Frozen Pipes in Kansas City, MO, and the Surrounding Areas

When your Kansas City area pipes are experiencing problems, you must try to prevent them from freezing, breaking, or bursting. At Inception Plumbing, we like to keep our customers in the know to help them understand how to combat common plumbing problems they may be experiencing in Kansas City and the surrounding areas through a plumbing service from our team.

FROZEN PIPES

Relieve The Pressure

Opening the fixture's faucet that is frozen should be the first priority. If there are multiple faucets, do those as well. Even a small drip can help relieve pressure build-up which can help eliminate potential pipe bursting.

Let's Be Safe

Take precautions and give your other fixtures some quick-freeze prevention. Use your gut here and find any other fixtures that have the potential to freeze. Once determined, go ahead and get those faucets dripping as well.

Find Your Shut-Off Valve

Every Kansas City area homeowner should know where their main shut-off valve is. If you don't already know you'll need to find out fast. Frozen water lines can burst at any moment and you should be prepared.

Call Inception Plumbing to Assist with Frozen Pipe Problems

Give us a call and under no circumstances leave your frozen pipes unattended. Inception will take quick action to get you up and running again.

 

THAWING PIPES

Can I Thaw My Own Lines?

Depending on the location of the pipe and your level of expertise, you can attempt to thaw the pipe yourself. Once you have determined a pipe is frozen, it is imperative that you take action as soon as possible. The longer you wait for the more potential your frozen line has to burst, which can cause extensive damage to your property. Obviously getting more heat to the problematic area is a top priority. If the pipe in question is accessible, you can apply heat directly with a hairdryer or heat gun. Never use an open flame while thawing your piping and be extremely careful when using electrical devices around water. Opening cabinets below your frozen bathroom or kitchen sink will allow more heat from the home. Also, just raising the temperature of the home can help.

When Should I Call A Plumber?

First off, if you see any water dripping or swollen pipes throughout your home you need to call a professional plumbing company immediately. Most of the time frozen water lines are in inaccessible areas within your home. If you’re not sure exactly where your pipes are frozen or comfortable thawing them out yourself, having a qualified plumber on-site can get your problem resolved quickly with minimal damage. Also, getting advice from a professional on preventive measures that you can take is ideal.

 

BURST PIPES

Can I Repair My Burst Water Pipes?

Well, the short answer is yes. Yes, of course, you can repair them, but unfortunately, it does take some field experience and the proper plumbing tools to do so. You’ll more than likely be ahead with time, money, and headache by just calling a Kansas City plumbing professional. But if you are determined to roll up your sleeves and get busy, just be cautious of where you gather your instruction. Below are a few plumbing tips to help you along the way.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE A BURST PIPE

No Quick Connects

Most hardware centers offer types of push-on fittings for the do-it-yourselfer. They do work well in a pinch but only for emergencies. We wouldn't have these types of fittings in our homes, and we do not recommend them to our customers. Inception’s professional plumbers always use a solid press, crimp, or sweat connection which is superior to any push-on fittings.

Don't Burn Your House Down

I'm pretty sure this one is self-explanatory. If you do decide to gather up a torch, solder, and flux, just be careful and smart. Make sure all of the water is out of the line before you sweat the joint, and remember that sweating copper is 80% preparation. The process of heating and applying the solder is actually very easy to do if you clean and sand properly. Have a fire extinguisher on hand and a heat shield for working around wood.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE A BURST LINE

Do Your Homework

Knowledge is the key to success. If you are going to dive into repairing your broken water lines we highly recommend that you do as much research as you can. This will help you determine if you want to use copper tubing or PEX materials and so on. When you show up at your local home center or plumbing supply house you need to be confident in your purchases. Making numerous trips to the supply house can really eat away at your day.

Don't Fight It

We can't stress this one enough. This is where having a plumber in Kansas City, MO, and surrounding areas with experience (who makes it look so easy) come into play. A seasoned veteran knows to have patience and will always measure twice and cut once. Working to teach an apprentice this trait can be a big task in itself. Some words of wisdom are to make sure your pipes are square, level, and plumb. If you do that, things will be a lot easier in the long run. Remember that piping and fittings should never be installed under stress.

 

FREEZE PREVENTION IN KANSAS CITY, MO, AND NEARBY AREAS

Disconnect All Garden Hoses

Always disconnect all hoses from your outside wall hydrant before winter. These can cause your pipes to burst.

Are Your Hydrants' Frost-Proof?

Have Inception swing by and inspect your hose bibs. Let's make sure you've got what you need. Having the wrong hydrant in place can be a potential disaster.

Check For Air Leaks

Even the slightest bit of winter wind can cause your pipes to freeze. Check out your hose bib penetrations and get them sealed up. Expansion foam or foam faucet covers work great.

Make Sure You're Insulated

Having proper insulation can make a world of difference. Check your walls, crawl space, and/or basement for potential areas of environmental penetration.

Heat Tape

If you have concerns about potential problematic piping within your home, then get some heat tape installed. Heat tape will keep lines safe from freezing in a time of need.

 

Leave It To The Pros

Frozen water lines can be avoided if the correct measures are taken. Just letting a faucet drip all night can help, but is not a permanent solution by any means. You’re basically just standing by, hoping your lines won’t burst and flood your Kansas City, MO home. Homeowners shouldn’t have to deal with these worrisome symptoms winter after winter and we can help. Here’s how:

Thaw & Repair

The first thing an Inception tech will do is get your frozen pipes thawed out and then repair any busted pipes. This will get you up and running again.

Assess & Recommend

Second, we will assess your water piping system. If your home has any water lines in an exterior wall, we would recommend these be re-routed. If water lines cannot be re-routed we would suggest installing heat tape wire. This will supply constant heat to your piping.

Refer

Third, we will help you with any cleanup and construction repair by referring you to one of our trusted contractors