The latest round of wintry cold means below-zero wind chills for the Chicago area. NBC 5 meteorologist Kevin Jeanes has your forecast.
Temperatures tanking to below-0 degrees this week could lead to a costly issue inside homes across the Chicago area: frozen or bursting water pipes.
"A little prevention now can save you from costly repairs later," a spokesperson for Chicago's Department of Water Management said in a statement.
The department shared several preventative reminders to keep pipes from freezing or bursting:
- Keep proper heat levels in your home and warm air circulating wherever there are water pipes, especially underneath sinks.
- Run a trickle of cold water on each floor at points furthest from your main water service. Remember, moving water prevents freezing!
- Insulate your pipes, particularly those on the outside of the home.
- And if a pipe does freeze, never use an open flame to thaw it - use a hair dryer instead!
"We tell people to let a little trickle of water running in every faucet of the house," Randy Conner, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Water Management, told NBC Chicago in January. "The prevention is way worth what you would pay if the pipe breaks. Does not compare to what you'd pay if a pipe breaks in your home."
If you think your pipes may be frozen, Nationwide Insurance provided these tips to look for clues:
- Little to no running water from your faucets
- Cracks or bulges in the pipes
- Heavy condensation or frost on the outside of your pipes
- Whistling, gurgling or banging sounds coming from your pipes
- Puddles, water spots or water rings on walls or ceilings
- A bad smell coming from drains or faucets
It can take up to 45 minutes to unfreeze pipes, depending on the weather. Here are some steps to take, according to Nationwide, if they appear frozen.
- Turn on the faucet.
- Keep it running. Allowing the faucet to drip even slightly can help prevent a pipe from bursting. When freezing takes place, extreme pressure builds between the faucet and the ice blockage. An open faucet can relieve this pressure buildup, and help prevent a burst from occurring.
- Apply heat to the frozen area.
- Slowly apply heat using a hair dryer. There are several ways to do this. You can wrap the pipes in thermostatically controlled heat tape, or you can use an external heat source such as a hair dryer or space heater. Do not use a propane torch as this can damage the pipe and create a fire risk.
- Continue to apply heat.
- Don’t stop heating until the full water pressure is restored. Even then, it’s a good idea to leave the faucet open for a few minutes after the pipe is thawed. This will give the ice time to completely clear from the line.
- Check all faucets and prevent pipes from freezing in the future.
- Check each faucet in your home for any other frozen pipes. One frozen pipe may mean that others have been affected as well. If the problem persists, contact a plumber. You can prevent pipes from freezing again by taking a few simple steps:
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