Preventing Frozen Pipes in Minnesota’s Harsh Winters

The cold winter season has hit the Minnesota area. While you’re likely preoccupied with your heating system for the upcoming season, you don’t want to forget about your plumbing system. We’ll share our best tips to help you avoid having frozen pipes this winter. Why Are Frozen Pipes a Concern? When your pipes freeze during the winter, you may think that it creates only a slight inconvenience. The most obvious problem is that you won’t have fresh water until the lines thaw. However, the damage doesn’t stop there. When water freezes into ice, it expands. The water inside your pipes pushes against the piping material, causing it to distort. Sometimes, piping can develop a leak or crack due to expansion. While you won’t notice a water leak when the cracking occurs, you will once the line thaws. If you’re not home or you don’t notice the leak, it can cause extensive water damage to your home and drive up your water bill. It is best to implement some helpful practices to prevent pipes from freezing throughout winter. Insulate One of the best ways to prevent frozen pipes during the cold winter season is to insulate them. You can use various...

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Dealing With Common Winter Emergencies

The winter months are hard on plumbing systems and heaters, particularly for homes in the Aitkin, Minnesota, area. This can lead to emergency situations that require the help of a professional. Trying to take care of these on your own or waiting too long to call someone can lead to significant damage to the system. Frozen Pipes One of the most common problems during the winter is frozen pipes. The water on the inside of the pipes expands as it freezes. As the freezing water expands, the pipes can crack, which can lead to severe leaks and water damage. Frozen pipes are most common in unheated spaces, such as attics, basements, and garages. The affected areas won’t have good water pressure if the freeze is in an incoming pipe. If a drainpipe is frozen, water won’t be able to drain through it. Burst Pipes Burst pipes during the winter months have two main causes. The first is when the water freezes in the pipes and causes immediate problems. The second is when the pipes are weak because of previous freeze-thaw cycles and a weak area bursts. When a pipe bursts, significant water damage can occur in your walls or floors....

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How to Winterize Your Plumbing System

Minnesota is no stranger to cold, snowy weather. The winter months can bring massive amounts of snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. Luckily, that makes the fall an excellent time to ensure that your plumbing will get through cold weather with minimal problems. Preparing your pipes and fixtures now can help avert catastrophes during blizzards and other extreme weather events. Consider performing these easy steps to winterize your plumbing in and around Aitkin County. Why You Should Protect Your Plumbing Preparing your plumbing for cold weather helps avoid costly damage to your home. Frozen pipes pose a significant risk to your home’s plumbing. Water expands when it freezes, causing pipes to burst and resulting in water damage to walls, floors and more. In the coldest days of winter, you may wait days to get emergency service, leaving you without running water and potentially causing further damage. While you can do many of these tasks now, you’ll need to perform others during the coldest months to ensure your plumbing continues to run. Start by attending to outside pipes and fixtures. However, before you do anything, make sure you know where the main water cutoff valve is located. Knowing this location can make...

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How to Winterize Your Plumbing for the Minnesota Winter

As the temperatures begin to drop and winter starts to settle in, it’s important to take a few steps to ensure that your plumbing can weather the cold. Known as winterization, these steps can save you a lot of stress down the road. Here’s an overview of the winterization process for your Minnesota plumbing system. Insulate Your Pipes This is perhaps the most important step in ensuring that your plumbing can withstand the cold winter temperatures. Any exposed piping, whether it is in your crawlspace or basement, should be properly insulated with foam pipe insulation. This will act as a barrier between your pipes and the cold air, and it will help keep them from freezing. Disconnect Outdoor Hoses Any hoses that are still connected to outdoor faucets should be disconnected and stored away for the winter. Be sure to drain any remaining water from the hoses before storing them, as this will help prevent them from freezing and cracking. Cover Outdoor Faucets Outdoor faucets should be covered with insulating covers to prevent them from freezing. These covers are relatively inexpensive and can be found at most hardware stores. Bleed Your Radiator Valves If you have a boiler and rely...

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