Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!
As winter takes a firmer hold on us, the temperatures start falling further and we have to start thinking about protecting our pipework from freezing – something to be avoided at all costs if possible.
As the water in the pipe freezes, it wants to expand. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the pipe is already full of water, it has nowhere to go – the only thing that can happen is that the weakest part of the pipework will be forced to expand; either at a connection or the pipe itself – rupturing the pipe is usually the most common type of failure.
A popular misconception is what happens next – the pipe freezes, expands and ruptures, it is at this point that most people will expect a gush of water. They may not know that there is a problem at all, believing that there is no sign of a leak misleads them into thinking that everything is OK. However, it is quite normal that there won’t be any gushing leaks anywhere until the pipe has thawed out – once the temperatures start to rise again.
As with many things, prevention is always better than the cure! Making sure that your pipework is properly insulated is a good start, don’t rely on the residual heat in your home to keep them from freezing.
It is impossible to check every single part of your pipework every hour, but if you happen to notice that you have no water reaching your faucet for instance, there is a good chance that the pipe could be frozen. A bit of quick thinking could save you an awful lot of damage, inconvenience and even money – getting an expert to look at the problem before the water thaws out usually means a relatively quick and cost-effective repair.
For further advice or to schedule an appointment, talk to our professionals today. Contact us online or call us at 717-963-2034.
Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!