Winter-Proof Your Home: Preventing and Managing Frozen Pipes in Minneapolis

For many homeowners, frozen pipes in Minneapolis are a common occurrence. The cold and snowy winters often drop below 10°F, which is cold enough to freeze the water in your plumbing system, and cause major problems if you don’t notice in time. Burst pipes can result in flooding, causing water damage, safety issues, mold growth, and costly repairs. 

If your plumbing system is frozen, or if you’re having any plumbing issues in the Twin City area, you can count on Dean’s Home Services for timely repairs and pipe thawing, at a reasonable cost. Our licensed plumbers are available 24/7 for emergency plumbing services, plumbing inspections and maintenance services, keeping your system clean, prepped, and ready for the winter months. 

Why Minneapolis Homes Are at Risk

Many Mill City homes were built before the 1980s, and, unless the homeowner has updated the insulation themself, may not have sufficient protection from the winter chill. Many older homes lack proper insulation in the exterior walls, basements, attics, and crawlspaces, letting the below-zero temperatures leak in, and freeze plumbing in those areas. Because Minneapolis has such low winter temperatures, frozen plumbing is always a risk, but it’s especially true in these older builds. This makes Minnesota winter plumbing problems much more prevalent than they are in other parts of the country. 

Proactive Prevention Tips

Burst pipe prevention is possible, even in January in Central Minnesota. If your plumbing is at risk of freezing this winter, you may want to try some of these tips to prevent frozen pipes in MN:

• • Insulate exposed pipes: Foam sleeves and fiberglass insulation are commonly used in our area to insulate vulnerable plumbing. 
  • Seal the house: There could be small gaps and cracks around your exterior walls that are letting the cold in. Caulk, weatherstripping, and pest-resistant foam are often used for this purpose.
  • Turn up the heat: Experts recommend Minnesota residents keep their homes at 55°F or higher, and maintain consistent heat to keep the temperature inside your home warm enough to protect your pipes.
  • Keep garage doors closed: Don’t give the cold air access to your pipes inside the garage. 
  • Open cabinet doors: Open the under-sink cabinets in your kitchen and bathrooms to let warm air circulate around them. 
  • Open faucets: Letting your faucets drip slightly during extreme cold will slow the water from freezing inside the pipes and prevent the high pressures that result in burst pipes.

• Disconnect garden hose: Turn off your outdoor taps and disconnect and drain your garden hose before the first frost. 

• Install frost-proof hose bibs: Frost-proof hose bibs are winter-weather-proof outdoor faucets that have their shutoff valve further inside the home, where it’s warm, than a standard hose bib. This stops ice formation inside the plumbing.

Recognizing Early Warning Signs

Homeowners in the Minneapolis area need to know these common warning signs of frozen pipes:

• No water flow: If the water won’t come out of your tap and it’s below freezing outside, it’s likely because the water line is frozen. 
• Low water pressure: If the water in the pipe isn’t completely frozen, but ice is starting to block the line, you will notice lower water pressure than usual. 
• Frost or ice on pipes: Visible frost on exposed pipes is a major indicator that the water inside is frozen. 
• Bulging pipes: When water freezes, it expands, causing your plumbing to start to swell under pressure, until it cracks or bursts. 
• Unpleasant odors: Frozen sewer lines or plumbing can result in sewer smells coming from drains, or even sewage backups.
• Unusual sounds: You may notice gurgling, banging, or creaking sounds, indicating water flow issues and pressure buildup as ice forms.  
• Water leaks: Signs of cracked or burst pipes include puddles, water damage on walls, ceilings, and floors, musty odors, or the sound of running water. 

Immediate Actions if Pipes Freeze

The first steps you need to take when pipes freeze for water damage prevention in MN are:

• Step 1: Turn off the water supply at the main water valve. 
• Step 2: Find the frozen pipe. It will likely be in a colder area of your house, like your attic or basement, or along the outer walls of your house. 
• Step 3: Thaw the frozen section of pipe. Use heat tape, a hair dryer, or a heat pad to warm the section of the pipe. Avoid using open flames, or leaving a space heater unattended. 
• Step 4: Call a licensed plumber if needed. 

Long-Term Solutions and Maintenance

Rather than reacting to burst pipes after the fact, you can take preventive measures to avoid freezing, and implement long-term solutions so your plumbing’s not at risk any more. 

Schedule regular inspections

Plumbing inspections are the best way to know whether you have invisible issues in your plumbing system that could potentially result in major damage later on. An expert plumber will check for signs of corrosion, cracks, leaks, and issues with your drainage, sewer lines, and water supply. 

They’ll also be able to identify any areas of vulnerability, like poor sealing around pipes, or a lack of insulation, that may cause freezing in the winter. Once these issues are identified, they’ll help you find cost-effective solutions to prevent serious leaks and problems from happening. 

Upgrade your home’s insulation

The biggest reason why pipes freeze in your house is because they don’t have proper insulation around them. Insulation is a material that prevents heat loss, keeping hot water hot, and stopping the water from freezing in the winter. Your insulation may be foam, rubber, or fiberglass. If you have an issue every winter with frozen plumbing, insulation may be the answer. 

Install a smart water sensor

A smart water sensor placed in vulnerable areas of your home will detect leaks, freezing, and other signs of plumbing problems, and then send an alert to your mobile device. While this doesn’t prevent the problem from happening, the alert will allow you to take immediate action and stop serious water damage to your house. Some advanced systems may even be able to turn the water off automatically. 

Educate your entire household on what to do

If a pipe bursts and you’re not home, does everybody else know what to do? By educating your spouse, roommate, and kids on how to identify a burst or leaking pipe, safely turn off the water, and call for help, you may save yourself hundreds or thousands of dollars, and a big cleanup job. 

Contact Dean’s Home Services Today for Plumbing Service 

At Dean’s, our plumbing services include water leak detection, repairs, pipe thawing, and much more. Contact us if you need your garbage disposal replaced, if your sump pump is acting up, or if your toilet won’t stop running. Whatever the issue, big or small, our experienced, licensed, and insured plumbers can handle it.

Our plumbing services are available in the Twin Cities area, including communities like:

• St. Paul
• Ramsey
• Plymouth
• Otsego
• Minnetonka
• Maple Grove
• Fridley
• Edina
• Chanhassen 

Don’t wait until you need frozen pipe repair. Take preventive measures now, and save yourself the stress, and the money, that comes with frozen, cracked, or burst pipes. 

Call Dean’s Home Services today at 763-312-2564 , or use our online contact form to schedule your next plumbing inspection, maintenance services, or repair. We’ll help you avoid disaster, even in a plumbing emergency. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed at Dean’s.