How to protect your pipes from freezing as extreme cold hits Milwaukee

Maia Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read

With extreme cold settling in across Milwaukee this week, your pipes are at especially high risk of freezing or bursting.

Along with cutting off your water, frozen pipes can lead to significant water damage and costly home repairs.

Here are some preventative steps you can take to prevent your pipes from freezing — and what to do if you think they've already frozen:

Tips to prevent your pipes from freezing

There are a few steps you can take to protect your home from damaged pipes, according to Milwaukee Water Works:

  • Keep your basement warm: Ensure your basement is properly heated or insulated. Pipes nearest to a wall, door, window or along the floor are likeliest to freeze.

  • Drip your faucets: Allow a small trickle of water to flow through your pipes regularly, since flowing water often breaks up ice freezing below.

  • Eliminate cold drafts: Close doors and window to outside, and install storm windows or add insulation to basement windows. Turn off water connections to your garden hose at an inside valve and drain the exposed piping.

  • Wrap pipes: Wrap pipes in insulation or heat tape, or place a light bulb near pipes to provide warmth. Open the door to the room with the pipes, and, in kitchens, open the cabinet door below the sink so warm air can reach the pipes. Do not light open flames near pipes.

What to do if your pipes freeze

If no water comes from your faucets when you turn them on, your pipes are frozen.

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You can contact MWW’s Meter Services Division at (414) 286-8000 to report frozen pipes or a frozen water meter, which is often located in the basement.

Here are some steps you can take yourself to repair the issue:

  1. Open a faucet near the frozen pipe to release any vapor from the melting ice. Keep the faucet open, so you'll know when the water is flowing again.

  2. Begin warming the pipes using a hairdryer. Start with the pipe nearest the faucet and work toward the frozen section. Do not leave the hairdryer unattended or let it overheat, and do not use a blowtorch or open flame to warm pipes.

  3. Once water has begun to flow again, let a pencil-sized stream of water flow through the faucet until normal heating is restored.

  4. Eliminate cold breezes and allow warm air to flow around the pipes to prevent freezing again.

What to do if a water main breaks

If you notice water surfacing or if your water pressure drops, then your water main could be broken. In this case, you can report the break to the city by calling (414) 286-3710.

Find more information here about the repair process for water main breaks.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to do if your pipes freeze in Milwaukee