You’ve invested lots of money in your facilities, and there is a temptation in this era of green awareness and spiraling energy costs to turn down the thermostat in cold weather in order to conserve energy and save money. But be careful; major property damage can result if a building becomes too cold and water pipes freeze. Did you know that a crack as small as an eighth of an inch in a water pipe can release hundreds of gallons of water, and cause tens of thousands of dollars in damages? According to some studies, frozen pipes are the largest single cause of property losses over $50,000. When you include damage from ice and snow, slips and falls on icy sidewalks, and downed trees, that number goes much higher still.

Pipes are most likely to freeze at night or at times when buildings are unoccupied and there is limited activity, which means flooding often remains undiscovered for hours, allowing the water to do a lot of damage when no one is present. It’s far easier and cheaper to prevent water pipes from freezing than to thaw them – and certainly cheaper than repairing the damage.

Here are some basic guidelines for protecting your pipes in cold weather:
Make sure all water pipes are fully insulated, and that insulation damage is replaced immediately. Both copper and PVC pipes can crack or burst when frozen, so if either type becomes frozen, they must be thawed as quickly as possible, especially when it comes to sprinkler systems. Of course pipes close to exterior walls or in unheated basements should be insulated, but don’t overlook pipes near windows or in foyers, which can quickly freeze.
Be sure to find and clearly mark the location of the water shut-off valve with a sign, and that everyone who needs to knows where and how to turn off the water. By making the main shut-off as easy to locate as possible, it will help reduce the damage on those occasions when pipes are most likely to freeze; at night or when the building is empty. Be sure to test the shut-off valve regularly, and always repair or replace leaky or corroded valves as soon as you see them.
Make sure equipment is located where it will stay dry, especially when the building is unoccupied. Whether from burst pipes, roof ice dams, or heavy snow melt, cold weather can cause flooding.
Before the first freeze, shut off and drain any outside water faucets and sprinkler systems. Constantly alternating between freezing and thawing in the system can create cracks and weak spots, which can result in underground leaks or mini-geysers.
If your pipes have heat tracing, make sure that it is energized and that it has a back-up power source.
Supervisors should schedule regular building checks, especially during storms and cold weather, and make sure the company’s list of emergency telephone numbers includes snow removal, heating system repair, utility company, the weather bureau, and the risk manager among the contacts.

Taking these simple steps can reduce the chance that your valuable facilities will be damaged by pipes freezing in cold weather.

Tags: frozen pipes, protect your assets, winterize buildings

This entry was posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 6:24 am and is filed under Damage Prevention, Due Diligence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.