Tips for Preventing Frozen Sewer Lines

During the coldest months of the year, there’s always a potential risk for frozen sewer lines in vulnerable properties. This is just one winter plumbing issue you should prepare for as a homeowner in Colorado Springs, CO, just to be on the safe side. It’s also an issue that tends to be overlooked almost entirely. But it’s important to consider the possibility of frozen sewer lines, as these are essential features of your property and a frozen sewer line could result in some significant damage.

Water inside the sewer line will expand as it freezes. As this happens, there becomes a greater risk of the sewer line breaking, just as frozen pipes in your home will result in interior pipes bursting. At the very least, you’ll deal with a blockage that will be a significant inconvenience to your property and could result in backups. Until that ice gets melted or a professional can resolve the situation, that could lead to your whole drain system being shut down.

Some of the most common causes of frozen sewer lines include a lack of sufficient insulation around pipes, a lack of water flow in an exposed drain, sudden drops in temperature and malfunctions with the heating or thermostat inside your home.

How do you know if you’re dealing with a frozen sewer line? Most likely the first obvious sign will be a lack of water pressure coming from your faucets. Further investigation could reveal water starting to appear where it shouldn’t (dampness on walls or ceilings, puddles or sinkholes on your property) or strange noises or odors coming from your drains. You should never hear strange gurgling, and foul smells are almost always the sign of backups. Finally, if you see frost on your pipes, this is a pretty clear sign they’re frozen.

The good news is that there are a few steps you can take to prevent frozen sewer lines from occurring:

• Shut off the water: If you spot pipes that are already frozen, you should make sure you shut off the water so you can address the issue immediately before the pipes burst.
• Water heater: Always make sure your water heater is in good working order. You should make it a point to have the appliance regularly serviced. As the temperature drops, you might consider raising the temperature of your water heater by a few degrees.
• Run your faucets: When the weather is extremely cold, you can run a small dribble from your faucets to keep water moving if you know you have pipes that are vulnerable to freezing.
• Insulate: Go around your home and insulate any pipes on exterior walls or exposed to outdoor areas. You can purchase pipe wrapping insulation from any hardware store.
• Shovel: Shovel any snow that accumulates around water drains on your property to make sure they’re not blocked off.

This is just a brief overview of what you should know about freezing pipes and how you can prevent frozen sewer lines in Colorado Springs, CO. For more information, contact Affordable Rooter today.

Categorised in: Frozen Sewer Lines

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