Home
owners should be aware of the effects the cold snap or deep freeze can have. A
deep freeze can reap havoc on water pipes. Freezing pipes are common during
this time of year. This occurs when water freezes in a pipe, causing it to
expand and utilize pressure of approximately 2,000 lbs per square inch.
The
effect of this occurrence is the rupturing of pipes. Once the pipes are filled
with water there is no place for it to go—therefore the water freezes and enviable
turns into ice which expands and ruptures.
When a pipe explodes
it can spill several hundred gallons of water per hour. This can cause
thousands of dollars in damages at the home owners expense. If pipes are frozen and have not ruptured a high powered hair dryer is
one way to thaw the problem. For those who have pipes too close to a wall a cookie
sheet can be placed behind the pipe which will emit heat to the pipe.
No comments:
Post a Comment