Regardless of how long you're traveling and away from home, keep the thermostat set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This will help prevent the pipes inside the house from freezing and those under the house also at a slightly higher temperature. If you plan to go away during a cold climate, leave the heating on in your home, at a temperature not lower than 55° F. Over the past few years, Worcester has experienced quite a few days of freezing temperatures.
We recommend taking extra precautions during a cold wave or when it drops below 20 degrees outside. A foolproof way to prevent pipes from freezing is to install additional insulation in your home, insulate the pipes, and have your house professionally air sealed. Do you want to make sure your home is protected at all costs? The magic number is 20 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the temperature when pipes freeze, according to the University of Illinois Building Research Council.
When it's so cold outside, the pipes inside can cool down enough for the water in them to turn into ice. Temperatures only need to drop to about 20° F for a few hours to put exposed pipes at risk. Therefore, the best thing to do is to insulate exposed pipes to keep that temperature well above freezing. Keeping the temperature in the house high means keeping those pipes, even those outside the house, warm enough to prevent them from freezing.
At the same risk, hire an inspector to come to your home and check the land to make sure your home isn't at risk. Most homeowners insurance doesn't cover damage caused by broken frozen pipes, unless the homeowner can show that they took appropriate steps to prevent the pipes from freezing. Often, to defrost frozen pipes, you'll need to expose them to warmer air and room temperature water (not hot water or boiling water) to thaw them slowly. Instead of telling your insurance agent that your house is “flooded,” tell them that there is a water leak from a broken pipe that can cause serious water damage.
An easy way to prevent tree roots from bending pipes is to make sure there are no trees near the pipes. These higher water pressures can cause lasting damage to pipes and make pipes more susceptible to leaks. If there was a recent earthquake that caused the leak, the plumber should know how to check the rest of the pipes to make sure there are no other weak spots in the pipes. One solution to avoid spending a lot on heating in an unoccupied house is to drain the pipes and put non-toxic antifreezes in the traps so that freezing doesn't bother the pipes.
If the damage to the pipes is severe, you may want to plan a hotel stay for a few days while the water pipes are reinstalled. If you live in an earthquake-prone area, it would be a good idea to check your pipes regularly, so you don't have to worry about re-coating your pipes. Not to mention that Energy Monster technicians will provide pipe insulation and install it on your water pipes for free. Pipes usually freeze when the temperature is 20 degrees faranheit outside the building that contains them.
