Preventing Water Damage and Frozen Pipes
What to do when your pipes freeze in your office building or facility
In central Illinois, where winters are often harsh, a frozen pipe in your commercial building can mean costly damage.
As winter weather nears, we can’t emphasize enough: know where your main water shut-off valve is before you need to use it!
This will save valuable time because if you realize that a water pipe has frozen or burst in your workspace, your first step should be to shut off the water immediately!
If your pipe hasn’t burst yet, you have a chance to thaw your frozen pipes safely and help protect your plumbing system from damage…
Steps to take when your property’s pipes freeze or burst
When you discover a frozen pipe in your office complex or corporate space, you should:
1. Turn on the tap (both hot and cold lines) to relieve pressure in the pipe. A slight flow of water can also assist with melting the ice within the pipe.
2. Apply heat to the frozen section with a hair dryer (on low setting) or a heating pad/towels wrapped around the pipe.
*Avoid using open flames like a propane torch, which can damage pipes and pose a fire hazard.
3. Increase the heat in your building and open cabinet doors (if pipes are within cabinets) to allow warmer air in.
If the pipe stays frozen or does burst, call O’Shea Builders as soon as possible!
Once you’ve shut off the water supply and called O’Shea, don’t forget to:
- Turn off electricity in the affected area. Use the circuit breaker to do this safely.
- Try to contain the leak with buckets, towels and containers to minimize damage.
- Start drying out the area with towels, mops, a shop vac, fans and dehumidifiers. (If enough damage has been done, you may need to call O’Shea Builders to help with the water extraction and to expedite the drying time.)
- Document the damage for insurance purposes with photos and videos.
Once all the damage is dealt with, it’s important to investigate why the pipe froze and take preventative measures in your workspace to keep it from happening again.
How to prevent pipes from freezing in your commercial building
Freezing pipes are usually focused on a few areas: hose bibs, fire suppression systems, and water lines in exterior walls.
Hoses
Make sure all water hoses are disconnected from the outside spigot of your building once the temperatures get close to freezing. Drain the hoses and store them indoors.
If a hose remains connected, the water can freeze in the hose and may even freeze the water inside the spigot, creating a flooding situation.
Fire suppression system
If your fire suppression system is in your office’s attic or in an unconditioned area, frigid outside temps can make the space in the attic cold enough to freeze and bust the fire suppression piping.
If this happens, water will be pumped into your building until it is shut off at the valve.
Water Lines in Exterior Walls
Insulation plays a major factor in prevention too: If you have water piping on exterior walls or in an unconditioned area, make sure there is proper insulation around the water piping in the stud cavity.
Even a small draft can lead to freezing pipes when the temperature gets cold enough.
Have questions or need help with water damage in your commercial building? Contact Jeff Jarrett, Director of Building Services at O’Shea, at 217-306-1298 or jjarrett@osheabuilders.com.