Preventing Burst Pipes in Cold Weather

 

We received the following information from Pure Insurance via email. When we receive good information from a reliable source, we like to pass it along. If for some reason you do encounter a home flood due to broken pipes, give us a call. ServiceMaster, The Master of Disaster (251) 653-9333 / (251) 928-1028. Operating in Mobile and Baldwin County for 30 years. 

 

The following is from a Pure Insurance email. It does not imply an endorsement of our company by them and is used for informational purposes only:

 

(888) 813-PURE

Preventing Burst Pipes

When water freezes in a pipe it expands, often causing the pipe to burst.  This is a major cause of loss for homeowners; however, there are actions you can take to help avoid it.  Follow these tips to help proactively prevent loss. 

• During extended periods of freezing temperatures, maintain a minimum thermostat setting of 60°F throughout your home.
• To prevent exterior faucets from freezing, each faucet should be shut off from inside the home, as well as any water drained from the pipe. Exterior irrigation systems should be winterized to help prevent freezing.
• Still water freezes faster than running water. On frigid nights, turn on a faucet at the highest point in the home. Keep the water stream low, so that only a small amount can trickle through.
• Identify where the main water valve and the valve on your water heater are located for quick access during an emergency.
• If you are away from home for a week or more during winter months, it’s advisable to also:

• Leave cabinets open if they contain pipes, especially if they run along outside walls, so that the warmer inside air can circulate through them. (Be mindful of chemicals stored in these cabinets when you return home if you have small children and/or pets.)
• Arrange for someone to check in regularly - once a day is recommended during extended periods of sub-freezing temperatures.  Make sure they know the location of the water main.

• If you are away from home for the entire winter season, hire a licensed plumber to professionally shut-off your water and drain the pipes.

Permanent measures are available and may help to better protect you.

• Install an automatic water shut-off device. These are designed to automatically stop the flow of water into a home when a leak is detected. PURE Members can take advantage of a special savings offer through our preferred partner.
• Add low temperature sensors to your central station alarm system. PURE recommends one for each heating zone of the house.

If the water meter is operating but your water is not running, you may have a frozen pipe. If you discover a frozen pipe, call a plumber immediately.

In the event of a burst pipe or leak in your home, the following actions can help minimize damage.

• Call a PURE approved emergency service restoration company as soon as possible to carry out emergency repairs and to begin extracting the water.
• Move undamaged items away from the affected area.
• Contact PURE’s Claims Team by calling 888-813-PURE (7873) or emailing claims@pureinsurance.com.

ServiceMaster Advanced Cleaning and Restoration is an approved vendor for virtually all of the insurance companies that operate in our regional area. At one time or another, over nearly 30 years, we have worked with virtually every insurance company that has ever written a policy here. In fact, many of them recommend us because we have been pre-qualified to work for them, meaning we are on their mitigation "program". This means that we have met their standards with regard to insurance, training, procedures etc. and that they are comfortable dispatching a claim to us, if the homeowner agrees.  This is the important stipulation. The homeowner must agree and contract directly with us. 

 

ServiceMaster Advanced is one of a small handful of companies locally that are approved as such. We appreciate the business that the insurance programs send to us; however out of the few that are approved as such, we want to stand alone as the best. We want to earn your business be deserving of your trust, not only, because the insurance company recommended us, but because our reputation and policies are such that you would have hired us anyway. We want to stand alone out of all of the recommended companies, that you will tell your insurance agent, company or adjuster that you want ServiceMaster Advanced Cleaning, Enterprise number 7027, (251) 653-9333, to service your home or business. "We would be honored to serve you."