Sacramento Frozen Pipes

Sacramento has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa), characterized by damp to wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers.  On average, there are 73 days where the high exceeds 90 °F (32 °C), and 14 days where the high exceeds 100 °F (38 °C); On the other extreme, there are 15 days where the temperature fails to reach 50 °F (10 °C), and 15 freezing nights per year.

It is those 15 freezing nights a week we need to make sure the pipes which reach the outside cold in our home are protected.  Protecting your pipes from freezing temperatures will save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in plumbing repair cost and damages.

According to Sate Farm Insurance, about 250,000 homes sustain water damage annually from frozen pipes. In fact, “damage” is too weak a word to describe the disastrous effect a water pipe can have when it gushes open inside your home.

When we talk about pipes and water, we first need to understand that freezing pipes in Sacramento.

What Causes Frozen Pipes?

The water inside pipes can freeze when outdoor temperatures drop below freezing.  As freezing water expands, it causes the pressure inside the pipes to increase, possibly leading to bursting pipes.  Pipes can freeze in a few hours and usually burst when temperatures are the lowest, in the middle of the night.

In the Sacramento area pipes will freeze when the temperatures are below 33°F.  The high elevation areas in Sacramento tend to freeze first.

Sacramento plumbers focus on stopping the leak then repairing it.  Any water damage to your home will need to be handled by a contractor and not a plumber.

My pipes are Frozen in Sacramento but have not burst

If you open the faucet on the sink and nothing comes out, it probably means your pipes are full of ice. Chances are they’re not frozen in the room where the heat is, but somewhere upstream (in the garage, wall cavity or crawl space.) If you have access to them, try blowing hot air from a hair dryer or heat gun to melt the blockage and get you out of a jam. You might also heat the space with a heat lamp or space heater.

Be careful,  use heat creating devices properly to avoid house fires when trying to fix frozen pipes.

You can also heat up water on the stove, soak rags or cloths in there, then wrap the pipe. This works at thawing pipes, but takes take a long time.

Preventing Frozen Pipes in Sacramento

• Insulate pipes, especially those close to outside walls, attics or crawl spaces where the chance of freezing is greatest
• Seal air leaks surrounding or near pipes
• Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage
• Disconnect all outdoor hoses and turn off water to exterior faucets and sprinkler systems
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing
• Keep heat at 55 degrees F. or higher even when you are out of town
• During a cold spell turn on both hot and cold faucets near outside walls to allow a small trickle of water to run during the night
• If you need to be away from home, leave the heat on and drain your water system before you go
• Identify the locations of shutoff valves so that you are prepared to stop the flow of water as soon as possible when a pipe bursts

What to Do When Pipes Freeze or Burst

If pipes freeze:

• Open all faucets
• Remove insulation and wrap pipes in rags
• If all else fails, call your plumber

If pipes burst:

• Shut off the water immediately to prevent additional damage
• Take proper precautions to avoid an electrical shock from being in or near standing water
• Take an inventory of any damaged property or possessions
• Contact your local claims office to help you locate a vendor specializing in emergency water mitigation services that can properly dry out the damaged area
• If your pipes have already frozen but haven’t burst, take immediate action. What to do depends on where the pipe freezes, but generally speaking, if you can heat the pipes back up, you can avert disaster.

Share this:

Sacramento Frozen Pipes