WINTERIZING A HOME Wrap up those pipes

Let faucets drip slowly in cold weather to keep water in the pipes.
BY REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Frozen water pipes can be a homeowner's worst nightmare, and in Northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania, frigid winter weather can easily make that nightmare a reality.
When water inside pipes freezes and expands, pipes can crack or shatter and create a miniflood.
Since these raging indoor rivers can cause thousands of dollars of damage to walls, ceilings, carpets and furniture, preventing a deep freeze is crucial.
Jim Shafer Jr., of Shafer Plumbing in Southington, said preventive measures are key.
Insulation: "Make sure your home's pipes are properly insulated -- that's the most important thing," Shafer said.
Most plumbers recommend using molded foam pipe wrap or heat tape to insulate pipes. Molded foam pipe wrap envelops pipes and can be secured with duct tape. Heat tape can be wrapped around pipes and then plugged into an electrical outlet.
"People who live in mobile homes often use heat tape on the pipes running underneath their mobile home," said Don Benton, owner of Benton Sewer and Drain in West Middlesex, Pa.
Although mobile home residents are often at greater risk for frozen water pipes, Benton said he also gets plenty of frozen pipe complaints from people living in houses.
"Pipes in unheated areas of the home, like in an unheated attic, basement, garage or crawl space are at risk," Benton said. "If you have water pipes in an unheated area, you should insulate them or somehow connect them to a heated area so the warm air can circulate through."
Benton also said that if your home's bathroom or kitchen sink sits against an exterior wall, you should leave the cupboard doors beneath the sink open in very cold weather to allow warm air in.
Since even insulated pipes can freeze if there is no water moving through them, Benton recommends allowing faucets to drip slightly in very cold weather to keep water rolling through pipes.
"It's comparable to leaving an inner tube in a swimming pool during the winter -- the motion keeps ice from forming," Benton said.
Benton said plastic pipes will freeze faster than galvanized or copper pipes because they are less durable.
"Plastic pipes will crack while galvanized and copper pipes will usually burst, but either way you'll have water everywhere," Benton added.
Don't assume, either, that hot water pipes are immune to freezing.
Freeze even faster: "Hot water pipes actually freeze faster than cold water pipes," Benton said.
This is because gasses in water are reduced as water heats, allowing hot water to solidify faster after it leaves the tank.
Benton and Shafer said safeguarding the exterior of your home against the cold will help keep your home's interior free of frozen pipes.
Caulking small openings on the exterior of the house where drafts might be coming in, such as around electrical outlets or dryer vents, will help keep pipes inside of exterior walls from freezing.
Shafer and Benton also recommend disconnecting outdoor garden hoses during cold months. Failing to do so will ruin the hose and damage the hose bib to which the hose is connected.
Benton also said that unless you have a frost-free hose bib, you should wrap rags, trash bags or plastic foam around outdoor faucets after hoses have been disconnected.