Homeowner Insurance 101: Dealing With Frozen Pipes

​Frozen pipes could be a big problem and add to your expensive and time-consuming home maintenance. Knowing how to deal with them is not enough. You can prevent this from happening with the tips in this blog post. If you fail to check them, it can flood your home and cost you more serious structural damages and expenses.

 So, How Do You Prevent Frozen Pipes?
Prevention is still better than cure in any kind of sticky situation. You can spare yourself from having to deal with frozen pipes through these simple measures:

• Don’t forget to drain water from your pool and water sprinkler.
• Let your faucet drip slightly. 
• Keep some of your doors open so warm air can circulate through the plumbing.
• Keep your heaters on.
• Keep your pipes’ temperature close to the water inside by adding extra insulation.
• Seal cracks on your walls and floors where the pipes are.

What To Do When Your Pipes are Frozen?
Below are the steps you can take when you fail to do what was mentioned above. You can either do it on your own, or you can simply call a professional. 

Look for the Frozen Pipe
Identify the pipes that are frozen. If you notice that no water is coming out of a faucet at your property, it only means that its pipe is frozen. While you're at it, check the other pipes on your property. 

Keep the Faucet Open
It can help in thawing the ice in the pipe. It would be best if you also do this to determine which pipes are still frozen as you try to fix them. Water will start to flow as the ice melts in that pipe.  

Apply Moderate Heat
Some would use a hairdryer or hot towels. There are electrical heating tapes that you can wrap directly to distribute heat throughout the pipe. Do this with caution until the water pressure is restored. 

Does Insurance cover Frozen Pipes? 
Insurance policies cover damages from the plumbing system, heating, air conditioning, and fire protection. So yes, your pipes that burst due to freezing may be covered.

Although, you have to keep in mind that if it is due to your neglect, there may be some steps and documents needed to be taken so you can be eligible for insurance. Check with your provider for a better understanding of your coverage. 

Conclusion
It may sound easy to keep your pipes from freezing during winter. But some house maintenance gets more difficult to get done when it's too cold outside. Check with your insurance provider for those covered, and you can get them off your mind. 

At Arnold Insurance Agency, LLC, we aim to provide comprehensive insurance policies that make your life easier. We want to help you get the insurance that fits your needs. You can get more information about our products and services by calling our agency at (318) 965-5953. Get your free quote today by CLICKING HERE. Topics and coverage discussed in this article are not guaranteed, consult with your agents to determine what your policy does and does not cover. We are more than happy to help!