Frozen pipes and ice dams: Cold weather culprits
By Chuck Seighman
State Farm® agent
Have you ever had the misfortune of cleaning up a smelly,
wet and very cold mess on a freezing winter day? I hope you
haven’t and never do. Thousands of people, however, suffer
through this nightmare every year because unprotected
water pipes in their homes freeze and break.
A more subtle destructive winter wonder is the
phenomenon known as ice damming. Snow on your roof
can lead to ice dams that damage the roof, gutters, walls,
interior ceiling and even items inside the home.
There are ways you can prevent frozen pipes and ice dams,
simple solutions to avoiding the hassles and costs of
cleaning and repairing your home.
The value of two minutes Two minutes. That’s about as
long as it takes to begin a small trickle of water from your
home’s hot and cold faucets and to open the doors of
cabinets with water pipes running through them.
Two weeks. That could be the length of time needed to find
and hire contractors to tear out smelly, water-soaked carpet
and wallboard, dry the remaining flooring of your house and
replace all that might have been destroyed by flooding from
burst, frozen pipes. An eighth-inch (three millimeter) break
in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons (946 liters) of water a
day, wrecking floors, furniture and keepsakes.
As you can see, there can be a tremendous advantage to
spending a couple of minutes taking simple, no-cost
precautions to prevent frozen pipes. The saying, "time well
spent," is certainly an under-statement when you consider
the soggy consequences of doing nothing. Here are a few
additional steps to protect your home or apartment:
• Insulate pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic.
• Use heat tape to wrap pipes. (Use only products approved
by an independent testing organization, such as
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and only for the use
intended (interior or exterior). Closely follow the
manufacturer’s installation and operation instructions.
• Seal leaks that allow cold air inside, near where pipes are
located.
• Close air vents leading under the house.
• Disconnect garden hoses and, if practical, use an indoor
valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to
outside faucets.
What are ice dams?
After several days of melting-freezing cycles, it's common for
the melted water and ice to work up under the shingles until
water enters the attic and eventually does damage to the
ceilings, wall and contents. In cases where the ice dam
goes unnoticed for an extended period of time, it can do
significant damage to the building and its contents. There's
no way to guarantee an ice dam won't damage your home,
but you can take steps to cut the chances of an ice dam
forming in the first place:
• Thoroughly clean all leaves, sticks and other debris from
your home’s gutters and down-spouts.
• Make every effort to keep snow on your roof to a minimum.
Long-handled devices on the market called “roof rakes” let
you stand on the ground and pull the snow off the roof.
Keeping heavy snow loads off your roof reduces the
chances for both ice dam formation and roof failure due to
the weight.
• All winter long, keep gutters and down spouts clear of
snow and icicles.
• Evaluate the insulation and ventilation in your attic. Most
experts agree the R-value of attic insulation should be at
least R-30 (R-38 is preferable in northern climates).
For more information on these and other home safety tips,
stop by my office or visit statefarm.com®
By Chuck Seighman
State Farm® agent
Have you ever had the misfortune of cleaning up a smelly,
wet and very cold mess on a freezing winter day? I hope you
haven’t and never do. Thousands of people, however, suffer
through this nightmare every year because unprotected
water pipes in their homes freeze and break.
A more subtle destructive winter wonder is the
phenomenon known as ice damming. Snow on your roof
can lead to ice dams that damage the roof, gutters, walls,
interior ceiling and even items inside the home.
There are ways you can prevent frozen pipes and ice dams,
simple solutions to avoiding the hassles and costs of
cleaning and repairing your home.
The value of two minutes Two minutes. That’s about as
long as it takes to begin a small trickle of water from your
home’s hot and cold faucets and to open the doors of
cabinets with water pipes running through them.
Two weeks. That could be the length of time needed to find
and hire contractors to tear out smelly, water-soaked carpet
and wallboard, dry the remaining flooring of your house and
replace all that might have been destroyed by flooding from
burst, frozen pipes. An eighth-inch (three millimeter) break
in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons (946 liters) of water a
day, wrecking floors, furniture and keepsakes.
As you can see, there can be a tremendous advantage to
spending a couple of minutes taking simple, no-cost
precautions to prevent frozen pipes. The saying, "time well
spent," is certainly an under-statement when you consider
the soggy consequences of doing nothing. Here are a few
additional steps to protect your home or apartment:
• Insulate pipes in your home’s crawl spaces and attic.
• Use heat tape to wrap pipes. (Use only products approved
by an independent testing organization, such as
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and only for the use
intended (interior or exterior). Closely follow the
manufacturer’s installation and operation instructions.
• Seal leaks that allow cold air inside, near where pipes are
located.
• Close air vents leading under the house.
• Disconnect garden hoses and, if practical, use an indoor
valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to
outside faucets.
What are ice dams?
After several days of melting-freezing cycles, it's common for
the melted water and ice to work up under the shingles until
water enters the attic and eventually does damage to the
ceilings, wall and contents. In cases where the ice dam
goes unnoticed for an extended period of time, it can do
significant damage to the building and its contents. There's
no way to guarantee an ice dam won't damage your home,
but you can take steps to cut the chances of an ice dam
forming in the first place:
• Thoroughly clean all leaves, sticks and other debris from
your home’s gutters and down-spouts.
• Make every effort to keep snow on your roof to a minimum.
Long-handled devices on the market called “roof rakes” let
you stand on the ground and pull the snow off the roof.
Keeping heavy snow loads off your roof reduces the
chances for both ice dam formation and roof failure due to
the weight.
• All winter long, keep gutters and down spouts clear of
snow and icicles.
• Evaluate the insulation and ventilation in your attic. Most
experts agree the R-value of attic insulation should be at
least R-30 (R-38 is preferable in northern climates).
For more information on these and other home safety tips,
stop by my office or visit statefarm.com®
Leaky washer hoses: Don’t get soaked
By Chuck Seighman
State Farm® agent
Would you spend $10 to $20 to keep your furnishings, floor
coverings and keepsakes intact? Consider spending that
money on new washing machine hoses, and you may be
able to save yourself from a lot of inconvenience, mess and
the loss of items that could never be replaced.
Washing machine hose failures cause as much as $150
million in damage each year to homes in the United States
and Canada. But by taking a few precautions, you can
greatly reduce your chances of getting soaked by a leaky
washing machine hose.
Inspect those hoses
Make it a point to periodically inspect your washing machine
hoses for signs of wear and tear. Look for bubbles, cracks
or fraying. If you see any of these signs, turn off the water
supply to your washer and replace the hoses.
Can I replace them myself?
Replacing washing machine hoses is as easy as hooking
up a water hose to a water spigot. And a new set of hoses
costs between $10 and $20 at most home repair, hardware
and plumbing supply outlets. To install new hoses, first
shut off the water supply to your washing machine. Close
the main shutoff valve in your house if a valve closer to your
washing machine is not available. Unscrew the old hoses
one at a time, draining any water into the washing machine.
Carefully line up the threads and screw the hoses on tightly.
Once you’ve installed the new hoses, open the shutoff
valves slowly. Run the machine through a cycle and check
carefully for leaks. Carefully move the washer back toward
the wall, keeping the hose free from kinks or tight bends.
Allow at least four inches or 11 centimeters between the
water connection and the back of your washer.
Anything else?
• Turn off the water supply to the washer if you plan to leave
your home for more than one day. Most washing machine
manufacturers recommend shutting the water off anytime
you are not using the machine.
• Consider installing or having a professional plumber
install a single-lever shutoff valve, which makes it easier to
turn off the water supply to your washing machine.
• Another option is a water hammer arrestor, which absorbs
increased water pressure when the electric valve in your
washer shuts off. There are types that easily attach to the
valves where your hose is connected.
• Make sure everyone in your house knows where the water
shutoff valve is and how to use it.
By Chuck Seighman
State Farm® agent
Would you spend $10 to $20 to keep your furnishings, floor
coverings and keepsakes intact? Consider spending that
money on new washing machine hoses, and you may be
able to save yourself from a lot of inconvenience, mess and
the loss of items that could never be replaced.
Washing machine hose failures cause as much as $150
million in damage each year to homes in the United States
and Canada. But by taking a few precautions, you can
greatly reduce your chances of getting soaked by a leaky
washing machine hose.
Inspect those hoses
Make it a point to periodically inspect your washing machine
hoses for signs of wear and tear. Look for bubbles, cracks
or fraying. If you see any of these signs, turn off the water
supply to your washer and replace the hoses.
Can I replace them myself?
Replacing washing machine hoses is as easy as hooking
up a water hose to a water spigot. And a new set of hoses
costs between $10 and $20 at most home repair, hardware
and plumbing supply outlets. To install new hoses, first
shut off the water supply to your washing machine. Close
the main shutoff valve in your house if a valve closer to your
washing machine is not available. Unscrew the old hoses
one at a time, draining any water into the washing machine.
Carefully line up the threads and screw the hoses on tightly.
Once you’ve installed the new hoses, open the shutoff
valves slowly. Run the machine through a cycle and check
carefully for leaks. Carefully move the washer back toward
the wall, keeping the hose free from kinks or tight bends.
Allow at least four inches or 11 centimeters between the
water connection and the back of your washer.
Anything else?
• Turn off the water supply to the washer if you plan to leave
your home for more than one day. Most washing machine
manufacturers recommend shutting the water off anytime
you are not using the machine.
• Consider installing or having a professional plumber
install a single-lever shutoff valve, which makes it easier to
turn off the water supply to your washing machine.
• Another option is a water hammer arrestor, which absorbs
increased water pressure when the electric valve in your
washer shuts off. There are types that easily attach to the
valves where your hose is connected.
• Make sure everyone in your house knows where the water
shutoff valve is and how to use it.
