3 Ways To Protect Your Building From Winter Storms
11/4/2021 (Permalink)
Three Ways To Keep Your Building Safe During Winter Storms
Winter storms in Eason, OK, may seem like outdoor problems, but the freezing temperatures they bring can cause issues inside your commercial property as well. A burst pipe can flood the building, and pipes burst easily when they freeze. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to ensure that the pipes in your walls stay warm and intact, even during a winter storm.
1. Insulate Pipes
Most of the pipes in your building are inside the walls, which means they may be isolated from the warmth the rest of the building enjoys. Because of this, it is imperative that you insulate your pipes, particularly those that run along the outer perimeter of the building. A frozen pipe can occur in no time if it is not protected from external temperatures.
2. Drip Water
When water drips through the faucet into a sink, the water in the pipe must keep moving in order to supply it. This can keep your pipes from freezing. It may seem wasteful at first, but the payoff justifies the minor excess. If you don't want to return from your weekend to discover that a burst pipe has left hundreds of gallons of standing water in your building, it may be profitable to accept the lesser waste of strategically dripping faucets.
3. Set Thermostat
Knowing that no one is going to be in the building every night and weekend may tempt you to turn off the heating system while the building is empty. This is not a wise idea. By keeping your building at the same temperature overnight and at a minimum of 55 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekends, you can keep the pipes warmer and less likely to burst.
A burst pipe can cause just as much, if not more, damage to your building as a basement or roof flood can. While remediation experts can fix the problem, it's best to make the effort to prevent it in the first place.