Last month, Toms River was the coldest city nationwide. On January 10th, we dropped to -1 degrees Fahrenheit, beating out Minneapolis, Augusta, Syracuse, and other famously frigid cities for the coldest city that day.  We all know how cold Ocean County can get, so all of us need to be aware of the danger of frozen pipes.

Frozen pipes refers to the plumbing disaster that occurs when the water INSIDE your water pipes freezes to solid ice. If that wasn’t bad enough, when water freezes, it expands, causing your frozen pipes to burst open. Burst pipes can dump thousands of gallons of water throughout your house, causing widespread mold growth and thousands of dollars in damage.

When it comes to frozen pipes, your first priority should be prevention. 

If you have frozen pipes, you need to know they are frozen and you need to know how to thaw them — before they burst. Read on to learn the 4 frozen pipe warning signs.

IDEAL CONDITIONS FOR FROZEN PIPES

•    Cold Temperatures — in order for pipes to freeze the temperature has to drop to 32 degrees. However, 20 degrees and below is the threshold at which your pipes experience the highest chance of freezing. So when the temperature drops, look out for frozen pipe warning signs.

•    Strong Wind — just like the wind chills you, it chills your pipes, too.

•    Older homes — Older homes are beautiful, but they are more susceptible to frozen pipes. They are less insulated and may have siding cracks through which cold air can enter. If you have an older home, you need to be more vigilant looking for these frozen pipe warning signs

FROZEN PIPES: THE WARNING SIGNS

  1. Bubbling or Gurgling Sound

Hearing a bubbling sound when you flush your toilet or run your faucet often means your pipes are frozen.  The sound occurs as ice begins blocking more and more of the pipe, sending air back up — rather than out.

  1. Extremely Cold Water from Your Faucet

If the cold water coming out of your pipes feels unusually cold, that’s a grade-A frozen pipe warning sign. As the water in your pipes begins turning to ice, the flow still making it out will be even colder.

  1. No Water

This is a dead giveaway. If you turn on the faucet and don’t get any water, you have a problem. During the winter, you can feel pretty confident that your problem is a frozen pipe

Your faucets don’t work because either the ice is blocking the flow of water — or all of your water is ice.

  1. Cold or Frozen Pipe Exterior

The majority of your water pipes are inside the walls — after all, that’s why burst pipes are so destructive. However, sections of your water pipes may be exposed in bathrooms, basements, or utility closets.

If the exterior of those pipes feels extremely cold to the touch, you can all but guarantee that pipe is frozen. In rare cases, frozen pipes become so cold frost appears on the outside. Either way, this frozen pipe warning sign lets you know you have an emergency on your hands.

Have Frozen Pipes?

We can help.

We specialize in thawing pipes without allowing them to burst. Not only do we restore your home’s water, but we prevent a massive burst pipe disaster

If you notice any of these warning signs, make us your first call to prevent disaster.

Professional Frozen Pipe Prevention

We can help there too.

Are you a little nervous about frozen pipes?

We understand and we’ve got your back.

If you don’t want to risk a frozen pipes or burst pipes emergency, bring out Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Our experienced plumbers can install electrical heat tape on your water pipes. Heat tape uses a safe —but powerful— electrical current that keeps your pipes warm to prevent the risk of frozen pipes.

FROZEN PIPE WARNING SIGNS: WRAP-UP

We might not see another -1 degree day any time soon, but we can count on this winter getting pretty cold! The cold and the wind put your pipes in danger of freezing and bursting.

So when the temperature drops and the wind blows, you know the frozen pipe warning signs to look for:

  • Bubbling or Gurgling Sound when you use plumbing
  • Extremely cold water from your faucet
  • No water from your faucets
  • Pipes that are cold or frozen
  • Forward this blog to someone who lives in an even colder place than Ocean County. And remember we’re always here to help with your frozen pipe prevention and frozen pipe emergency needs.

Forward this blog to someone who lives in an even colder place than Ocean County. And remember we’re always here to help with your frozen pipe prevention and frozen pipe emergency needs.

Contact us to prevent frozen pipes, to thaw them, and for all of your plumbing needs.