How To Prevent Pipes From Freezing In Crawl Space

Homeowners tin can prevent crawl space pipes from freezing in just a few DIY steps.  Doing and then can save yous headaches and a hurting in the wallet down the road.  Follow our 5 easy steps below to protect your domicile's pipes this winter.

The onset of winter requires several modifications in your home. Homeowners adopt various weatherization techniques to avert any potential disaster. However, crawl spaces are oft neglected during these efforts. Crawl spaces are more exposed to outside winds due to their vents. Thus, a little brush with common cold winds is enough to freeze crawl infinite pipes.

Why Pipes Freeze?

Water is a fascinating compound. It displays distinct characteristics when information technology faces heat and cold. When water faces a very low temperature, it tin freeze and expand by almost 10 percent. This expansion is triggered with a sudden and powerful surge. Studies illustrate the fact that such h2o pressures can even stretch to 40,000 psi (pounds per inch).

Pipes are not supposed to withstand such high amounts of pressure; thus, they are vulnerable to bursts. More often than not, the exact spot of the burst differs. Sometimes, information technology is the spot where well-nigh of the ice can exist establish; at other times, the pipe's weakest portions become susceptible to the sudden rise of h2o force per unit area.

Frozen water pipes cannot but hamper the flow of water in your home, but they tin can also outburst at any fourth dimension, costing structural damages as well every bit maintenance expenses.

Hence, it is important to follow sure techniques and tips which can help to limit clamber space pipes from freezing in winters.

v DIY Techniques and Tips to Prevent Crawl Space Pipes From Freezing

Five very easy, but constructive, tips to prevent crawl space pipes from freezing are as follows:

1. When the cold weather arrives, a productive tip is to shut your crawl space'southward vents until the weather subsides.  Make sure, all the same, that you merely use this technique for but the coldest days.  Keeping vents airtight for long periods, especially in Northwest homes, tin can atomic number 82 to wet buildup that can cause mold and mildew in your clamber infinite.
2. Open chiffonier doors under the sink if you lot have pipes within or close to an outside wall.  You may even want to identify modest space heater in front of the chiffonier doors to keep pipes warm.
3. Another extremely common cold weather fourth dimension tip is to keep your faucets on, .i.e., let a piffling h2o to trickle down in your clamber space pipes. A continuous supply of water can hamper any freezing attempt.  This, too, is merely recommended for the coldest days of winter.
4. Movement around your crawl space and apply heating record on pipes. There are heating tapes that have to exist added and removed according to the temperatures. However, you can also opt for heating tapes that automatically plow on and off past determining the temperatures.
5. Observe the surroundings that are close to your pipes. Identify any cracks or holes and eliminate them. Often cold air finds a passageway through these pipes, resulting in the freezing of pipes.

Professional person Solutions to Protect Your Pipes This Wintertime

Crawl space insulation is perhaps the virtually effective solution to preclude crawl space pipes from freezing.

The insulation of a crawl space ways that your clamber space can take similar temperature that is maintained within the confines of your home. As a outcome, pipes can exist prevented from freezing. Likewise, the possibilities of condensation are likewise reduced.

A professional insulation contractor tin can install the proper amount of insulation between flooring joists to ensure a warm and comfy floor.  In most cases a six-inch-thick, R-nineteen fiberglass batt works all-time in our Northwest homes.

An insulation pro will also calculate the ventilation your crawl space needs to perform at its best.  Sometimes new vents will be required for the proper ventilation.

It may besides exist necessary to seal the subfloor when holes for electrical wires and plumbing have are open or take cracks.  In this case spray foam insulation will be used to fill the cracks.

A professional person can also insulate your plumbing and HVAC ducts to forbid heat loss and freezing.

Concluding Thoughts

Preventing your pipes from freezing this winter can be a simple DIY project or information technology may accept some professional support.

The main signal is to take activity today.  A few elementary steps tin can assistance caput off major issues this winter.

Source: https://crawlpros.com/prevent-crawl-space-pipes-from-freezing/

Share this post