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Freeze Prevention Tips

Prevent Damage from Frozen and Burst Pipes and Ice Dam

The beginning of 2024 surprised us with bitter cold weather throughout Washington State, which caught many of us off guard. Here at Enduris, we saw multiple claims for damage caused by frozen and burst pipes and ice dams.

We want to ensure that your district is as prepared as possible and knows what to do in the event of a burst pipe. The first steps you can take are preventive in nature.  We recommend the following:

  • Empty or blow out any unused pipes that could freeze and crack during the winter.
  • If bitter cold temperatures are expected, leave water dripping and cabinet doors open under the sinks.
  • Insulate or wrap any exposed pipes with heat tape. This is especially important in non-heated areas such as an attic or crawl space.
  • Consider wrapping hot water heaters with an insulation blanket.
  • Insulate any exterior exposed faucets.
  • Attic spaces should be inspected to ensure that they are correctly insulated where plumbing lines/FPS lines are present.
  • If possible, keep doors between heated and unheated spaces open or add temporary heating in these areas during periods of freezing temperatures. The water lines above unheated areas will freeze.

 

What to do when you find evidence of a burst pipe:

  • Turn off the water: know where the water main valve is located.
  • Move affected or potentially affected business personal property to a safe and dry location.
  • Use shop vacs to remove as much water as possible.
  • Contact a professional water damage restoration company immediately.
  • Video and make an itemized list of any damaged or destroyed property.

 

Ice dams form on roofs because heat can become trapped in an attic without proper ventilation.  When the attic has trapped heat, it will cause snow to melt on the roof line and drip down to the soffits.  Soffits on a roof are not designed to be insulated, as they should be pulling air up into the attic and up through the upper roof vents. The colder soffits cause the dripping water to freeze on the roof line, forming an ice dam. As the ice dam builds on the roof line, it allows water to back up under shingles, as it is not designed to shed water in that direction. Water may begin to enter the attic areas, ceiling, and walls, causing damage.  To avoid ice dams and subsequent damage, we suggest:

  • Before the snow flies, thoroughly clean leaves and pine needles from the roof, gutters, and downspouts.
  • Keep all debris clear from the gutters and downspouts throughout winter.
  • Install heat tape/cable in the gutters and along the edge of the roof.
  • The root cause is improper roof ventilation or lack of insulation within the attic. Attics should be cold and not warm.

 

These simple steps to prepare for changing weather conditions and winter storms can help prevent significant, unwanted problems from occurring.

When a loss occurs, please contact Enduris as soon as possible.

How to report a loss:

Submitted by Karen Easterday, Claims Analyst and Kim Lewis, Claims Associate

 

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