Winter and Freezing Temperatures
One of the biggest issues when it comes to water and sewer is cold weather. There are several things you can do to prepare before the cold hits, and plenty more you can do even when it does. When a pipes frozen if you call us a lot of the time we’re gonna set it up to thaw, leave, and come back another time when we can properly asses the damages and make any needed repairs. with the use of these tips you can avoid having to call us in the first place, or be ready when you need us to come!
First and foremost, any and all irrigation or non essential water such as vacant homes or detached buildings that don’t require water year round should have their water lines and appliances blown out with air and/or systems drained and emptied. this is always the safest and most effective way to prevent frozen and broken lines from occurring
Blocking cold airflow into areas with water
On mobile homes and a lot of homes in general, there will be a skirting all around the base. it should have vents in it, this allows proper airflow underneath to prevent things such as mold. but in the winter, these need to be blocked to prevent cold winds and air from freely blowing into where your water is! some vents come equipped with an open and closed position, alternatively people cover them with Styrofoam insulation, regular bats of insulation or pieces of wood, it could even be as simple as some tape. just something to reduce restrict or prevent the cold air moving.
Heaters in areas where lots of water is sitting where safe and able
Portable heaters are wonderful for cold weather, they’re great for pump houses or mechanical rooms, some people even use them under their trailer, when using portable heaters place it far away from any flammable material, and to point it away from any water liens to avoid melting of plastic or over expanding of metals. if you have a small area or space, pump house, under your home, crawlspace, and something has frozen, we advise shutting your water off, plugging one of these in and scheduling us to come check for damages when thawed
if you run into a time where you need or are always plugging in portable heaters for winter, we always suggest getting a proper heater installed by a professional as a permanent home fixture. pump houses and mechanical rooms are great places for small wall heaters or baseboard heaters. and remember, it doesn’t need to be hot, or even comfortable. it just needs to not freeze
Heat tape on lines in cold areas and underground
Heat tape, probably one of the most common, easily accessible and easily installed products for preventing freezing. it can be bought in preset lengths from most hardware stores, or if longer cords are needed they can be custom made by electricians to suit your needs, some people will wrap the pipes like a candy cane spiral, but it can be run straight and flat along the pipe. we use electrical tape to affix it to the pipes, the most important part is that both the very end and the thermostat (picture 2) are attached flat and firmly on the pipe in order to properly read the temperature. heat tape can be buried with shallow water lines when necessary. under trailers this is generally the go to option for the hookups between the ground and the insulation on the trailer. it does require a plug to operate, some hardwired solutions can be operated by a switch or breaker inside the home.
Insulation on pipes can be placed overtop of heat tape
Pipe insulation comes in any size you need and can be placed overtop of heat tape to add an extra layer of protection, we tend to use a strop tape such as Tuck Tape, or dependent on material we will use a silver duct tape to seal and hold the insulation on, some insulation comes with its own adhesive to help it stick together. insulation on it’s own wont combat extreme cold, it can help retain temperature in the pipes but is not a viable solution on it’s own.
in the event of a freeze, shut off your main water before beginning any heating process. open some taps to allow for the water expansion, and if its possible try to thaw it all slowly and uniformly to prevent any over pressurization. many fixtures or water system equipment can and may suffer damage from freezing water, it’s a good idea to get any pressure regulators, pressure switches, pressure tanks, backflow preventors, etc.. checked before returning them into use.