Baby, It’s Cold outside: Monitoring Your Building for Frozen Pipes

9/27/2021 (Permalink)

If frozen pipes are left unchecked, they can lead to burst pipes in your building which can cause extensive water damage.

The winter months in Austin, TX, are hard on business owners, but more importantly, they are hard on your building. Your pipes are the most vulnerable to colder weather. If not adequately insulated, the water inside your pipes can freeze, leading to broken pipes and water damage. Since a costly water cleanup is most likely not on the list of any business owner, it is essential to know what to look out for in case of freezing.

1. No Water

If there is no water coming out your faucets, or the water is a slow trickle, your pipes may be frozen. When water freezes, it creates blockages of ice, which do not allow the free flow of water and which can cause excess pressure on the pipe, leading to a potential burst.

2. Odors

While it may seem strange, if strange smells or odors are permeating from your faucets or drains, it can mean that there is an ice blockage. When water freezes in waste pipes, it does not allow odors to escape or ventilate the way that they are expected to, and this leads to the strange smells coming from areas that they are supposed to.

3. Frost

You should check your mechanical closets and look for the presence of frost because this can be a reliable indicator that there is ice build up in your pipes, and if this is left unchecked your pipes can burst which will require a timely cleanup to prevent further water damage.

4. Temperature

The most reliable indicator of frozen pipes is any one of the above in combination with temperatures below 32°F, as water does not freeze above this.

If frozen pipes are left unchecked, they can lead to burst pipes in your building which can cause extensive water damage. It is better to keep an eye out for the signs and to act quickly in the event of a freeze.