Frozen Pipes: A Winter Disaster
Although uncommon in the Phoenix Valley area, it does get cold enough to freeze water in pipes on rare occasions during the coldest days of winter. When this happens it is common for pipes to break which could flood a house or business in a very short amount of time. Luckily for us valley residence this can be prevented in most cases if prepared for.
In areas towards the edges of town that tend to have higher elevations than surrounding areas like Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, Gold Canyon and Apache Junction, this has a higher chance of happening due to the temperature being slightly colder than the heart of the valley. In areas like Payson, Globe, Miami and Superior there is a good chance that there will be at least a couple days a winter cold enough to freeze pipes.
One simple solution to prevent this is to pay attention to the weather. If the weather is forecasted to be below freezing you can crack a sink slightly to allow a small amount of water to move through your plumbing continuously. In most cases the slight movement of water will be enough to prevent any water from freezing. Only turn the sink on when you believe it is getting close to freezing. Once it has warmed up enough to no longer be a threat, it is safe to turn off the sink.
In the event a pipe does freeze and burst the first thing you should do is shut the main water supply off to the home or business. Next contact a water restoration company such as Good Times Plumbing & Restoration to assess the situation and begin any repairs necessary to resolve the water damage. In almost all cases unless caught immediately, water extraction will be needed. Good Times Plumbing & Restoration will use a professional grade water extractor to remove any standing water. After water extraction is complete, readings will be taken and any demolition needed will be performed. At the conclusion of demolition, specialized drying equipment will be set up to dry the structure. This is something that should not be taken lightly and it is strongly recommended to contact a professional water restoration company to perform the water mitigation.
