Plumbing in the Winter -Frozen Pipes, the good and the bad!

I have personally fixed MANY broker copper pipes over the years! It is simple to avoid frozen pipes but can be a massive repair.

Story time, lol. I started working for Embassy suites in about 2001 as the Director of Engineering. Fresh out of the Coast Guard and my first big job! It was day one! Yes, my first day. I got a call of a water leak in the lobby bar. We found a pipe that had a crack and it was leaking bad. Did i say this was day one, lol. Here i was one a 12 foot ladder, on the top rung trying to fix this leak when all the sudden it burst. I had 25 gallons a minute straight on my head.

I stuffed rags and pressure while balancing on this ladder. I had my staff go and get a freeze kit. It is a collar you put on a pipe and push liquid nitrogen that freezes the water in the pipe so you can solder and repair broken joints. I was able to repair the copper pipe in the ceiling, with only mop bucket cleanup, and reopen the restaurant by happy hour. So FREEZING water can be a bonus. The boss loved it and said I passed the Day 1 test!. He was very impressed and I got to leave early, to change.

Tip 36. Insulate your home’s pipes.

“Copper pipes are great thermal conductors, but they do cause hot water to lose heat as it is transported. By covering these pipes with polystyrene insulating tubing, the pipe will retain its warmth and hot water will stay hotter much longer. In the summer, it will also help cold water to stay cold. Cover as much pipework as possible, including pipes in walls and floors.” -- Expert Tips for Household Plumbing, Rona; Twitter: @RONAinc