Take steps to prevent frozen pipes

Using a hair dryer and flushing antifreeze down your toilet may save you thousands of dollars this winter season.

As temperatures plummet into the single digits, water pipes may freeze, causing them to expand and explode. Since their first call on Dec. 1, Utah Disaster Kleenup has received more than 200 phone calls involving frozen pipes.

Pipes start to freeze when temperatures hit 20 degrees, a section of the thermometer most Wasatch Front residents will continue to see in the next few weeks. Chris Young, meteorologist for The National Weather Service, said temperatures are most likely to plummet starting this Sunday, when a low of minus 1 degree is anticipated.

Linn Griffith, marketing director of UDK, said the average cost of water damage from frozen pipes ranges from $2,000 to $2,500. The worst case scenario: $70,000.

"I remember a vacation home in Park City that had its pipes burst and had water running for three weeks," Griffith said. "All of the ceilings had collapsed. It was bad."

But preventing pipe freeze can be relatively low-cost.

Keeping a steady stream of lukewarm water is the easiest way to keep pipes from freezing, said Carol Sanders, communication specialist with Action Plumbing.

"Unthawing cold pipes with a hair dryer helps, too," Sanders said. "It may take a while, but it works."

Other helpful hints: removing the outside hose and buying a "back flow," a small plug for outside faucets that will help keep cold air out, preventing indoor pipes from freezing.

As for taking care of pipes when going on vacation, Griffith suggests keeping the heat down (but not off) and your eyes open.

"Some people try to save a few dollars by turning the heat too low, especially when they're going out of town for a couple of days," he said. "But you'll save more in the long run if you keep (the temperature) up. And always make sure before you go that you've got someone to watch your house."

If leaving home for a vacation, the heat should not be lower than 55 degrees. If the home is unheated, water should be turned off and toilets should be drained and flushed with antifreeze.

Unfinished basements and swamp coolers are also subject to pipe freeze. Griffith suggests cracking a door open in the basement to keep pipes at room temperature. For swamp coolers, water should be turned off and drained until it has been "winterized."

Sealing openings that allow cold air inside, disconnecting all hoses from outside faucets and covering outside faucets connected to a house can help prevent pipes from freezing.

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E-mail: abreton@desnews.com