Warning Signs That Your Plumbing Pipes Are Frozen

As a property owner, seasons like winter can bring more concerns to the maintenance of your home, especially on the safety of your plumbing system. Some of the most affected pipes are in exterior piles, walls, and exposed pipes running through insulated and non-insulated areas like basements and attics.

However, when you know the warning signs of frozen pipes, you'll quickly seek the right solutions. So, before plumbing problems worsen, watch out for the following warning signs of frozen pipes.

Complete Lack or Reduced Amount of Water and Gurgling Sounds
When pipes freeze, they suffer from clogs or blockage from dust, dirt, and anything that prevents them from allowing water to flow through.
However, sometimes water will come out in reduced volumes. When you open faucets, drains, or sinks simultaneously, you'll notice others are not producing any water unless you close a few of them. Besides not getting enough water, gurgling sounds also indicate that your pipes are frozen. Usually, gurgling sounds suggest that the freezing comes from ice traveling through the pipes.

Ice accumulation can also result from moisture condensation or the collection of ice content, especially those washed through sinks and drains. Therefore, before thinking the lack of water is caused by other plumbing problems, inspect your pipes for ice and other elements blocking them like dust.

Signs of Bulging and Bursting Pipes
When water or other liquids freeze inside your plumbing pipes, water molecules first expand, pushing other molecules to the walls of those pipes. When this happens, your pipes experience increased pressure that bulges them. Sometimes you'll quickly notice the bulging. Other times, bulging can be hard to identify when the pressure isn't considerable.

However, regardless of the pressure levels, the expansion of water and other liquid molecules leads to bulging and bursting pipes over time. In addition, apart from the signs of bulging pipes, watch out for signs of bursting.

Bursting is easily noticeable, especially with colored pipes. Mostly, you'll notice swellings or noticeable cracks. When this happens, it indicates that your pipes are experiencing increased pressure levels. When pressure rises, most pipes fail to balance the air inside and outside. Over time, bulging pipes will eventually burst. Therefore, to prevent the expenses of replacing pipes that burst beyond repair, fix bulging problems on time.

Frost Formation and Unpleasant Smells
Frost formation within pipes means moisture has reached its dew point temperature. Depending on how low the current temperatures are, it can turn into ice or frost when water condenses. Condensed moisture forms crystalline structures inside the pipe walls, causing blockages and clogs.

All the same, signs of frost formation start with the production of milk-like water droplets, especially with the last drops from sinks and drains. On top of that, another sign indicating your pipes suffer freezing issues is an unpleasant smell. Unpleasant odors mostly come from frozen content and dirty clogs accumulating dead organisms. For example, when bacteria enter your pipes due to clogs, they can bring about unpleasant smells.

The Best Option for Dealing With Frozen Plumbing Pipes
Mostly, it's easy to think your DIY skills can easily handle problems with frozen pipes. However, unless such issues are minor, like getting insufficient water, significant issues will need the help of a professional.

An expert is the best consideration for seriously frozen pipes. Because of this, you can hire highly experienced and trustworthy professionals. Preferred Mechanical Services will quickly deploy an experienced plumber to inspect and rectify your problems before they worsen. So, when the need arises, contact us for prompt and reliable plumbing services. With our technicians, nothing disturbing your pipes will go unsolved.