What To Do When Pipes Burst and How to Prevent Them From Freezing in the First Place

When winter hits Milwaukee, it usually means below freezing temperatures, and that frequently results in burst and freezing pipes.

If you happen to notice reduced flow from your faucets, that can be an indication of frozen pipes. Don’t fret though, frozen pipes don’t necessarily mean burst ones. Most of them can be salvaged by gradually thawing them out. However, you can save yourself from being in this predicament by following these steps:

How to Keep Pipes From Freezing

1) Safeguard your pipes from the cold weather conditions. If the winter season is extreme, and a hard freeze is expected, it would be best to insulate your pipes.

2) Keep your bathroom and kitchen cabinets open to allow warm air to permeate the pipes.

3) Ensure that the outdoor faucets are turned off and hoses aren’t connected to faucets.

You can attempt to open faucets to enable a light water stream to continuously flow in order to keep the pipes from freezing. Still, this isn’t a solid plan. You should take into account that water can freeze.

If you’re thinking about traveling, turn off the water at the mains to avoid disastrous water damage while you’re away.

WhaTo Do If a Pipe Bursts

1) Turn off the water main valve. In case of a water pipe burst, shut off the water at the shut-off valve. In many single-family houses, the shut-off valve is in the crawl space or basement, on a wall that’s facing the curb (often at the meter or where the line enters the home).

2) To reduce pressure, leave the faucet(s) open until the repairs are finished. After turning off the main shut-off valve, you should consider opening cold and hot faucets in the lowest part of the home to enable water to drain.

3) Don’t attempt to melt a frozen pipe using an open flame since this will cause damage to the pipe and may even result in a building fire.

After following the aforementioned steps, it’s crucial that you get in touch with a professional near you to resolve your water damage and restore your house.

We provide 24/7 plumbing services in Milwaukee to fix your broken pipes, and we also work alongside a local service provider that offers emergency water damage restoration services whenever you need them.