02/15/2021
Frozen pipes: Band aids vs permanent fix and why our pipes freeze
Not insulated properly
Most pipes that freeze are located near an outside house wall. The builder didn’t wrap the pipes, or pack enough insulation around them. If you can locate the frozen pipes, add non flame heat to thaw, then grab an old pillow or towel to make a temperature gap until you wrap your pipe or insulate the area. The cost to repair shouldn’t cost more than $400 if the pipe is broken.
Crawl space isn’t temperature controlled
A lot of builders run plumbing under houses, and foundation walls don’t provide adequate insulation. The most common problem I’ve found is the old glass slated basement windows. The more basement windows, the more heat can escape - and it’s usually near a window where the frozen pipe hides. An easy fix is to grab some foam or insulation to cover these windows. Look around for areas where you can feel cold air blowing, and adding more where needed. WoodandMortar recommends replacing these windows to increase home value and lowering your energy bill. Avg cost is around $200 per window installed.
Brick houses in general
My favorite house wrap has the largest drawback when keeping a house warm. Bricks have the lowest R rating because they do a poor job at separating your homes internal temperature from the outside. When plumbing is ran through the walls, almost always I find an unwrapped pipe causing the problem. On the rare occasion where a simple pipe wrap isn’t the fix, a larger air gap between the brick and water pipes is needed. *This may require the most repair cost because every situation has different solutions.