A tenant calls early one morning with an pressing drawback: they activate the faucet and get a sputter, then nothing. No water comes out. Whereas winters are usually getting milder, with the U.S. experiencing 17 extra unfrozen days in 2023 than the long-term common, sudden chilly snaps can nonetheless catch property managers off guard.
Automated Upkeep
Monitor each upkeep request, schedule repairs, and pay distributors multi function place.
Study Extra
It’s the situation each property supervisor dreads—frozen pipes in one among your rental items.
Have you learnt tips on how to reply when pipes freeze at your properties? How are you going to information tenants by way of the state of affairs? What steps stop frozen pipes from occurring within the first place?
Frozen pipes are one of the crucial frequent—and expensive—winter upkeep emergencies property managers face. On this put up, we’ll share 10 important suggestions that will help you deal with frozen pipes successfully and stop them from freezing sooner or later.
Essential: Property managers ought to at all times advise tenants to not try thawing frozen pipes themselves. As an alternative, tenants ought to contact you instantly by way of your 24/7 upkeep line so you may dispatch a professional plumber to handle the emergency instantly.
The right way to Diagnose and Reply to Frozen Pipes
When a tenant stories no water coming from their faucets throughout chilly climate, information them by way of these rapid steps:
- Test different taps: Check all water sources within the unit
- Ask neighbors: Verify if it’s a building-wide or remoted problem
- Find the shut-off valve: Inform tenants the place the principle water provide management is situated
- Search for harm: Test for seen leaks or burst pipe indicators
- Shut off water instantly: If there are any leaks to stop pricey water harm
What to Do When Pipes Freeze at Your Properties
Tip #1: Pipes Don’t All the time Freeze within the Identical Spot
Even if you happen to’ve recognized drawback areas in your properties earlier than, frozen pipes can happen in surprising places. In a single case, pipes that had beforehand burst throughout excessive chilly have been wrapped with heating cables—lengthy extension cords that wrap round plastic or metallic chilly water strains to stop freezing when temperatures drop. These cables, saved plugged in all through winter, efficiently prevented freezing for a whole season.
Nevertheless, the next 12 months, pipes froze in a very totally different location—beneath a toilet sink. A fast response with a hair dryer to the affected space thawed it out sufficient to revive water circulate.
Tip #2: A Hairdryer Doesn’t All the time Do the Trick
Generally what works as soon as received’t work once more. When pipes refreeze the subsequent day, the identical strategy—utilizing hair dryers on suspected blockage areas and putting house heaters beneath sinks—will not be adequate.
In these conditions, further heating cables could also be needed. Property managers may must implement artistic options, comparable to chopping entry holes by way of vainness bottoms to fish heating cables down alongside pipes and into basements. Whereas not aesthetically perfect, these emergency measures can preserve water flowing till everlasting repairs could be made.
Tip #3: The Wrongdoer Might Be a Drafty Basis
Pipes usually freeze alongside exterior partitions, significantly the place foundations are compromised. Crumbling brick foundations with small crevices enable chilly air to penetrate, even when patched with spray foam insulation. Including fiberglass insulation between pipes and basis interiors offers further safety, although it could not utterly stop freezing.
Basis repairs needs to be prioritized in spring upkeep schedules to stop recurring winter pipe points.
Tip #4: In Sustained Chilly, Beforehand Unaffected Pipes Might Freeze
Throughout extended chilly snaps, even pipes which have by no means frozen earlier than can turn into weak. Property managers ought to proactively talk with tenants about preventive measures, particularly earlier than prolonged chilly intervals.
One property supervisor realized this lesson when a tenant who had by no means skilled frozen pipes all of a sudden misplaced water after a weekend of below-zero temperatures. The oversight? Not advising the tenant to depart water dripping—a easy safety measure that would have prevented the complete state of affairs.
Tip #5: The Largest Problem is When Pipes Freeze Behind a Wall
Probably the most troublesome frozen pipe eventualities contain pipes hidden behind partitions. When all uncovered pipes have been wrapped, heated, and geared up with house heaters, but water nonetheless received’t circulate, the issue probably lies inside the wall cavity—usually alongside the identical exterior wall that’s been problematic.
Normal recommendation from skilled plumbers contains cranking the warmth as excessive as potential and putting house heaters alongside the suspected wall. Nevertheless, even after hours of heating—generally bringing items to 90 levels—pipes might stay frozen.
Tip #6: With the Correct Tools, a Plumber Can Repair the Downside in No Time
When DIY strategies fail, calling an expert plumber is important. The choice—chopping into partitions to find frozen pipes—needs to be a final resort.
Property managers ought to set up relationships with plumbers who’ve specialised tools, significantly thaw machines. Throughout extreme chilly snaps, these professionals might have in depth ready lists, however established relationships can assist prioritize your emergency calls. With the suitable tools, a talented plumber can thaw pipes and restore water in lower than 10 minutes.
Tip #7: A Thaw Machine Will Be Your Lifesaver
A thaw machine is a transportable gadget that plumbers use to thaw pipes rapidly. It resembles a automotive battery with jumper cables extending from both finish. One cable connects to an unfrozen pipe part, the opposite to the frozen part.
As soon as plugged in and activated, the thaw machine sends low-voltage, high-amperage electrical energy by way of the pipe. As frozen sections start to thaw, hotter water seeps by way of the ice, accelerating the melting course of. Water sometimes begins flowing from taps inside minutes. These gadgets can clear strains as much as 175 toes lengthy and work on each copper and iron pipes.
Whereas skilled service prices a number of hundred {dollars}, it’s a worthwhile funding that forestalls wall harm and the 1000’s of {dollars} in repairs that would end result from burst pipes.
Tip #8: Tenants Actually Do Have to Run Water Throughout Chilly Spells
One of the vital efficient preventive measures can also be the best: maintaining water dripping throughout excessive chilly. Whereas it could appear to be outdated recommendation, plumbers verify that is essentially the most dependable approach to stop pipes from freezing throughout sustained chilly climate.
Property managers ought to talk this clearly to tenants earlier than chilly snaps arrive. Sure, water payments might improve barely, nevertheless it’s a small value in comparison with the harm brought on by burst pipes. Contemplate together with this steering in winter upkeep communications or lease agreements.
Tip #9: Sizzling Water and Salt Can Thaw Drainpipes
For frozen drainpipes particularly, there’s a easy resolution property managers can share with tenants: boil a kettle of sizzling water, stir in a cup of kosher salt, then pour the combination down the frozen drain. This slurry works like rock salt on icy sidewalks. Repeating this course of a few instances ought to restore drainage rapidly.
Tip #10: Take Steps to Stop Frozen Pipes—and Have a Plumber on Velocity-Dial
Excessive chilly presents important challenges for property managers. Taking each precaution to keep away from frozen pipes is important, however when pipes do freeze, calling a plumber with a thaw machine is essentially the most dependable resolution.
Managing Frozen Pipe Emergencies as a Property Supervisor
For property managers, a frozen pipe is an pressing and doubtlessly harmful problem that requires a quick response. It’s essential have a transparent plan in place. This features a record of dependable, 24-hour plumbers who personal tools comparable to a pipe thaw machine. Utilizing property administration software program helps you monitor upkeep requests from residents and dispatch distributors rapidly, maintaining everybody knowledgeable. A fast {and professional} response not solely solves the issue but in addition builds belief along with your residents and house owners.
Key Takeaways
- All the time dispatch certified plumbers for frozen pipes—by no means let tenants try DIY thawing strategies.
- Set up relationships with plumbers who’ve thaw machines to resolve emergencies in beneath 10 minutes.
- Instruct tenants to maintain water dripping throughout chilly snaps to stop pipes from freezing.
- Prioritize basis repairs and heating cable set up to stop recurring winter pipe points.
For property managers trying to higher deal with upkeep emergencies and talk with residents, Buildium presents complete instruments to handle these conditions effectively. Begin your free trial right this moment or give the software program a spin with a guided demo to see how property administration software program can assist you reply to emergencies sooner and preserve your residents glad.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions About Frozen Pipes
Will frozen pipes thaw on their very own?
Pipes might thaw naturally, however ready will increase burst threat resulting from stress buildup. Property managers ought to take motion instantly when frozen pipes are found.
Ought to property managers flip off the principle water if pipes are frozen?
Solely shut off water if there are seen leaks or burst pipes. Property managers ought to guarantee they know shut-off valve places for all properties earlier than emergencies happen.
How lengthy can pipes keep frozen earlier than they burst?
No actual timeline exists, however threat will increase after 4-6 hours of sustained freezing temperatures. Fast motion is important to stop bursts.
At what temperature do pipes sometimes freeze?
Pipes freeze at 32°F, with the best threat when outside temperatures drop to twenty°F or beneath. Analysis confirms this threshold, noting that freezing in buried pipes didn’t happen when the pipe temperature was above −1 °C (30.2°F), so property managers ought to take preventive motion when temperatures strategy 32°F.
What’s the distinction between frozen and burst pipes?
Frozen pipes have ice blocking water circulate. Burst pipes have cracks from ice stress enlargement, which happens as a result of the quantity of frozen water is 9% larger than liquid water, creating sufficient pressure to crack the pipe, which then causes leaks when thawed.
Learn extra on Upkeep
