Winters in Indiana begin in November. The temperatures might stay cool and mild for a while, but the weather quickly turns chillier as the last of the leaves fall. It’s during this time when homeowners face one of the biggest risks that cold weather can bring–a frozen water pipe that could potentially burst and cause severe water damage to your home.

That means in November, it isn't just time to rake up your leaves, but it’s also time to winterize your outdoor faucets in preparation for the first Indiana frost. The process takes only a few minutes but is well worth the effort.

First, we’ll cover the dangers a frozen pipe poses, and then go over the three easy steps to protect yourself from an expensive and avoidable headache. Finally, we offer some solutions for thawing pipes if you find yourself struggling with frozen pipe sections after a freeze to help protect your home from damage.

Why You Need to Winterize Your Pipes in Indianapolis

Water will freeze when it reaches 32 degrees Fahrenheit. In central Indiana, the average temperature for December through February can get as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit. While one cold night will most likely not cause severe damage, prolonged periods of time can lead to a burst pipe.

Winterizing your outdoor pipes and any exposed pipes on exterior walls should be done each fall in preparation for freezing temperatures. This serves two purposes:

1. It reduces pressure in the water pipes: This can lead to long-term damage and disrupt your entire plumbing infrastructure. Since cold water expands upon freezing, it exerts additional pressure on pipes. This can lead to the pipe bursting at weak points. Even if your pipe has not burst in past winters, the continual strain from the frozen water is weakening the system as a whole.
2. It prevents ice from building up: When ice builds up, it slows the flow of water. This not only puts a strain on appliances such as your water heater, but it also increases energy costs. Plus, if ice builds up in the taps, it can cause the outer surfaces to attract and condense water vapor. When condensed water vapor starts to leak, it causes the accumulation of molds.

How to Winterize Pipes in Your Indianapolis Home

In your home, it’s important to know that some pipes are more vulnerable to freezing outdoor temperatures than others. Specifically, exposed pipes like a faucet installed on an exterior wall or any exposed water supply lines running within the home’s exterior walls are at high risk. This is because these are more directly impacted by the cold outdoor temperature and lack the insulation that interior or underground pipes have.

Any pipes that are centrally located benefit from the home’s heat, whereas outside pipes are too far away to benefit from residual heat from a furnace or heat pump.

Once you’ve identified the pipes to winterize, it can be done in three steps.

1. Turn Off Water

Most outdoor faucets are connected to a shut-off value in your home, which controls the flow of water to the outdoor faucet. Usually, the shut-off valve is located in the basement, crawl space, or utility room. If your home is on slab foundations, the shut-off is more likely inside, near the exterior wall with a secondary one near the water meter.

How to turn off the water depends on the type of shut-off valve you have. There are two primary types:

• Gate Valve: It looks a lot like a small wheel. To turn off a gate valve, you need to simply turn the wheel in a clockwise direction until it won't go any further.
• Ball Valve. This will have a handle coming from the top of the valve. To turn it off, you will need to turn the handle so it is perpendicular to the supply line to shut off the water.

2. Disconnect and Drain Any Attached Hoses

During the winter, you will not need to water the grass or wash off your deck. To prepare for the temperature drop and safeguard your pipes from freezing, it is best to put the hose away until spring. Go outside and detach the hose from the spigot.

Then, roll it up and store it in a sheltered area such as your garage or in a shed. This prevents damage to the hose because any hose left outside may collect water. Water will expand by almost 10% as it freezes. This expansion can damage the hoses, causing them to leak at the connections or develop splits. Taking a few minutes to remove as much water from the hose as possible will extend the life of the hose.

3. Drain the Faucet

Once the water to the exterior pipe is shut off and the hose is removed, you are almost done. It is now time to drain the faucet, also called the hose bib, of any water left in the pipe. This creates some air space to prevent water from damaging either the pipes or valves if it does freeze.

For older outdoor faucets, you are likely to find a drainage port on the water line near the Open port. When draining, place a bucket below it which gives the water a place to collect as the line drains out.

If you can’t find a drainage port, open the faucet outside and allow water remaining in the line to drain out. We recommend leaving the faucet open over the winter to alleviate water pressure in case the line freezes. Although it is unlikely, if your shutoff valve leaks and allows water to reenter the system, an open faucet will also prevent the water from accumulating in the pipes.

What To Do With Frozen Pipes

If you missed the opportunity to winterize your pipes before the temperatures dropped and now find yourself battling frozen pipes, it’s important to take action quickly to prevent frozen pipes from damaging the plumbing in your Indianapolis home.

How to Thaw a Frozen Outdoor Hose Bib

1. Open the faucet outside.
2. Go inside to where the pipe runs into the exterior wall. This is most likely the basement or crawl space.
3. Take rags or towels and wrap the base of the hose bib.
4. Pour boiling water onto the cloth. A hairdryer is another option for applying heat to the frozen area.
5. Once there is a trickle of water from the outdoor faucet, thawing has begun.
6. Winterize the faucet to prevent future freezes.

If you need support in winterizing your pipes or thawing frozen ones, give the trusted team at Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing a call. Contact us online, or call (317) 620-8622 to schedule an appointment today.

One of the worst casualties of winter is frozen, cracked and leaky pipes. You try your hardest to prepare for the frigid weather by having your furnace tuned up and utilizing your whole home humidifier, but sometimes your plumbing doesn't receive the right amount of attention it should. This winter, use some of these great tips to help keep your plumbing running smoothly all winter long.

We have mentioned some of these tips before, but we are mentioning them again because they are that important and easy to forget.

• Pay attention to the weather , This sounds a little obvious, right? But how many times have you neglected to check the weather and wake up to freezing temperatures, ice and snow without properly preparing for it? It's probably happened more times than you'd like. Avoid being surprised by bad weather by checking the weather before you go to sleep. Whether you look at an app on your phone, a website on your computer or watch the local news, just make sure you're aware of any bad weather headed your way.
• Leave the water running , We have mentioned this tip a few times, but it's the easiest way to avoid frozen pipes in the winter. If you leave a steady trickle of water running in your kitchen sink and bathroom sinks you'll be in excellent shape when the temperatures drop. This will reduce the pressure in your pipes, keeping them from freezing and cracking.
• Go the extra mile , Don't forget to open up the cabinet doors under your sinks to allow heat from inside your home circulate around the pipes. It seems like a silly extra step, but it could make the difference between hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of damage or no damage at all. Also, be sure to use insulating faucet covers, rags or trash bags around your outdoor faucets. This is a step most people forget. Disconnect your hose and store it in your garage or basement until the weather warms up.
• Plan ahead , If you're planning on taking a trip during the colder months you'll want to tell your friends, family members or neighbors who are watching your house to be mindful of all of these tips. You don't want to come home from a relaxing vacation to frozen, cracked or damaged pipes.

All of these tips will help you save money and give you peace of mind about your plumbing throughout the winter. These tasks are easy to complete and almost anyone in the family can help! Don't let Mother Nature get the best of you or your home. Stay a step ahead by avoiding frozen pipes all winter long. If you have a plumbing emergency call us at 317-291-4909 or visit our website.

Give Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, to provide plumbing services for your home today

Imagine you are leaving your snow-covered home to go on a much needed and highly anticipated vacation to a place with white, sandy beaches and warm island breezes. You might double or triple check your packing list to make sure you have all of the chargers for your mobile devices, your tooth brush and passport, but have you thought about what condition you are leaving your home in? Have you checked the weather forecast? Is there going to be another snow storm? Will the temperature drop below freezing again? Are your pipes going to freeze? You do not want to come home from a relaxing vacation to frozen and split plumbing, damage to your home and costly repairs. Here's how to prevent your pipes from freezing this winter.

First things first, pipes splitting are not caused by ice swelling in place. It is the pressure from the unfrozen water between the ice and the closed faucet that is the primary cause of broken pipes.

How to Prevent Your Pipes from Freezing

If negative temperatures are predicted in the weather forecast while you're away, you need to take preventative measures.

• Ask one of your neighbors, friends or relatives to stop by your house to make sure the faucet in your kitchen or bathroom is dripping ever so slightly to reduce pressure in the pipes. A slow trickle is best, not a stream.
• Be sure to use insulating faucet covers, rags or trash bags around your outdoor faucets.
• Leave some of your cabinet doors under the sinks in your kitchen and bathrooms open to allow heated indoor air to circulate around the pipes.
• Don't forget to disconnect water hoses from faucets. Drain the hose and bring it indoors if you can.

What to Do if Your Pipes Freeze

Life happens. Even if you're prepared for the worst, there's always a chance something could go wrong. If your pipes do freeze and cause damage to your home, follow these guidelines.

• Turn off the water immediately. Leaking water from thawing pipes could cause an electrical shortage.
• Call Chapman Heating & Air Conditioning for help.
• Do not use heat lamps or electrical appliances to thaw your pipes.
• Contact your insurance agency if severe property damage has occurred.
• Take as many photos of the damage as possible before repairs are made.

Mother Nature can be cruel and unpredictable, so it's always best to try and prepare for the worst, especially if you are leaving your home for a few days. Make sure you check the weather and take the proper precautions. If your pipes freeze or split this winter, call Chapman Heating & Air Conditioning right away.

Chapman Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing, carries a full line of high efficiency furnaces. Contact us to recommend the best services to your home