How does a dripping faucet prevent freezing pipes

When do you let your faucets drip?

When a cold wave hovers around or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius), it’s time to let at least one faucet drip. Pay close attention to pipes that remain in attics, garages, basements or crawl spaces because temperature levels in these unheated interior areas usually imitate outside temperatures.

The pipes that will cause you the most problems when it comes to breaking, bursting, and freezing are the ones located in basements, crawl spaces, attics, kitchen cabinets, and garages. This is because they are exposed and don’t have the insulation that other pipes in your home do. 

Here are some useful tips to prevent you from ending up with frozen pipes: 

1.)  Drain, remove and store all of your outdoor hoses.

2.)  Walk around your home and secure any other water supply lines that are in unheated areas (both inside and outside). Any hot or cold water pipes should be insulated.

3.)  After removing stored chemicals and placing them in a secure location out of the reach of children, you can leave your kitchen and bathroom cabinets open so the warm air in your home can get to the plumbing.

4.)  If temperatures drop dramatically, allow cold water to drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes. This helps prevent pipes from freezing.

5.)  Keep your home at a reasonably warm temperature during the day and throughout the night. 

But Can One Dripping Faucet Really Save the Day?

If it’s the right one.

The dripping faucet should be as far away from the water source as possible so the water will flow through the entire length of the system. If you aren’t sure where the incoming water source is located, setting any faucet to drip will help. A common misconception is that the drip prevents water from freezing because it stays in motion when it’s running through the pipes. Although this helps, the truth is that at extreme temperatures water can freeze even while it is flowing. The real reason a dripping faucet can help prevent pipes from bursting is that the constant drip relieves pressure that is building up in the pipes between the ice blockage and the faucet, and helps to prevent them from bursting when the pipes begin to thaw.

What To Do If You Think Your Pipes Have Frozen 

When you turn on your faucet and nothing comes out, you may have a frozen pipe. If this happens, the best thing you can do is leave the faucet on and call the plumbers at Rooter Man right away. If you suspect one of your pipes has burst, you should turn off the water at the main shut-off valve, still leaving the faucets on. 

If you have questions, or you are simply unsure of the state of your plumbing, don’t hesitate to call our experts. The sooner we can inspect your plumbing, the sooner we can stop or prevent a major mess in your home. We have extensive experience when it comes to treating pipes that are affected by weather conditions. We are here to help so call us today — or Visit Rooter Man online, or contact us at 504-464-0145, for more information.

As the winter season continues to sweep through the South, your main concern right now might be avoiding the typical beauty mistakes that could be ruining your skin. Though exfoliating weekly is definitely an important tip to keep in mind when temperatures drop below what we're used to, one of the main things you may struggle with during those extremely cold times is whether or not you should be dripping your faucets when the temperature dips below freezing. Of course, it's recommended that we drip our faucets as temperatures drop, but the real question is do we actually have to?

Yes, You Should Drip Your Faucet in Cold Weather

According to the Red Cross, the short answer to that question is yes, you do. It's constantly recommended that we drip our faucets in cold weather for one important reason: to prevent our pipes from freezing. "When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe—even at a trickle—helps prevent pipes from freezing." And while that may cause concern for those of you who like to keep your water bills low each month, letting your faucet drip may save you a bigger bill for repairing your pipes.

At What Temperature Do Pipes Freeze and Burst?

So what do "below temperature" numbers look like? Farm Bureau Insurance noted that pipes have a temperature alert threshold of 20°F—which means pipes will begin to freeze at this temperature and in some cases, even burst. That doesn't mean, however, that pipes will only freeze if the temperature is at 20°F and below. If your pipes happen to be exposed to cold air or are not insulated, the freezing—even if you are dripping your faucets—can still occur at temperatures above the noted threshold.

How to Thaw Frozen Pipes

If by chance you forget to drip your faucet (or just haven't gotten to the point where you're sold on doing so) and your pipes freeze over, know that not all is lost immediately. If your pipes are still in good standing and haven't burst after freezing, State Farm revealed that you may be able to unfreeze them with an appliance that you use daily: your hair dryer. Before heating the pipe closest to the faucet to try your hand and thawing it out, however, you'll want to make sure you're not standing in any water as to avoid any harm to yourself and others.

Overall, it's best that you take heed and drip your faucets when temperatures dip below freezing. A simple trickle of hot and/or cold water—both from faucets inside and outside the home—can prevent you from having to deal with a much larger issue (and bill!) in the long run.

Does a dripping faucet prevent freezing?

How many faucets should I let drip to prevent freezing?

At what temperature should you leave faucets dripping?

At what temperature should you run water to keep pipes from freezing?