That comes first. Call (413) 603-1274. If you are planning ahead for winter, we find the pipes that freeze in your house and protect them before the cold arrives.
Pipes that freeze in Chicopee houses
Chicopee averages about 50 nights a winter at 20°F or colder, and the coldest nights bring freezes even in heated homes. The same spots freeze over and over:
- Pipes on exterior walls, especially under kitchen and bathroom sinks
- Lines along the sill and rim joist at the top of the basement wall
- Pipes on enclosed back porches and in stairwells of two- and three-deckers
- Crawl spaces under additions
- Outdoor faucet lines
- Pipes in unheated garages
- Laundry hookups on exterior walls
If a pipe has frozen once, it will freeze again in the next cold snap unless something changes. See can pipes freeze with the heat on.
What we do
- Find the cold spots. We look at where pipes run and where they have frozen before.
- Seal air leaks. Cold air pouring through gaps in the rim joist or around pipe penetrations is often the real cause.
- Insulate exposed pipes. Foam or fiberglass pipe insulation, sized and sealed at the joints.
- Add heat cable where needed. Listed self-regulating heat cable on pipes that cannot be kept warm otherwise, on a protected circuit.
- Reroute when it is the only fix. A pipe that runs through a porch or an outside wall can sometimes be moved inside the heated space.
- Add shut-offs. So outdoor faucets and porch lines can be drained for winter.
Vacant homes and rentals between tenants
Empty houses freeze first: nobody notices the heat is off, and nobody is there when a pipe splits. Many insurance policies limit coverage for freezing in a vacant home unless heat was kept on or the water was shut off and the pipes drained. If a property will sit empty this winter, have it winterized or checked regularly. See how to winterize a vacant house in Massachusetts.
When the heat goes out
About one Chicopee home in five heats with oil and nearly a third with electricity, so a missed delivery or a winter power outage leaves the pipes with no heat at all. Keep an eye on the oil gauge in January and February, and know where your main shut-off is. See how long before pipes freeze without heat.
Simple steps for every cold snap
- Keep the heat at least in the mid-60s, day and night
- Open sink cabinet doors on exterior walls
- Let faucets on cold walls drip
- Close garage, porch and basement doors
- Disconnect hoses before the first hard freeze
Heat cable: when it helps and when it does not
Self-regulating heat cable wrapped along a pipe and covered with insulation can keep a short run in a cold crawl space or porch from freezing. It needs an outlet nearby, it uses electricity only when it is cold, and it should be a product listed for use on water pipes and installed as the maker says. It does not help if the power goes out, and old constant-wattage cable that has been taped and painted over for years can be a fire risk. For pipes inside a finished wall, heat cable is usually not practical. Sealing the draft or moving the pipe works better.
Why sealing air leaks matters more than insulation
Pipe insulation slows heat loss, but it cannot make a pipe warmer than the air around it. If wind is blowing through a gap in the sill plate onto a pipe, insulation alone may not stop it freezing on a night near zero. In most Chicopee basements the biggest gains come from sealing the rim joist and sill with foam board or spray foam, closing gaps where pipes and wires pass through the foundation, and fixing broken basement windows. Then insulation on the pipe does its job.
Moving a pipe off a cold wall
When a kitchen or bathroom pipe has frozen in an outside wall more than once, the lasting fix is often to reroute it through an inside wall or the floor below, where it stays warm. It is a bigger job than insulation, but it ends the problem rather than managing it. It is often worth doing while the wall is already open after a burst. See repiping and the Chicopee frozen pipes guide.
Freeze protection questions
Is foam pipe insulation enough?
It slows freezing but does not add heat. In a very cold space, insulation alone may not be enough without heat cable or sealing the air leak.
Is heat tape safe?
Listed self-regulating cable installed to the maker's instructions is the safe choice. Old or damaged heat tape can be a fire risk and should be replaced.
When should this be done?
Before December. Once a cold snap starts, everyone is calling about frozen and burst pipes at the same time.
Stop the same pipe freezing again. Call
Call (413) 603-1274. Locally owned in Chicopee. Read the Chicopee frozen pipes guide.