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Community Corner

Avoid Water Pipe Bursts During Freezing Temperatures

Area plumbers say prevention the key.

Area plumbers say prevention is the key to avoiding costly plumbing repairs due to burst in the home.

Jonathan Jnasazak, owner of Rogue Plumbing, recalled a call from a harried homeowner who had failed to take simple precautions before going on a two-week vacation. 

They arrived home to find water cascading down their stairs. Their furnace had shut down and the pipes throughout the house had burst, costing the homeowner over $2,000 in plumbing repairs alone. 

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Shawn Finn, Chicago-area manager for ARS Rescue Rooters, said the service receives calls mainly for vacant homes this time of year when pipes burst due to the cold weather. 

He recommends when homes are vacant for long periods of time–be they in foreclosure or empty and for sale–that the responsible parties ask the city to turn off the water to the house before opening faucets. Pouring anti-freeze down drains and toilets will help keep sewer smells from coming past the p-trap.

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Both companies service Crystal Lake businesses and residents. Here are some more of their tips: 

If going out of town for a few days to several weeks: 

1. One of the most important things to do is to get the furnace checked. If the furnace fails, the house chills and pipes may freeze and burst. It’s worth the cost to have a maintenance check on the furnace before winter trips. If the furnace is working, there is little chance water pipes inside will burst. 

2. Turn off the water main typically located near the furnace or water heater in the house. There may two valves on either side of the water main. If you aren’t sure which to turn off, turn them both off. 

3. Flush toilets and open the faucets, allowing pipes to drain out. This eliminates much of the water and pressure in the pipe, so if they get cold there is room for residual water to freeze and expand without causing pipe damage. Leave faucets open until your return. 

4. Upon return to the home, first turn on the water main before turning off the water faucets. Let the water come through the faucets and then turn them off. 

For everyday prevention:

1. Insulate indoor pipes in the basement near outside walls with pipe insulator. 

2. For exposed pipes in a crawlspace, consider heated pipe tape as well as insulation. The tape is easily applied by homeowners themselves. 

3. If there are pipes in the outer walls of the home, consider leaving a water faucet dripping during extremely cold temperatures. Have a plumber take a look at those pipes for ways to prevent them from freezing.

4. If valves by the home’s water main appear corroded or have calcification have them replaced by a licensed plumber. A few dollars spent on this could save hundreds or thousands in water damage repair later. 

For homes vacant for long periods of time: 

1. Furnaces will usually be shut down in long-term vacancies, so ask the city to turn off the water from their control box outside. 

2. Open faucets and flush toilets to drain and keep them open. 

3. Pour antifreeze down toilets and sinks to prevent sewer smells from passing through the p-trap. 

What to do if a pipe bursts: 

1. Shut off the valves of your own water main. Water mains are located by a water heater or furnace. They are usually easy to find in the basement, but in a house without a basement they are typically located in a closet where the water heater and furnace are. 

2. Call a licensed plumber.

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