Even out here in Nevada it can get chilly, and cold temperatures can cause your pipes to freeze. It only takes one cold snap for it to happen and once they freeze, they can take significant effort to thaw. They can also burst and cause water damage in your home. Use these tips to prevent frozen pipes during the winters in Las Vegas.
Insulate Your Pipes
Before colder weather arrives in Las Vegas, NV, you should insulate your pipes. Insulating them prevents water in them from freezing and pipes bursting. Use high-quality insulating materials like heat or mastic tape to keep your pipes insulated during the winter.
Seal Gaps and Cracks
Gaps and cracks in the walls, floors, and ceilings let air into your home. Cold air can freeze the pipes in your bathroom, utility room, and kitchen. Seal them with caulk to keep out cold air.
Close Your Garage Doors
Open garage doors can also let in cold air. Chilly air from your garage can get into your crawlspace, basement, or first-floor utility room, where it can lead to pipes freezing. Close your garage door to keep chilly drafts out of your home.
Keep Your Cabinet Doors Open
Keep the cabinet doors under your sinks open during colder weather. The open doors allow warm air to circulate around your pipes, which mitigates the risk of them freezing.
Drip Your Faucets
Likewise, you should keep your faucets on a slow drip when temperatures drop to or near freezing. The slow drip keeps water moving through the pipes, helping prevent the water from freezing and causing the pipes to burst.
Set a Consistent Furnace Temperature
A consistent furnace temperature can help protect your pipes during the winter. Turning the temperature up and down throughout the day can cause cold air to circulate and freeze the pipes. Set the furnace to a sufficiently warm temperature.
Use Space Heaters
Space heaters can also keep the pipes warm during chilly weather. Follow the manufacturer’s directions when using these heaters, and never leave them unattended. To prevent the risk of fire, do not use them overnight.
Disconnect Your Outdoor Hoses
Any water inside your garden or drain hoses can freeze and cause your outdoor faucets and pipes to burst. Before winter starts, disconnect your outdoor hoses.
Install Frost-Proof Faucets
Installing frost-proof faucets can also protect your outdoor faucets from freezing. These faucets can withstand cold temperatures and are designed without the need to be wrapped with insulating tape to prevent damage.
Insulate Your Attic and Basement
You should also insulate your attic and basement. Insulation retains heat and keeps cold air out of your home. It also keeps the pipes in your bathroom, utility room, and kitchen sufficiently warm and protected during the winter.
Keep Your Interior Doors Open
The circulation of warm air throughout your home also protects your pipes from freezing. These pipes often run in and along the same walls as your bedrooms and closets. To keep warm air moving throughout your house, keep your closet and bedroom doors open.
Use Pipe Sleeves
Pipe sleeves are made of durable and insulating materials like foam and PVC. They can effectively keep pipes in and outside your home warm during the winter. Use them to mitigate the risk of pipe freezing.
Use Pipe Heating Cables
You can also use heating cables to keep your pipework warm. Attach these cables to the pipes, and the heater will warm them and prevent the water from freezing.
Seal Your Windows and Doors
Openings around your windows and doors let in cold air, which can damage your home’s pipes. Before winter starts, inspect these fixtures for cracks, holes, and other openings. Then, use materials like caulk or weather stripping to seal them tightly.
Install a Sump Pump
Heavy precipitation can flood your basement or crawlspace. This cold water can damage and freeze your home’s pipes. You can mitigate the risk of floodwaters damaging the pipes and causing them to burst by installing a sump pump in your home.
Keep the Heat On
If you plan to go on vacation, you might be tempted to turn off the heat before you leave. However, doing so can cause the pipes to freeze during your absence. Instead, leave the heat on and set it to a warm enough temperature to protect the pipes.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat lets you create a heating schedule for your home. You can program it to run at a temperature that keeps the pipes warm. This device additionally makes it easier to maintain a consistent furnace temperature.
Install a Leak Detection System
A leak detection system monitors your pipes for leaks. It will provide you with sufficient warning so you can hire a plumber to repair the pipe. It also allows you to replace damaged pipes that could freeze and burst.
Install a Backflow Prevention Device
Water that flows back into your plumbing can freeze the pipes. This risk often occurs when water from an outdoor hose flows back into the faucet. A backflow prevention device mitigates this risk and protects the pipework.
Use a Pipe Thawing Machine
If the pipes inside your home freeze, you can use a pipe thawing machine to warm them steadily. This steady warming prevents damage, such as holes and cracks, that can put your home at risk of costly water damage repairs.
Install a Pressure Relief Valve
A pressure relief valve can also safeguard your home’s pipework. It prevents pressure buildup inside them. Pressure buildup can cause the pipes to rupture.
Use a Pipe Insulation Kit
A pipe insulation kit can provide everything you need to protect your home’s pipes from freezing. This kit typically includes mastic tape and a vapor barrier overwrap, as well as enough protective materials to fit pipes of all lengths and diameters.
Install a Water Heater Blanket
You can also use a water heater blanket to protect your water heater from frozen pipes. It provides an extra layer of protection between the air in your home and the water heater. It can also help your heater maintain a consistent temperature.
Use a Pipe Freeze Protection System
A pipe freeze protection system automatically heats the pipes when the outdoor temperatures drop. It provides your pipes with an even distribution of heat to prevent water in them from freezing.
Monitor the Weather Conditions
Monitor the weather to protect your home’s pipes. If the weather reports indicate temperatures will reach or below freezing, act quickly by wrapping the pipes or disconnecting hoses.
Our Plumbing Expertise Can Help Protect Your Home’s Pipes
At Loyalty Plumbing, we offer our customers in Las Vegas, NV, premier plumbing repair services and products. Our team of plumbers additionally works on drains, water heaters, and gas lines. You can also rely on us for hydrojetting and leak detection services. Our business won the Best of Las Vegas Award from the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2023 and 2024. Contact us to learn how we can help protect your pipes this winter.
