The temperature over the past few days has been pretty cold and it's just the beginning. It's the type of weather that freezes pipes and ruins people's weekends. People, like me...and my buddy who didn't realize the noise of all that water was a bad thing who I made go into two feet of just about zero degree water to turn off the source.

That's right, this past weekend my pipes froze and burst much like many other people here in the Hudson Valley. My weekend was filled with a series of decisions made just a little too late. To help everyone else out there I figured I'd compile a list of ways to prevent this from happening to you. Its too late for me but, hey, I took pictures!

  • Insulate the pipes (I cannot stress this enough, make sure this is done)
  • Use heat tape or heat cabled if needed to thaw out pipes and keep from freezing
  • Turn off the water source for outside faucets in the winter
  • Open cabinet doors to allow heat to get to un-insulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exterior walls
  • Keep the thermostat at the same temperate at all times no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit (that little extra on the bill is totally worth it)
  • On super cold nights/days, let the faucet trickle, even that little bit of water moving trough the pipes can prevent it from freezing
  • If the pipes do freeze and you can't thaw them within a few hours, call a plumber (once again, totally worth it)

And now for the fun part, pictures!

This is the height of the water, just about two feet.

Flooded Crawl Space
Source: Morello's Archives
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The firefighters were kind enough to lend me a second pump and hose, nice set of guys. Shout out to the guys over on N Clover St. in Poughkeepsie.

 

Water Hose
Source: Morello's Archives
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After hours of pumping, we found that it was still leaking everywhere. To prevent it from shooting all around ruining more of my insulation, we covered it with a towel.

 

Coverigng Leak
Source: Morello's Archives
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When I say it was cold, it was COLD. Enough that heat from the body came off as steam.

 

Hot Leg
Source: Morello's Archives
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This guy right here, thrice he ventured forth into the two foot by one foot hole to deal with the pipes. I think he was yelling at me to get out of the way.

 

Ed
Source: Morello's Archives
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