Frozen Pipes

Heating bills go through the roof during the winter and sometimes it is difficult to keep a home warm, especially in older homes. The colder a home is, the more likely it is that the pipes inside will freeze. Inner pipes freezing is relatively uncommon – usually attic pipes freeze first – bit it can happen.

As with any information on this site, you should always hire a professional to help insulate your home. This is not meant as professional advice but may give you an idea of how to improve the insulation in your home.
The mortar between bricks or blocks can be insulated further by adding more mortar into any cracks or any place the mortar has been removed from. By filling the cracks with new mortar it will help to keep the air warmer around the pipes.

There are also spray-in foams that can be sprayed into the cracks and fill them. The spray-in foam sprays in as a liquid and expands as they dry.

Placing insulation on the inside of the foundation is another way to help retain heat in a basement or crawlspace where pipes are located.

There are several types of insulation which can be wrapped around pipes to help prevent them freezing. The insulations are designed to be used in particular places and the most commonly used one in homes is fiberglass. It can be wrapped around pipes whether hidden or exposed, and designed to be used on hot or cold pipes.

Another way to prevent pipes from freezing is to wrap them with heat tape which can be found in several types.

Braided heat cables are usually 18 feet in length. It is attached to the pipe by using application tape and is placed on the pipe length. It has a built in thermostat so that it can be adjusted to turn on or off as needed and can protect the pipes from freeze to minus 40 degrees. It can be used on plastic pipe providing the plastic pipe has been wrapped in aluminum foil first.

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