Can Pipes Freeze Overnight?

Pipes can freeze overnight. The more your pipes are unprotected and the lower the temperature outside, the higher the chances that your pipes can freeze. And if your heating system fails, pipes can freeze quickly, in hours—they don’t need a whole night. Also, pipes aren’t the only thing that freezes. Water in toilet bowls freezes, too, and the bowls can crack.

As a home or business owner, you may have a couple of questions about frozen pipes and ways to prevent this problem from occurring. In this blog, we shall demystify some ways of preventing your pipes from freezing.

What happens when the pipes freeze?

Pipes may burst when they freeze. This can result in critical damage, depending on the nature of the damage, and how much water is coming from the pipe. In some instances, pipes don’t freeze but the ice inside the pipe can block the flowing water.

How to prevent the pipes from freezing

Insulation can help your pipes from freezing. Commercial self-adhesive insulation is available at home improvement centres and hardware stores. You should insulate the pipes that are outside your home first because they are more likely to freeze. You can wrap your pipes with a blanket or a newspaper. Another possibility is to “blow out” exterior pipes, such as to a sprinkler system, with compressed air before winter.

Here are other ways to prevent your pipes from freezing. They include the following:

-You should keep your garage doors closed.

-You should open bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors to allow warmer air to get in around the plumbing. If you have small children or pets, be sure to remove household chemicals and harmful cleaners.

-If you are away for a while make sure to leave the heat on in your house. Set the temperature no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit or 13 degrees Celsius.

-We recommend that you add insulation to crawl spaces, basements, and attics.

Because it’s so easy for pipes to freeze under the right conditions, you may wish to add temperature sensors and/or flood sensors to an existing alarm system. If you are in the process of getting an alarm system for the first time, or upgrading the one you have definitely include flood sensors and/or temperature sensors.

For over 25 years, Marc and Jacqueline Cyr of Scan-Tech Alarm Systems Ltd. have helped to keep people and properties safe in Prince Albert and its surrounding areas.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about your security needs, please call our toll-free number at (877) 212-5276 or use the handy form on our Contact page.