or higher, even when you're away.
Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air reaches the pipes.
Let a faucet on an outside wall drip slightly. Moving water is much harder to freeze.
Heading out of town? Consider shutting off the main and draining the lines, especially for a lake or seasonal home.
If a pipe freezes
Signs include no water or just a trickle from one faucet, frost on a visible pipe, or a strange smell from a drain. Open the faucet and warm the pipe gently with a hair dryer or space heater, starting near the faucet and working back. Never use an open flame.
If you can't find the frozen section, or the pipe has split, shut off the main water valve and call a plumber.
We can help
ExpertPipe Indy offers pipe insulation and winterization, frozen-pipe repair and leak detection across Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Zionsville and North Indianapolis. You get an upfront, flat-rate price before any work begins.
Call or text (317) 731-3028, or request service online.
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